The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1914-06-21
TROUBLES OF FARMERS AS
ONE SEEMS TO SEE THEM
Dir. Bnrkcr. of I.ouisn County, IIns Some
Rcnnrks TO Make M Every
Day Subject.

Day Subject.
w. r. Barker. he OF Louisa County.
who gets his mail from IL box marked
r. l.. D. No /. writes an essay for
the Industrial Section. which sounds
prctty good in It's way. In = big head
line. Mr.. Barker appears to farmers To
one OF two things: do Their Part rs
One Cog int the Wheel. or Stop Kick
ing" Just what the farmers part AS
one cog In the wheel IS. do not know.
but Mr.. Barker does. l guess Any
how. here Is what he says about It all.
end ] give il Just as lie sent 1t:
The UnorEanized farmer taNcs his
uuorganizcd wheat. corn, tobacco. etc,.
20 an organized town. AMI peddles his
nnorEa nizcd grain, pork. beef. dairy
products and asks the organized grain.
meat or tobacco dealer. to price his
unorganized product, and weigh and
class 1t for him. AZ soon as II Is
weighed and classcd It becomes or
gained; II goes through tho mill or
factory organized; it is then stored
away and sold under the law of supply
and demand. for II IL stored in ware
houses. etc. and kept until tho CON
sumer needs II. then 1T - sold at an
organized price, based on the law Of
supply and demand.
What would YOU think Of II mor-
chant isddlinE his produce or wares
UP ana down tho streets. begging the
consumer to put price upon his -four,
meats, clothes. etc? How long do YOU
think he would remain IN business?
rho farmer should learn from the or
panizcd world how to organic" and
how TO keep his ncnperishahlo pro
ducts of the market untu there is "a
demand for them. then sell
suppose You engage /; CaCpcltcr to
build II house for you lilo sets Il price
on his work. If YOU have your horse
shod, the blacksmith scts the price
II You employ lawyer, he fixes his
price. or If YOU call a doctor, does he
ask you how much YOU will pay him?
Would preacher preach year or
even six months. and then ask how
much you thought his services were
worth?
The farmer Is the only person In
the world who beRs somo one else TO
set a price on his labor. and that OF
his family. by pricing the products OF
their toll. Such farmer is not n FREQ
American, but a slave to an organisa-
ton that places its own value on his
work. Are you contented with this
system? II SO. Goo pity your wifc
and children. for they have q nonentity
for husband md father.
History repeats itself, country after
country has worked out practically tho
same experiences: and what has that
experience been with reference to the
farmer" The experience of tho older
countries OF the world has been. that
when any country is now so to speak
;le farmer is always In the lead; hc
has hla%cd the way, moved the forest,
cleared the fields. and at first has al
ways been In tho lead and ut the top
Of the ladder socially, politically. in
custri@lly and financially. Inevitably
though II seems, as country becomes
moro dcnsely populated lie has grad
uallE been forced TO the wall by the
other classes until the gets TO that low
dc;rrce OF scrvitude. that IS being en-
dured to-day by the poor peasants o.
Europe, the serfs of Russia. ana the
coolies OF Asia.
In the beginning IN America tho
farmer was I'm the front. tncy took first
rank IN nearly AL The affairs Of church.
stat. and nation, they were the richest
ground every day. We had Just as
we'll face the situation squarcly. The
United states as a country is GROWING
oldc" every day. il Is becoming more
thiCl'iy settled and tho other classes
are Incoming organized Tor mutual
protection and benefit If W. sit idly
down and do nothing TO prevent, can
We expect things TO work out differ
entity here from what they huvn in the
older countries OF the globe Any one
can sec the possibilities In union: but
the question is: will tho farmers
answer look NJ tho Erlin-rrowcrs Of
;hc West the tobacco growers of Ken
tucLH, the cotton-rrowcrs OF the
South. and better sim the farmers OF
Denmark You can hardly pick up n
farm paper without learning how they
have practically rcNolutionizrd agri-
cultural conditions 10y cooperative eff
fort chiefly by cooperating In selling
farm products. They have worked cut
u plan by which the produce is gotten
from the producer to tho consumer
through farmers selling associat.ons
and after taking out all necessary cX
pcus"s the profits are returned tho
patrons In proportion to tho amount OF
business done through the concern
The plan has been introduced irto the
United states, ana is work ritl; out.lwcll
wherever tried II s. the plan. Endorsed
above all others by ;hc =. T. and G L.
Of y ana other organizations. II Is tho
plan adopted by the Farmers and Con
>uneEs' Co-Operativ. Company. Inc. of
Richmond. Va, whose temporary Office
IS At present located ~ Louisa. Va. II.
+ II. No. !. Investigate this move
IGent, whether you are - l.. L. member
or not Investigate the Farmers
Union, too, and jcin do your part
rs one cog in the wheel or stop kicH
ING because the wheel OF Iar,nc, =
rights don't turn