The Rice belt journal. (Welsh, Calcasieu Parish, La.) 1900-19??, 1913-10-03
The Producing Interests
(Bv Frank Randolph

rough rice having been fullyestabllshed
by experience, let us inquire what the
scope of that cooperation? Who are
the producing interests?'
AT first blush. we answer: the farmer
and the irrigatOr.
While the farmer and the irrigator
are the only producers OF rice, IN
narrow sense, they do not alone conSu'
tute the "producing interests" The
producing interests consist OF the farm
er, the irrigator, the miller."at least the
interior miller...the banker and the
merchant of the rice bett. Every bust
ness interest of the rice belt is so close.
" interviewer with that of the farmer
that it is impossible to divide them.
The rice miller, for instance, is close
ly concerned in the prosperity OF the
rice farmer. Aside from the fact that
most country millers are themselves
actual producers, all of them are inter.
ested in production through, loans toI
farmers. Every rice miller is the ad.
visor of a large percentage of rice
farmers in his territory. Most rice
farmers have some miller whom they
consult on important matters relative
to planting, harvesting and marketing.
The rice miller therefore exercises a
definite and very wide influence over
rice farmers.
Cooperation by the rice millerS with
the rice farmers benefits, the rice mil
lerS indirectly when it benefits the rice
farmers, but it also benefits the miller
directly, because it enables him to base
his business on sound business princi.
pies rather than on peCulation.
When there is no fixed price for
rough rice; when the ole" throatcutting
prevails; when the price of rough is at
any time liable to break sharply; when
| the market manipulation is able to run
prices down until he can load up, and
| then shoot it up until he unloadS; when
the farmer in remote districts is an
easy mark" for the buyer looking for
snaps; when only the buyer is the Judge
of quality and the arbiter of deliveries;
when one miller'pays So so for a certain
grade and his competitor gets the same
grade for $300...When there is total
lack of cooperation among farmers as
to price and selling the miller OF neces.
sity is a Spectator, pure and simple.
Under such circumstances the rice
miller takes big chances on every pur'
chase he makes, unless he steals the
rice. Not only must he look out for
his milling profit, but he must allow a
wide margin for market fluctuations,
and he must always make allowances
i. for his competitor picking up snaps, VI
which enable him to undersell the aver
age buyer.
But if the miller knows that the
minimum price of No. l Honduras is
1925, and that his competitor cannot
buy it for less, he can afford 0 buy
with the expectation of making mill
ing profit, with the possibility ofar
advance that will give him a larger
profit, but with no likelihood of a re
CeSSion in values.
, The miller is able to cut down ma
; terially his buying expenses. The
greatest uncertainty in his business
, is practically eliminated...at least re
duced to a minimum. Competition o.
> miller against miller to the detrimen
of the farmer is cut out, to the grea
} advantage of the farmer without los!
7 to the miller. Competition of miller
against miller becomes a Legitimate
/. matter of skill in milling and selling
= the clean. Here one producing inter
/ est does not hurt another producing
interest.
/ The above is a statement of fact, no
g theory. Ask the first rice miller vol
/ meet and he will tell you the ideal con
t dition in the rough rice market i
where every rice miller can buy hi
i raw material at thr same price.
S The only way this ideal condition Cal
D be brought about is by cooperation
g Primarily the cooperation must b.
among farmers, but the miller is
A very important factor in the scheme o
S cooperation. He can make it easy O
K execution by helping, and he can max
4 it almost impossible by opposition O
|. even Indifference.
4 But while the best interests of tn
: rice miller lie in cooperation with tn
e rice farmer, the cooperation must no
n be one.Sided. The miller's interest
: must have fair consideration. &C
lrNtN L