Monroe City Democrat. (Monroe City, Mo.) 1888-1919, 1914-01-29
COUNTY UNIT PLAN
Fer Obtaining Better Returns From
the Farm and General Improvement
Of Rural Conditions by the Organ
ization of a County Aericul-
turaI-CommerciaI Bureau.

agricultural press in Chicago, April 8,
8 and 10, to formulate an equitable
system of marketing farm products
with a minimum of waste. The fol-
lowing basis of a plan has been sub
mitted by Bert Ball, secretary of the
crop improvement committee, Council
of Grain Exchanges. Marketing Is one
of the fundamental studies of the
county farm bureaus now being e,tab-
lished in every state.
A general marketing plan cannot
be based on prejudice. While it will
be impossible to eliminate selfshness,
properly directed selfishness will be
the incentive which will make sue
cess OF the plan.
In order to make plan which is
both fool proof and rascalproof, and
protect every citizen, whether he be
a producer, distributor or consumer,
it must be broad and unprecedented, or
il will not be successful The prob
lem to be solved is not so much pro-
duction along scientific lines as it is to
see that the producer practices eco
nomic divcrsihcation and gets every
cent which is coming to him. The
producer must be prosperous first,
else there will be no real and pcrma-
nent prosperity Tor anyone.
\ complete comprehensive plan can
no, be made along any one line that
is, for t.uit, for dairying, for grain, for
produce, or for beef, alone, but must
be nala broad enough to include
every liDe Of c.,02t, no matter how
small
TIE oT1a izatiOn of a business as
sociation which will protect those liv-
ing IL g"GHIy and cities alike. and
will a. i-a Jurisdiction to the linn
its Of . Geographical district, prefer
ably cCul..., is a feasible plan which
is both large enough and elastic
enough to UrCtcct the business inter-
ests OF agriculture as we'll as COM
merce, C.. which agriculture is the
base.
We therafgra commend that an
agric"' .-.'c1uu.ecigi bureau be
formed in every lo.Iuy in the United
States. combining the best business
and agricultural brains Of the country,
one Of TIE Fundamental objects of
N.' ie ~ .r1.oo' l.,a Y'~htf
o, "E"s. ,....,.,. .. ....... ..s-r c,.
80. ... ...s >r.,E..,. 81 y,l," aE-
peri ...."u'' - SEQ at jun..-y is
done, o.. y uu-,.,. ..-4 eyc,y Dro-
dulvr ii. he coun,J is collected,
whcthlr h. &e!..ns 10 l,0 cl..4ulza-
ton and pays its Dues or not.
That this county association shall
take cognizance of all marketing con.
ditiopa, and shall act as a commission
to see that the present laws are prop
erly enforced, to suggest and urge
the passage of remedial and construc-
tive legislation and to albitrate dis
puted questions upon request of the
contestants; to formulate a set of
rules to suit conditions in each coun-
ty, protecting equally the producer,
distributor and consumer; and each
interest and each branch of agricul-
ture, Including farm crops, fruit, pro-
duce, dairying, ETC., shall be repre-
scented and have voice in the formu-
lation of the rules.
That the association shall not enter
into the business of buying or selling,
but shall in every way promote i'm
proved methods OF packing, advertising
and distribution of all the products of
the county; shall encourage the pro.
duction of uniform varieties and estab-
lish trade relations with other coun-
ties and the general markets, and
thus a federation of county associa-
tons will furnish a nation wide ba-
sis to learn where the demand is
greatest and also all the sources of
supply.
While each county association
shall formulate it's own rules accord
ing to local conditions, a national CO.
ordination of these associations shall
lbe formed, to which no county shall he
eligible until it has qualified by in
cooperating according to general plans
made by the annual convention of del
egates from such counties so organ.
lied.
That the national association shall
have no other membership except that
of counties thus duly qualified.
Over 500 counties in the United
States have already undertaken varia
tions of this plan, and it has the en-
thusiastic support of the United States
Office of farm management and the
agricultural colleges, and of all o.
the national associations, both agri
cultural and commercial The plan in
cludes both state and national correla
ton.