Deming graphic., 1913-05-23
SQUARE DEAL FOR
FARMERS DEMANDED
FARMERS SELLING AGENCIES
An address by Lloyd S. Tenny to the
First National Conference on
Marketing and Farm Credits,
Chicago, April s, 1913.

Farming--or agriculture if you
choose TO call it such--is rapidly be-
coming complex industry. A quar-
Ter century ago no one considered
that farming was too big subject
for one man to handle alone. The
feeling was rather that it was too
small and insignificant n matter for
amy ordinary man TO bother his time
about. 1t is quite evident that with
this change in point of view us to the
farmer and his work, there must of
necessity come changes in the meth
DDS Of carrying on the farm business.
Note, please, that | say Farm Busi-
ness rather than farm work" The
farmer of the past has been trained
TO work." but We are fast realizing
that the successful farmer of today
must be trained also in the "busi-
ness of farming.
There is no phase of the subject
which has changed more than that
which pertains to the marketing of
the farm produce. II was not so
many years ago that practically ev-
cry farmer marketed directly his own
crops. Every large consuming cen
ter was fed almost entirely by the
produce grown in the surrounding
country. In the matter of perishable
fruits and vegetables this was liter
ally true until very recent years. To-
day We are tating here in Chicago
Strawberries which were grown u
thousand miles away; celery and as
paragus which probably the farmer
IN California grew; eggs, butter and
milk which no one here would dare
guess as to their point of produc-
lion. The rgeat improvement in our
railroads, the development of refrig-
orator car and cold storage have
made these things possible. 1t is TO
be expected such radical changes
would cause confusion; that there
would be great problems; that We
must go through n transition period,
when first one thing and then an
other would be tried out, The young
est even of us here have lived
through such an experimental per-
lod. We are now coming rapidly to
a much more settled condition. We
are getting more clearly before us
The problems which confront the man
who has farm produce to sell and
The housewife who must buy the same
goods, and We are rapidly establish
ing the principles along which the
farmer must do business when il
comes to marketing his crops.
There are two principles which are
20 evident they scarcely need men
i,oning. First, farm crop are now
grown, and will continue 10 be, in
those places best suited to their pro-
duction, with comparatively little
thought as to the availability of mar
kets. Personally, | feel that We have
perhaps carried this point too far
IN very recent years, but doubtless it
will always be true that certain dis
lricts OF our country will continue
TO be noted Tor the large amount of
certain farm crops, which they will
produce, largely because they can
produce them cheaper or better than
other places, perhaps nearer the
great markets.
The second principle is equally
true, but not yet so clearly estab-
iished. 1t is that ultimately this
farm produce, which has been grown
under the most favorable conditions,
will be put into the hands Of the con-
NuHltI, WIN lht ltlSl tOSl VI Huflul- .
ing, giving to the producer as large
a profit rs is consisten with the law
of supply and demand. This must
he true, for it follows along the laws
of economies.
Granted then that We have various
commodities produced or manufac-
nred by the farmers in all portions
of our country, it then resolves it
self to the question of the best meth.
od of disposing of the articles and
getting them TO the great consum-
ong centers. The purpose of this pa
per is to bring to your attention some
factors connected with but one sys-
TEN Of marketing, and to point out
some Of the advantages Of this sys-
TEN and to try to analyze some Of the
reasons why so large n percentage
of the trials have proven sad fail
ures. The system is that known
generally under the name Of "co-
operative selling"
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