The Madison journal. (Tallulah, Madison Parish, La.) 1888-current, 1913-07-19
FARMERS MUST COOPERATE
Business Men Take Crops and Handle
Them Through Organization Until
Consumer Is Reached.

consumer Is heacneo.
Practically every business interest
in the commercial world co-operates
to greater or less extent except the
farming interests. 1t is true that In
isolated instances farmers do cooper
ate in certain directions but as
whole the farmer faces the business
world as an individual. In addressing
the Tri-State meeting, Mr.. r. A. Wilk-
lnson brought out many good points
on the subject Of cooperation among
farmers. In part he said:
in olden times everything was pro-
duced on the farm, but the change in
conditions when machinery was intro
duced, made it possible to produce
more food than was needed on the
farms. To make a market for this
manufacturing was encouraged. This
manufacturing became organized and
demanded protection, which it received
through the tariff, which it received
self for the purpose of protecting the
profits. In considering the selling
price the cost Of production was con-
sidered and to this sum was added
suffic1ent to make good return on
the investment. The farmer has been
selling his products for what these
organizations and interests were will
ing to pay as modified by supply and
demand. There has been no considera-
ton of the cost Of production and
profits In setting the price on farm
products, and why not? Why should
not the farm products bring enough
to cover cost of production, plus a
fair margin of profit? Wheat, for in
stance, in the last five years varied as
much as soc bushel, while the bread
which is made from 1t has commanded
the same price regardless of the farm
er's return. The cost of production on
the farm has not varied to this ex.
| tent
THE way to bring about this better
| condition Is for the farmer to con
slider his farm as a business PROPOSE
ton, that he consider the cost of pro
duction, which will bring him to a
study Of farm management-cons
alton Of details. 1t would also mean
that marketing will be given as much
attention as producing. At present
what the farmer receives bears but lit
tie relation to what the consumer
pays. The businessmen who take the
crop from the farmer and handle i
until 1t reaches the hands of the con
sumner are organized to pay as little
as possible and to charge as much a.
traffic will bear.
For the farmer to go up agains
this organization single handed show.
a most colossal self conceit The onl,
way to meet this combination Il
through combination; that is for tn,
farmers to combine, or in other word
cooperate.
The politics Of the steel trust 4
steel; the politics of the railroads i
railroading; the politics of the farme
should be farming. To do this, the
must organize. In North Dakota tn
farmer pays seventh-ninths of the tar
es and exerts less than seven-hur
dredths of the power in government
In the legislative policy of the countr
the farmer is never considered. N
matter how much the legislation a.
fects the interests of the farmer, he /
not called into the council. When an
measure is brought up that affects tn
manufacturer or the transportatio
agency or the commercial interests
they are consulted-their interests ar
considered.
The president of Cornell universit
In a recent address contended the da
| OF the ordinary farmer is passing
corporations to take up land and thu
these will be running the farms i
large estates and under scientific mai
agement, much as their large corpo
atoms, and that the farmer of toda
. will be the hired man of these bi
> concerns. The farmers are about th
? only all-round men that we have
!, the United States. The men who al
engaged in industry are each workin
in a very narrow sphere. We nee
? this all-round man, his home h
u children who are furnishing the ne
: blood, that furnishes the brains tn,
> is taking the leadership in our col
merce and industry.
i. The only way for the farmer. ;
. we know him today, to maintain h
position is for him to cooperate
. the producing and the marketing Il
products of the farm and in deman
y ing legislation for his interests"