The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 18??-19??, 1911-09-19

educate him in the lire or his calling
wealth consumer.
We are carrying the idea farther
than the Farm-Life School, and are
endeaVoring to educate our mem bers
the farmers themselves, in the way OF
better methods. We are urging sol
Improvement for depicting the soil is
forecast Of failure, and we want to
see the soil conserved in order TO have
successful farming. And there must
be diversified farming, hence farmers
are urged to diversity, to plant all
crops, food crops as We'll as money
crops. The cost of food is high, and
it will continue to be high. The in
crease in the products is not keeping
pace with the increase in the popula-
ton. There is less beef capital pei
capita than there was fifty years ago
md the same condition exists as tc
hogs. Forty millions more bushels Of
wheat per year is needed for the in
creasing population. And the whea1
fields Of the West, as we'll as the cot
ton fields Of the South, are being
C.opped to death. In the United
States the agricultural population is
decreasing. It is now about p pei
cent of the population, hence there
is but one-ffth Of the population
fifths and themselves. That shows
the need Of diversified farming
Another purpose of the Farmers
Union is to educate the farmers il
better business methods. We discour.
9ge the credit and mortgage systems
The credit system and the negro are
the two great handicaps to the devel
opment Of the South. The man il
debt-the credit man he may be call
eds not able to take the initiative
The negro is an imitator, and is no
constructive.
1--WE endorse the plan of co-opera
tive working and the extension O1
the sales of crops needed by the man
ufacturers over the period Of con
sumption by them. We want oul
farmers to market the crops as thu
demand arises. We favor farmers
cotton warehouses rather than ad
vances on the value Of the crop. An(
We favor the sale Of cotton direct t.
the spinners in place Of indirect sales
! We oppose the farmer being in deb
| for the crop, for he cannot cOntro
/ the placing on the market Of borrow
ed-money crop.
| I'VE advocate that the tobacco
! farmers redry his tobacco just as tn
/ tobacco trust redries. AS it is, it is
| pershab BILE crop that must be sole
within certain time, if there is Nd
redrying. When this is done, it cal
oe packed away and not forced 81
the market by conditions. Feed tn
market as it needs it. and don't glu
it, We favor the pool marketing Q
tobacco through farmers tobacc
| warehouses.
I'VE believe in cooperative buying
bl1t not in fighting the merchants
The present method is too circuitOu
and expensive; there are too man
AGENTS. There is the manufacturer
the jobber, the broker, the wholesa .el
the drummer, the retailer. All thes
| ado to the cost of every manufacture
product from so to 100 per cent NOR
than the goods ought to cost. wa
recently told by Mr.. w. NJ. Hayes, tn
Assistant United States Secretary c
Agriculture, that III some instance:
because Of the many hand
through which the products passet
that they cost the consumer zoo pc
cent more than they should. By &C
operation, we will save money to tn
farmers j have been informed b
fet tilizer men that in the past seaso
there was from $500 to $500 a to
saved the farmers on fertilizers b
.he Farmers Union agencies IN &C
operative buying. Our State businas
agent has perfected arrangements
, have fertilizer goods put up under ol
own brand in the future.
I'VE are steering clear of partiSa
roliticS and are guarding our dO0l
to keep out the self-seelzing politician
who would use the Farmers Jnic
. for his own selfish personal ends Bl
, We are in business politics, and "
, propose to use our Influence TO g
, progressive legislation that Will aid tf
farmers end will not stand idly b
+ and permit other interests TO secul
legisla ton that favor them and pe'
nit the farmers to be left at the
, mercy.