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

and Mexico. backgrounded by the At
lauttr and rootlighted by the Pacific.
THE 1900 900 farmers of this
country are lahorng under an in
de1trGucs- of $4,000 600, 600 ON this
amount counting commissions and
renewal charges they are paying an
annual interest Of S l-2 per cent. or
$50. 600 900 while the business men
and manufacturers pay an average
~ per cent Interest. or $500 900 600,
on $4,000 U0U. 600 This S2l0.0 900 600 rx-
cess interest paid 10y the farmers
would pay of our farm Indebtedness
in 2s years Cooperative efforts and
rural credits would right these
wrongs $50. let us 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 dccla-
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
MS how TO produce. and not cent to
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 he
grows. but il 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
eut methods we viii build up the
towns and cities at the expense Of
the rural districts. The consuming
public pays $4,000. O00. GOO for what
the farmer parts with for $4,000, 600 o.
600 The farmer gets a. cents and
the distributor gets 56 cents OF each
dollar II there is a practical work
able way To stop this plunderuE Of
the producing and consuming masses.
and do away with this stupeudous
waste, II should be done Surely no
one would oppose the change, except
those who think the jeweled hand of
greed should be licensed 20 pick the
threadbare pockets Of those who toll.
Expense Is Unavoidable.
we an 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 Sl3.D0o0O 600 consum-
crs other than farmers pay for farm
products each year.
Give the Wholesaler and iubhgr
$1,000 00U coo. the transportation COM
panies SL00O.0O0 900 the retailer
$l5uU coo 600. then throw m $500
00a. 600 Tor All possible misallowauce
and we have S9.O0O,000 10000 which IS
$4,000, 600 600 more than the farmer
gets This amount falls into the
waste basket OF speculation.
"If il were divided between the
producer and consumer IL would
clotho the naked. feed the hungry aul
educate tine illIterate instead ~
breeding milionaires. paupers. an
archists and suicides II the Farm
ers Union fills it's mission 10 VIII
not be long untu a less portion Of the
laborcrs' toll viii bee turned in at thu
toll gate Of the palace and great
portion viii ind IT'S way through the
door Of the cottage, and help 90 ltft
the humble tenement to the COWfo".,
dignity and luxury Of "a home
"Withiu the next dccaGe the farm
crs Of this country WI produ "a
enough TO load 100000 600 freight
cars. and its value win approximate
500 00u0o0.0o0. If properly HANDLED
ih's should double the farmers
wealth But producing IS Il ali ot
farming We cannot prosper unless
We can control prices, We cannot
control prices unless We cooperate.
We cannot cooperate unless We or
ganize. The farmer must keep his
pace with the organized industri 8
of the age, or verify he viii have his
reward
Air Rhodes then spoke i'm detail II
the work the Farmers linton had
done. its aims, it's objects, It's hopes
and the effect was 50 marked that
there were responses on every hand
10y farmers who heard him, and the
beginning of thu $4,000 membership
i'm Georgia was inaugurated. and the
elimination viii be a certainty II
President Barrett and Mr. Rhodes
put in few weeks OF organization