Los Angeles herald., 1909-11-15

4 Know where he comes out in this little
deal, let him make his own ealcula-
tions.
Two years ago the cotton manufac-
| turers of the world met in England
and mutually agreed that under no cir
cumstances would they sell their fab
! rics under prices fixed by a certain
schedule, and that under no circum-
stances would they pay more than a
certain schedule for raw cotton. The
cotton growing farmers of the south
ern states denounced this combination
bitterly, while the trade journals rep
resenting the cotton tetxile industry
praised the agreement as great tri-
upon the cotton growers have assem-.
unpon the cotton growers have assem-
bled themselves, and they have de-
clared that under no circumstances
VIII they sell their cotton for less than
certain price. Conditions have been
favorable and they have kept their
word. The same journals of the tex
tile trade denounce the action of the
FARMERS as piracy. while the farmers
declare their organization and their
purposes to keep up prices is a most
pralseWofthy bit of economis fore
slght. This is related by way of IL
Illustrating the fact that it still makes
diiference whose OK is gored.
Attempts to fix the prices of farm
products have been made in many
countries. Governments have sought
TO tnwart the operation of the law of
supply and demand. Not long ago
Brazil, in an effort to keep up high
prices, bought millions of bags of cof-
Zee 10 hold back the market. The
russian government is now consider
ing the adYisability of a large purchase
OF grain in the hope of regulating the
amount OF wheat placed upon the mar
ket. Merchants in the United States
sometimes wickedly destroy many car
loads OF good food-stuff rather than
permit a bountiful supply to force
down the market price.
The great difficulty of controlling
the prices and sale of farm products
Is that thert are too many farmers
and that they are too independent.
Organizations looking to the control
or limited product in a limited sec
ton of territory have been very sue
cessful, as witness the fruit growers
OF Southern California, the peach
growers of Georgia and the truck
farmers Of various Atlantic coast com
munities. The growers of a certain
variety OF dark tobacco in Kentucky
and Tennessee We're goaded into re-
prlsals by the organization of buyers
which forced down the price of their
product to the starvation point. But
some of the farmers refused to come
INTO the combination, and insisted on
selling their products to the boycotted
trust True, the trust gave them five
times as much money for their tobacco
as 1t gave before the farmers or
gahlzed. The result was the Night
Rider outrages.
The success of the dark tobacco
growers in forcing up the price of their
proouct caused the growers of Burley
tobacco, In another part of Kentucky.
to organize. The Society of Equity
was the medium chosen. The results
were about the same-the price of
tobacco was raised, the Night Rider
depredations have disgraced the land
and some men have become very rich.
But the farmers insist that these
troubles are not sufficient to vitiate
their moral and legal rights to or
ganize, in view of the fact that the
selling and buying market is organized.
III is clear however, that IL is difficult
to persuade all of the farmers of any
section to enter into an agreement suf-
hciently binding to be effective.
Not only is II the purpose of the
organizations to fix prices and control
the supply. but also to regulate SELL.
Ing. 1t has been demonstrated in the
'ruit and truck growing business that
land which produces a bare living
when its product Is sold through COM
mission merchants may yield a hand
some profit when its products are mar
keted through q cooperative society.
There is excellent reason to believe
hat the cooperative system of mar
Seting farm products will be estab-
ished. AS to the other purposes OF
he organizations the history of the
past proves that no organization can
TX prices in defiance of the law OF
supply and demand. 1t is possible, to
/ certain extent, to regulate supply
md demand and to resist for a time
he operation of this immutable law.
But 1t is impossible utterly to disre-
gard the basic principles of all trade
md barter,
The farmers organizations of the
70s and sos were the result of pow
,rty Those were the lean years, and
he farmer felt the heavy hand of fate.
His crops brought but small returns,
his debts were large, his land was
and he was the easy prey
# the INSCRIPTIONS money-lender.
Vow things have changed. Farm prod
lets command high prices, the farmer
$ becoming more and more competent
n the science of agriculture, he owes
10 money. his land is free from mort
,ages and he holds up his head, proud
master of the situation. His attempts
L organization when he was the under
log failed. Now that he has money
nd the consciousness of power the
ituation is vastly different. The flu
ure of farmers organizations may de-
ermine the future of the republic,
CouoI