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

( land Mexico backgrounded bv the At
I lantlc and footIIghted by the Pacific.
THE 1900 600 farmers Of this
country are lahuriug under an in
dcbfeduass Of $4,000 UUN 900 ON this
amount counting commissions and
renewal charges they are paying an
annual interest Of - per cent or
&g'UHHU.NUu. while the business men
and manufacturers pay an average
OF per cent interest. or $500 100000,
uu $4,000 uN0 600 This $4,000 600 eX-
cess interest paid boy the farmers
would pay of our farm Indebtedness
In rs years Cooperative efforts and
rural credits would right these
wrongs So. let us continue to dis
courage this present system until il
has passed into history and is only
remembered iu the misty back yon-
der
Distribution being one OF our
greatest problems our second deCla-
ration of purposes is 10 assist our
members in buying and selling. The
Federal Government has spent $780,
100000 in the last ten years. teaching
us how 10 produce. and not cent 10
teach us how TO market.
The real reason Of the high cost OF
living is not because the farmer pro-
duces an Inadequate amount Of prod
uCts or gets too much for what ne
grows, but it is that there are too
many toll gates between the field Of
production and the table Of consump-
ton
As 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 $I300O,O00 600 for what
the farmer parts with for $4,000, 600,
600. The farmer gets A cents and
the distributor gets So cents OF each
dollar. II there Is a practical work
able way 20 stop this plunderinE Of
the producing and consuming masses
and do away with this stupendous
waste, IL 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
threadbare pockets Of those who toll.
Expense Is Unavoidable.
I'VE all agree that there is an un-
avOidable expense In the distribution
OF farm products. But let us make
what seems to us reasonable di-
vision OF the $4,000 100000 consum-
ers other than farmers pay for farm
products each year.
Give the wholesaler and iobber
81 600 0O0,0 the transportation COM
panies ST 1000. 600, 900 the retailer
$500, 600, 900; then throw IN $500
600 900 for all possible misallowance
and we have $4,000. 100000. which Is
$4,000, 100000 more than the farmer
gets This amount falls into tbs
waste basket of speculation.
IF IL were divided between Tho
producer and consumer II wOul,
clothe the naked feed the hungry an,
educate tine illiterate, instead o.
breeding millionaires, paupers, an,
archists and suicides II the Farm
ers' Union fills It's mission, It vii
not be long until "a less portion OF tn,
/ laborcrs' toll win be turned in at tn
I toll gate of the palace and a grca
portion will find It's way through IN,
door Of the cottage, and help to Ht
I the humble tenement to the Comfor.
/ dignity and luxury Of a home.
/ within the next decaIe the farm
! ers OF this country WI produst
I enough to load 10000 900 freigh
cars, and its value will approxima,
500, 000,000.OOO II properly handle
/ this should double the farmer
wealth. But producing Is l. an %
/ farming We cannot prosper unless
we can control prices; we canuu
! control prices unless We cooperate
We cannot cooperate unless We or
| game The farmer must keep Ni
pace with the organized industri.
of the age or verify he win have hi
reward"
Mr. Rhodes then spoke in detail ,
! the work the Farmers Union hat
done its aims, its objects, Its hopes
and the effect was SO marked tina
| there were responses on every han,
by farmers who heard him, and tn,
beginning OF thu $4,000 membership
In Georgia was inaugurated, and tn
/ elimination viii be certainty j
! President Barrett and Mr. Rhode
put in few weeks Of organization