The Farmers' Union du lieu suivant : Salina, Kansas • 5

5 THE FARMERS' UNION members of the Union around Erie We really more earnest and de-: FARM MORTGAGES AND FARM WEALTH. termiried to make the Union a success than are the They it is a curious fact that the greatest and wealthiest agricul- students of co-operation and their hopes of. success in the tural states have the largest volume of farm mortgages. It would both socially and financially, are based on the ability of the Union be well to inquire whether this condition is due to prosperity or to to carry out its purposes. They are certainly doing their part to adversity.

Are the fanners pf these states borrowing money to further the great cause along, r- enable them to engage in" larger enterprises and develop hitherto rro- untoucneci sources ana opportunities lor weaim or are tney exnaust- mA nnniTtr ttxttixt ixt it a a a a ma. a 1.1. 1. cc i-1 I received the following letter from the Editor of the Age There is a danger right here in connection with the rural credit Herald, Birmingham, Alabama: law just passed by congress. If the wealthies farmers of the Farmers' Union, Salina, Kansas country are already in debt more than a billion dollars with interest tm.

'k 'I X- A XTa. 1 At jArtlTAMVtl. 4A VaVm i 1 y-fc J. ill i. 1 A un4.n Au lvu 4- MAMitlAAD 1M AlfTlAUK -2 xiic xiciaiu cuuwvuiiag jcuuuu mc rates, will not low I axes aim long ceim coiibiavtd mcviiauij muccisc Farmers' Union in Alabama.

We are working with state 'officers the volume of farm loans and so add to the burden of fixed charges 11 UlgWiUHtUVllI fTV. imv w. lfv.kj lO Oil CflU LI ill VClll OVfVl VaIJT KJJX J.X KfJ JJiV so tnat we mignt get lueas to prmv. rvm yuu cAwiange wnn us aucers oi tne countryr Uneap money may pe a necessity, put me truiy, weeiuy Age xieraia. iarmer is a marKetmg system mat Immediately on receipt of above complied will enable him to sell His produce at a profit arid pay his with the request of the editor of the Age Herald and will gladly' In discussing fann mortgages; a recent number of The Organ-give the brethren in Alabama any assistance I can that will in any ized Farmer, the official organ of the Society of Equity, says way aid them in rebuilding the Alabama State Union; "Surprising as it may seem, we have before us a report com- The Farmers' Union will never succeed in putting into force piled by authorities showing that the states that are con- and effect the purposes for which" it was organized until all or sidered the richest in the; United.

States are the most heavily mort-j a large number of the fanners of the several states become afliliat- gaged, so ar, as fan 4 ed with it. Now that Alabama is going to make an effort to re- "We find that Iowa heads the list in indebtedness with TTI Ua uvU.i ii- UnMnAm. U.i.n AAA Aftft (fOEE AAA finA CO I A uuiiu me KJiuvii, i iiupc vuvy wiu xcuuxiu iw uu tt wusuiTOo uaoia 4 Jtllliiois llCAL vyiu. luissuuii uuiu wiui that is, establish co-operative business1 associations, and through 000,000, Wisconsin fourth with $210,000,000, Texas fifth w'ith such business associations there can be brotight iibout an exchange $180,000,000, Kansas sixth with $175,000,000. 1 il.

iL AA TJ-. 1 i i ,7. XT n.T-.-i-- .1 li ii-t- products or other commodities between the states we can bring the cent, Montana and Wyoming next with 10 per cent, Arizona, Arkan- rArCMrviova orA rVA1noC! 1rco rrrai Vi txv i-n i wow A InUnmn TT1-i A m. i Vv-i Q1A anf laee Tiril'Vi TTf oV i vvuuuaivig twi jtvuuvviu vivou wgwiivx Ail suaiiv' 11 uu jSCIO, AICILalll aUU 1 Ivliua alC 111 till; lVi vwib vcoo, iuvh vui save to both producers and consumers the large profits that are and Texas and North Dakota leading in the 9 per cent now going into the pockets of middlemen. Dakota and Oklahoma are the two states in which the I am so anxious to be able to bring about conditions that will highest commission is charged forthe handling of farm mortgage enable us to make a direct exchange of products with our southern loans." brethren, that I am almost as anxious to see the Union succeed ro qc orvi A a an if citfnaaA Uava A-n TTonooo A HWDT" A PIDOT A DdTIEAD UTTGTXTIt'GC CT A Our Southern brethren caji make up their minds that when We are hearing the slogan "America First" quite often in these twine tn.

rphnilfl the TTninn that, imlAss fhv vaV.iiiI1 if. oh: a Knainpso nUfiVol Antra TViio ttvvivoociAri mo-nc i-f it mpanc qtv. C3' fw.K"www OVlXllll J. VI blVUl ViCVJ1 kJ JLAJL.O VAJkX AAWMkJ basisthat is, making it a paying proposition for their members thing, that our own country shall have first place our politics, Al 1 1 1 1 i A 1 11 1 a meir every-aay ousmess anairs to oeiong xo it tney win nave to our business, and our hearts. There is already more than a suspi-exnerience a rebuildinir of the organization everv few 1 purely business purposes, but that it means that we must all be sat- ASHERVILLE TO HAVE A COMMUNITY HALL.

are forced to nav hicrh prices for American products in I received this morning a copy of the Asheryilie Model School competition with the war conditions that exist in the warring na-Advocate, a paper published by the high school faculty and stu- tions of the old world. Discussing this interpretation of the slogan aents oi Asnervine. it is a neatly gotten up little paper and is there are many who believe that it means that America, must be having a big influence in making Asherville and the surrounding stung first in realizing the high prices and huge profits that war country one great big home-like family, where petty strife and petty differences will be Unknown and unheard of in Thus "Successful Farming" on this subject: the future. "Because the war has opened the way to undreamed of profits That the little paper though small is having great success in to the steel and iron industry, they are willing to reverently; use making Asherville a community center, can be readily seen by the America First' as a political slogan to detract attention while they determined effort of the people of that community to have a ignore orders of American manufacturers and say that they. cant community hall, big enough to accommodate any, gathering that is fill their orders because they are flooded with war orders at lar likely to be held there.

I have always, in my. Farmers' Union work, greater profits. As a consequence, manufacturers of farm maqhin- advocated a community hall so that sociability and brotherly love ery, who believe in giving the American farmers the wherewithal hiight be promoted and rural' districtsybf Kansas, to harvest their crops, who believe sinceTely in 'America First It certainly gives me great pleasure to learn that Asherville have great difficulty in getting steel for home use. This is shown will have a community hall, not built by taxation but by popular in a letter to 'Implement and Tractor Trade Journal' by a plow subscription, as I understand the plan. I hope the members of the company 'reunion around Asherville will show a generosity in aiding this laud- 'It has been impossible for us to get steel with any degree of able enterprise in keeping with its.

importance to the community, satisfaction at all for the last six or eight months, not only bar Every member of the Union around Asherville should help to make steels, but plow steels of all kinds, soft-center, open hearth and the Labor Day celebration there a success. If they haven't any- crucible. The eastern mills give us no assurance; they give us no thing to offer for sale at the big, auction sale, they should at least satisfaction whatever. We have visited them personally and pled lend their presence on that occasion to show that they are inter- with them personally, but they are, apparently, entirely indifferent ested in the enterprise. May their undertakiner be a success be- aw fn ip nnmpstip.

trade. Thev are overloaded with foreign biisi- 41V I VV yond the expectations oi its promoters, is my earnest wish. ness and at wonderful prices. While their prices to us and to an -o the plow companies have considerably more tnan aouoiea, tne prices A MIGHTY SHORT CORN CROP. they are getting for shipments abroad are probably Not a single state in the Union will have even an average corn "This is the testimony of nearly all who use steel for domestic crop this year.

Nebraska, I judge, from the information 1 get, manufacture, nence me necessiuy ciijjiii4j "iuic kji comes nearer to an average crop than any other state. made of steel, iron, copper, nickle, zinc and brass. 'America First' The corn crop of the U. S. will be, taking it as a whole, a mighty is for patriotic parades and not for American trade." short crop this year.

POTATOES A SHORT'CROP. BETWEEN OLD AND NEW CORN, KANSAS WILL HAVE From the reports I get from the northern states, potatoes will ENOUGH FOR A YEAR. be a very short crop this year. Wisconsin had a freeze August 25th the rtntatn r.ron of that state. Po- 1UUISUU VJV VVH C1A UVO IVjVVVjVWU W.

UIMV corn carried over from last year. I hope the report is true, I tatoes are now selling for $1.50 on the local market and dealers ex-doubt it very much. I believe, however, that the old corn on hand, pect them to go higher. with the amount of new corn that the state will have this year, o- IUIit lAnmnw OI .11.. liz-v flnivinillfc tortilVtlir9riC Qtlr.

inere will Oc pkZUiy will iu iccu iui a ctvi, ttvooiuiy lwngci onoxuy wic o- their national conventions, I told the young man helping me in the BREGEN QUITS ORGANIZING. office to publish in the Farmers Union the platforms of the three Organizer Bregen has been employed by the Parks Union as parties in three consecutive issues, and I thought it was so done manager of their new elevator and will take charge of it inside of 10 until a few weeks ago, then I asked a socialist Union member for a days, consequently he will not do any more organizing, for the pros-r copy of the socialist platform, but before he had time to forward it ent, at least. to me a socialist brother sent me one with the request to publish it..