126 Missouri Agricultural Report. 



WHY SHOULD NOT THE FARMERS CO-OPERATE. 



The farmer is the only class of large economic importance 

 that is not compactly organized for its own protection and prog- 

 ress. He buys and sells and conducts all his business as an indi- 

 vidual without any regard for the welfare of his fellow farmer. 

 He accepts without successful protest the price fixed by others 

 on what he produces. He pays the price fixed by others on what 

 he buys. He does not fix the price upon either what he buys or 

 sells. 



Economically the most important member of society, the 

 farmer has nothing to say about the terms under which he will 

 work. Co-operating he might easily remedy this situation and 

 become an efficient business man as well as an efficient producer. 



CO-OPERATION WILL HELP TO DEVELOP LEADERS. 



The great need of the rural districts is capable leaders. This 

 is the first real step in rural progress. These leaders must be 

 found among the rural people. There has been a notable lack of 

 leaders in the country, not because men and women capable of 

 leadership have not been produced there, but because they have 

 not been, developed among the farmers, mainly because the farmer 

 has refused to be led. The laborer in recent years has been easy 

 to organize and easy to lead. The farmer has always been difficult 

 to organize and difficult to lead. The laborer has been ready to 

 reward his leaders and has been intensely interested in the cause 

 of labor. The farmer has been prejudiced, suspicious and in no 

 particular degree interested in the cause of agriculture. Political- 

 ly, he has been ineffective. His devotion to party in general has 

 been greater than his devotion to occupation. The Government 

 thus far has failed to formulate an agrarian program because 

 the farmers have been divided politically and content to vote 

 mainly on city problems. 



A characteristic of the management of our great railway sys- 

 tems and of all successful big business is that of recognizing merit 

 within its own ranks and rewarding this merit with its prizes. By 

 this means the railways and other big corporations have been able 

 to attract and to hold the best talent of the country at compara- 

 tively low wages merely for the chance at the larger opportunity 

 ahead. 



After all, the largest and most important task before us is to 

 encourage the country people to help themselves. This strength- 



