The San Juan islander. [volume] (Friday Harbor, Wash.) 1898-1914, 1914-04-24
AID FOR FARMERS
Can the Grange Help Solve Az
ricuituriStS' Problems?

s.,,a eertinent Questions Asked and
Some Suggestions Made-Voeational
Education of the Most Liberal Kind
nemanded-Co- operation Necessary.
There is movement in the north
west that is attractin attention, and
organizations are springing up III sew
eral places to solicit funds by private
subscription to employ experts and es-
tablish demonstration farms for the
purpose of teaching the farmers more
scientific and better methods of farm
ing.
COMPLAINTS are made that In many
cases the farmers do not appreciate
this service and are not availing them
selves of it as they should. 1t may be
well to inquire why the farmers as
class do not welcome this innovation,
why they think that it will not solve
their problems. Why select agricul-
ture as the one and only great indus
try in the nation requiring this special
education at the private expense of
those indirectly Interested? What eff
feet will it have ON the industry and
those engaged in it? Have they not
kept pace with other industries in i'm
proved methods of production?
Our competitors in the worlds mar
kets have had the advantage of state
owned and operated railroads for trans
portatiOn at cost and in some instances
state owned elevators and yet we have
met them, paying all the traffic would
bear over our privately owned rail-
roads and through our privately owned
elevators. What other industry has or
could have done so we'll?
In all these external efforts to aid
the farmer, from Presidents Taft and
Wilson. the main object, as stated, is to
increase production so as to reduce the
high cost Of living. indirectly placing
the whole blame for the high cost OF
living on the farmer, which is not true
and is not fair.
IL increased production means lower
prices. and it does. how will it help
the farmer to produce more and get
less for it? Food products have not
increased in price as rapidly as other
products. Under our present system
Of uncontrolled marketing the farmer
does not receive as much for the bump
err crop as for the medium or average
crop. How does the price Of farm
products compare with twenty years
ago? Can the farmer produce as cheap
~ as he could twenty years ago: Can
the farmer exchange the products of
his farm for as much Of the things
he needs as he could twenty years
ago? That is the true test
In discussing this question l wish it
distinctly understood that l am doing
so from general or national stand
point and any apparent criticisms are
not intended to apply to the many
generous men who are locally trying
to assist the farmers. believe in
better farming. in scientific farming.
in bringing practical education as close
to the farm as possible. 1t is abso-
iutely necessary so long as our COM
petitors are doing so. Indeed. our COM
petitors are spending much more per
capita for the encouragement and de-
velopment of agriculture than we are.
What / wish to emphasize is that II
it is better education the farmer needs
it should be at public expense. In
crease our public educational facilities.
not only for the farmer, but the me-
chanic, the manufacturer, the banker,
the railroad manager and the CONNER
cial men and women. Treat all alike.
Let it be vocational education of the
most liberal kind, the best investment
that state and nation can make.
The education the farmer now needs
the most is along the lines Of co-opera-
tive transportation, distribution and
marketing. Every other great industry
pays as much. if not more. attention to
distribution and sale than to produc-
ton. many of them fixing the price the
customer must pay before the product
leaves the factory. The farmer alone.
on the advice of other interests, linn
it's his efforts to production and per-
mits those other interests to take
charge Of the more important func-
lions of distribution and sale. There is
where the profits go. There is where
the big margin is between what the
farmer receives and the consumer
pays. The organized farmers have
their eyes on that margin.-H. L.
Loucks.