Atlanta Georgian. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1912-1939, 1913-07-20

land Mexico backgr0uuded by the At
! laut!c and fg0tlIEhted hy the Pacific,
THE 100000 farmers Of this
country are lahoriug under an in
deDtpauess Of 10000. 600 900 on this
amount counting commissions and
renewal charges. they are paying an
annual interest of - per cent. or
100000 oUp while the business men
and manufacturers pay an average
Of per cent interest, or 5000 600 600,
ON $4,000 600. 600 This $4,000 900 ex-
cess interest paid by the farmers
would pay OF our farm Indebtedness
On 2S years. Cooperative efforts and
rural credits would right these
wrongs So. let as continue to dis
courage this present system until IL
has passed into history and Is only
remembered In the misty back yOn-
der.
Distribution being one Of our
greatest problems our second deCla-
ration of purposes is To assist our
members In buying and selling The
Federal Government has spent 500,
100000 in the last ten years, teaching
ar how TO produce. and not a cent to
teach US how 10 market
The real reason Of the high cost OF
living Is not because the farmer pro-
uCts or gets too much for what nc
grows, but IT is that there are too
many ton gates between the field Of
production and the table Of Consump-
ton
LAS long as we continue our pres
ent methods we viii build up the
towns and cities at the expense of
the rural districts The consuming
public pays $l3,0OO,OQ 600 for what
the farmer parts with for $4,000 OOO.-
600. The farmer gets "a cents and
the distributor gets &c cents Of each
dollar II there is "a practical work
able way 10 stop this plunderiug Of
the producing and consuming masses.
and do away with this stupendous
waste. 1t should be done. Surely no
one would oppose the change. except
those who think the ieweled hand Of
greed should be licensed to pick the
thTeadhare pockets of those who toll
Expense Is Unavoidable.
we all agree that there is an I'M
avOllab.e expense I'm the distribution
OF farm products. But let us make
what seems TO us "a reasonable d.
vision Of the $4,000 600. coo Consum-
ers other than farmers pay for farm
products each year
Give the wholesaler and tobher
81 600 100000, the transportation COM
pguies $1,000 100000, the retailer
$1,000, 100000 then throw IN $500
100000 for an POSSIBLE misallowance,
and we have $1,000, 600, 600, which IS
So coo 100000 more than the farmer
gets This amount fails into the
waste basket Of speculation.
III II were divided between the
producer and consumer It would
Cluthe the naked, feed the hungry aui
educate tine ilitcrate, instead 81
breeding milliouaires paupers, an
archists and suicides. II the Farm
ers' Union fills IT'S mission. II VIII
not be long until a less portion OF the
lahorers' toll VIII be turned In at the
toll gate OF the palace and great
portion Will find It's way through the
door Of the cottage, and help 10 lift
the humble tenement to the comfort,
dignity and luxury OF home
within the next dyCaIe the farm
ors OF this country WI produce
enough 20 load 100000 600 freight
cars, and its value will approximate
100000. 100000. II properly handled,
this should double the farmers
wealth. But producing IS an of
farming. We cannot prosper unless
we can control prices, we cannot
control prices unless We Cooperate;
Ue cannot cooperate unless We or
game The farmer must keep his
pace with the organized industries
OF the age, or verify he will have his
reward
MT Rhodes then spoke In detail 4
the work the Farmers Union had
done. Its aims It's objects It's hopes,
and the effect was SO marked that
there were responses on every hand
bv farmers who heard him. and the
beginning of tho Is, 600 membership
m Georgia was inaugurated and the
elimination viii be a certainty il
President Barrett and Mr. Rhodes
put In few weeks Of organization.