THIRTEENTH ANNUAL YEAR BOOK— PART V 227 



who got away from Iowa was Gillette, the safety razor man. Was 

 there any reason why he and his ability could not have been turned 

 loose in Iowa as well as somewhere else? The opportunity for both agri- 

 cultural production and industrial production are here. It is simply 

 up to us to make use of them. 



Ignorance about Iowa and its resources has been largely responsible 

 for this great exodus of population from the state and the out-flow of 

 Iowa money to other sections for investment. Possibly a lack of senti- 

 ment may also be responsible. We have been accused of being disloyal 

 to the state. I do not like to confess that, but there seems to be reasons 

 to believe that we are not loyal to the state's best interests. If we 

 would only adopt this motto, which has been proposed: "Grown in Iowa, 

 made in Iowa," and then add to it "sold in Iowa;" if that sentiment could 

 be held and acted upon generally, there would be no question about a 

 marvelous development in the state. We are not sentimental enough 

 about Iowa. We are too matter of fact about its great resources. 



Moreover, we are seriously individualistic. To be plain, we are too 

 selfish. We think too much of ourselves and our own particular individual 

 interests and we do not think enough of Iowa in the large. We need to 

 develop among ourselves more community interest and larger commun- 

 ity sympathies. Our various towns and cities have only recently learned 

 that there is benefit to be gained in co-operation. Our farmers and our 

 towns people have not yet learned that they have common interests for 

 whose promotion they should unite. We fight too much for our individual 

 selves. We have not enough sentiment for the whole state. Recently I 

 asked a man who knows Iowa thoroughly why it is that we are so wrapped 

 up in our own local affairs, in our own smaller interests, and why it is 

 difficult to get men to work for a large community interest. He said that 

 he believed that it was due to the fact that in Iowa we have empha- 

 sized very strongly the importance of township government. This is un- 

 common. Township government and the authority of township officers 

 have developed more strongly here than any where else, and that has 

 been quite largely responsible for our individuality in Iowa and our 

 lack of sentiment for a greater Iowa. 



Besides that, there is a lack of faith in Iowa. Men do not believe 

 strongly enough in the resources of the state. They do not have faith 

 in its ability to produce to invest their money in industries and enter- 

 prises and to make the soil yield its utmost. Rather, they go elsewhere 

 for opportunity, overlooking the chance that there is right at home. 



What can be done to remedy this situation? 



In the first place, it is important that the people of the state be edu- 

 cated to understand the importance of the resources of the state and the 

 value of the opportunities that are here. Ignorance upon these things, 

 lack of understanding about Iowa, are at the bottom of Iowa's problems. 



How are we going to educate our own people to know Iowa, that being 

 fundamental? There is only one way. I believe it must be done through 

 publicity, through advertising, through the making known to ourselves 



