The evening times. [volume] (Grand Forks, N.D.) 1906-1914, 1913-01-30
FARMERS NEED. TO
STAND TOGETHER
Their Success Depends Up
on Successful Coz Opera
ton, Says Worst.
SHOWS
AS IT NOW EXISTS
Contends That Benefits Can
Come from the Scientific
Handling of Questions.

Farmers must stand together for the
protection of their interests Just as do
other business concerns protect their
interests by corporation. according to
President j. II. Worst of the aEricul-
tural college who. in dealing with the
question OF farm credits and genera!
cooperation. says
Farmers Too independent?
II. is alleged of the farmer that he
ia independent. Toe Independent per-
l,aps. His apparent or quasi q
adyantace. Standing independent, in
reality isolated the individual farmer
is one lone producer pitted against Or
ganizations and combinations of every
kind and character, great and small.
that manage the business of the coun-
try. They price the products OF the
farm. They price what the farmer
has to sell and what he must pur-
chase. They fix the rate Of interest
he must pay and determine the Sc.
curity he must give. They make n
administer the laws Of the country.
They assess the property. fin the rate
If taxation and determine the pur-
noses for which the public funds
shall be used. The farmer is relieved
If all these veXatious duties, practical.
~ so. But why?
On the other hand. the farmers in
vestment IN land. buildings. livestock
and farm machinery exceeds S4o.000,-
600, 900. They produce wealth annu-
ally in eNcess of $4,000. 900 ,o40. This
wealth is the toll taken from the soil
every year and poured into the
channels of trade and commerce.
Verify, the farmer is the ulwar OF
our national prosperity.
All Look to the Farmer.
The whole people look 10 him for
their daily bread. The mills and fac
tories look to him for the raw ma
terials that gives employment TO mill
lions of sturdy workmen. who by their
material into consumable goods for
the satisfaction of human wants. Not
only is labor thus afforded employ
ment but the proprietors and stock
holders of mills and factories are
made prosperous. The bankers are
enriched from his deposits and Dor
rowines. Merchant princes owe their
wealth to profits derived from his pat
ronage. And yet the farmer has no
part in fixing the price Of what he has
10 sell or what he must purchase. He
takes his products To the market and
asks: What are YOU paving today"
Ilc ldNSS SliC pll'C S'SN
can he do:D and selects tho articles
needed for his family mr. equipment
for his farm and asks again: What
do YOU charge for these"
The farmer certainly is a useful cit
izen. But is No really independent"
That ha can live quite largely upon
tho products of his farm is That
he can support his family. especially
in the matter of food and has COM
nland of his W time, is equally true.
But in the larger sense. in the sense
of social. business and political equal
ity, he is far from independent. In
fact, there is no such thing as aioso>
lutte Independence for any class of cit
izens. There should. however. be
equality of opportunity-a thing.
moreover difficult to conceive where
the producer is poWerlcss to fin the
price or regulate to any degree the
distribution of his products.
European Farmer More independent.
In the agricultural districts OF Eu-
rope. the farmer. though generally a
renter. is more independent. BY sys-
tens OF cooperation, they prepare the
or otherwise. ready for the consun-
YRS use and distribute the same by
means of agencies under their joint
control. BY this arrangement. they
eliminate all middlemen except such
as are actually necessary and these
ARC of their own selection. who receive
for their services a specific per rcnt
on the volume of business transacted.
In other words, farmers produce i'm
~dividually, but cooperate in prepar-
ing their farm products for the mar
ket and exercise supervision over their
final distribution. AS q result. the
profits and commission that, other
wise, would go to numerous middle
men are divided between producers
and for the benefit OF both.
The COS Of living is thus reduced and
the price Of farm products materially
increased. Forming. hH these means.
is put upon a business basis. The
worlds market IKE the price of farm
products, less cost Of manufacture and
distribution, the expenses Of both Of
which, however, are reduced to a min
imum. There is no wide Uncontrolled
gap separating the farmer from his
customers AS here.
Moreover. the agricultural banks
supply farmers with money and credit.