The West Virginian. [volume] (Fairmont, W. Va.) 1914-1974, 1917-01-24
FIGHT OLD H.C BY
HELPING THE FARMER
David Lubin Wants Ameri-
ca to Adopt the Ger
man System.

ROME, Jan, 10 Correspondence
of The Associated PressJ The REM
edy for the high cost of food in the
United States is adoption by the nS-
tional government of scientific plan
.or dlsposine of farm products" ac-
cording to David Lubin, the Amerl-
can representative to the Internation-
al Institute OF Agriculture here and
himself the originator of the plan OF
founding that Institution.
The remedy was worked out by
: Germany many years ago and all we
have to do is to adopt this remedy"
he said "1he trouble with our pres.
ent farming conditions is that the
middleman and the Spectator rather
than the farmer get the biggest pro-
fit from the sale OF farm products.
This is shown by the fact that soon
nearly fifty per cent Of the farms of
our country will be mortgaged OF
merely occupied on lease by the soils
cultivators.
Right here in Rome long while
ago we had a striking example of
what poverty means to farmer In
the time of Emperor Tiberius Grac-
chus, Rome began to buy her food
from Africa instead of encouraging
her farmers. The land rapidly pass.
cd then from the hands of the Guilt
Nator OF the soil to other ownership.
and the small farmers ruin entailed
that of the nation.
America won't solve its high cost
of food problem by putting the spec
ulators in Jail. We must make 1t inn
! possible for the Spectator to operate
by strengthening the farmer. The
! Germans saw this many years ago,
ID they worked out a welfare plan
81 the farmer, and thereby for the
kstion, which resulted in placing
elghty-six per cent of the farms in
the hands Of the cultivator.
THE key to the plan Of the Ger
mans, known as the Landwirthschaf-
trat, Is that Of keeping the farmer in
formed regarding the needs of the
cities, Of the market, so that his dis
tribution system Is good, so that he
knows what his products are worth,
so that he knows how to sell, and so
that he knows how to plant his crops.
"All OF Germany is divided by pro-
vinces, and each province is kept in
formed of the others doings through
central office. Suppose there were
too many potatoes in the province of
A, with the result that prices were
low, the farmers of this province
would make inquiries of the farmers
organization in a neighboring prov
ince, say Of B, how its supply stood,
End so on through several provinces,
| hn Htsl,n
was gone over, and the potatoes ship
was least. In the United States, at
present, given the condition Of the
province Of A, the growers there
merely contine to sell their potatoes
to the big city buyers at whatever
prices they choose to offer, the far
mers in Kentucky, say, being I'M
aware of conditions IN Ohio, or at
least inexactly informed.
THE German plan is variable be-
cause 1t is farmers affair. All the
business Of information is carried on
through their own agents, and not
by outsiders. Their organization is
recognized by the government All
legislation affecting agriculture must
by law first be submitted to stand
ing central committee of farmers.
The organization is entirely indie
pendent Of the Department of Agri-
culture, as 1t should be, since no such
department can ever cooperate di-
rectly on matters affecting prices and
business.
Congress has already passed the
Rural Credits Act, and this winter
Congress will also be called upon to
consider this German remedy for the
high cost of food. The Rural Credits
Act by itself will not vastly benefit
the farmer unless he is further aided
TO get equitable prices for his pro-
ducts by the adoption of the other
and complementary act. By this Gre
alton OF an official farmers the far
mer will be turned into an efficient
merchant, and the people in Califor-
MIA will, say should they be lacking
in food plentiful in New York
State, be able to buy that food at
prices helpful to the New York far
mer and not prohibitive TO them"