Atlanta semi-weekly journal. (Atlanta, Ga.) 1898-1920, 1911-03-10
FARMERS MUST LINK
UNION ENTERPRISES
INTO COMPACT BODY
Presir-lt Barrett Sa. Time
Has Come for AmaIgama-
ton of Warehouses, Grain
Elevators, Etc.
Especial Dispatch to The Journal)

UNION CITY, Ca, March S.-The time
has come TO consider the amafgamation
Of all Farmers union warehouses, grain
elevators and similar industrial enter
prises, says President Charles s. Barrett.
of the national union, in an address TO
the members. His address follows:
To the Ohicers and Members of the
Farmers Union 1t is needless to re-
mind the farmer either of the southern
or western states that the success of the
organizations program is very largely
dependent upon the cooperative and Sc
entific marketing of crops.
In the southern states the main consid-
Grafton is cotton. In the middle and far
western states the main factors are grain
and fruit.
Smaller products figure, but these large
items are those with which we are prin-
cipally concerned at the present time.
SYSTEM is NEEDED.
In the south we have long realized thar
the farmer will never be assured that
return for his staple justified by its in
trinsic value unless he shall market 1t
in 4 systematic manner.
The evils and penalties of the old meth
od are obvious. The cotton crop mainly
comes on the market in three and a half
months, from approximately the first of
September until the 18Th of December.
Here and there are exceptions to the
rule, but the interval 1 have mentioned
constitutes the main selling season.
Unfortunately the manufacturing sea-
son and the selling season for the man
ufactured goods are not restricted to this
three and a half months period. Both
run the year around unless abnormal
conditions interfere with the natural law.
The result of the conflict between the
- T..~r In grYlnra
and selling the finished product over
normal period is apparent. When several
million southern farmers are clamoring
10 dump their product on the market in
exchange for cash. 1t is evident that they
are not going to obtain fair price for
it, The Spectator, or spinner, is thus
given a weapon created by the farmer
himself to beat down prices, or at least
TO so demoralize the market as TO make
the farmer the prey of circumstance.
With various notifications, the same
conditions apply to the marketing of
corn, wheat and other products in the
middle and the far west.
1t is an insane economic system that
does not provide for feeding out produces
in response to the orderly law of de-
mand, instead of in one gushing volume.
Cooperation is the one solution.
CHAIN or WAREHOUSES;.
In the southern states we haze sought
TO meet the situation by erecting a chain
OF warehouses, which shal hold bonded
cotton and issue against 1t negotiable
receipts upon which sufficient may be
borrowed to see pressing Indebtedness.
The farmers of the west have per-
haps preceded us in the way of erecting
grain elevators, although even in this
section II advent Of the Farmers UNI
ion has been followed by marked prog
ress.
In two or three of the southern states
anu in lore than one of the western
states. some of the wiser leaders, fore
seeing the logic of events, have attempts
ed to amalgamate these warehouses and
q evators. In some instances the move
ment has met with success. In others
II has met W. success for snort time
only TO break down and necssitate re-
organization.
The whole situation may be expressed
as being in the preliminary stage. A
few of us have seen the great funda-
mental economic fact that there must
be absolute concert Of action in market
in 10 obtain result worth while. But
nos all of us by any means have been
brought to see the full truth of what is
more important the Indispensable me-
cessity of suspending Individual rights
TO gain results.
In previous addresses have pointed
on the part played by oraniZation and
cooperation in the great Industrial en-
terpIfses for which America is notable.
The iron and steel industries, the oil in
dustry, the coal industry, the banking
business itself, all have been gradually
systematized upon basis of well-nigh
perfect po-operatio and organization.
The Farmers union does not aim at
any practice subversive TO the legal or
economic law, but it is undeniable that
If the interests of the American farmer
are to be conserved equally with those
of the American business man. he must
adopt much of the logic of the latter
MUST UNITE ENTERPRISES
Therefore, in my judgment the time
is at hand when we must consider Sc
riously the questions of amalgamating
the warehouses, the grain elevators and
the other enterprises that have- to do
with the selling Of the staple crops of
our members.
1t may be urged by the faint hearted
that attempts in this direction have
been Intellectual in the past. This isl
only a plea for inaction, and not a rea-
son. The same argument could have
been and has been advanced against
concerted action in every other field of
industrial endeavor.
So we cannot expect to succeed over
night, nor can we expect to avoid many
temporary defeats, losses and pitfalls.
But from this time forward it is my
earnest hope that every member of this
organize ton engaged in bona fide pro-
duction will seriously study the princi-
pie have outlined in the foregoing We
have had a superfluity of talk. The
day is now at hand for action.
CHARLES S BARRETT