New Britain herald., 1917-01-30
CONTROL OF farm
PRODUCTS NEEDED
David Lubin Has Solution to High
Cost Of Living


the high cost of food in the United
States is adoption by the national gov
eminent of a scientific plan for dis
posing of farm products" according
to David Lubin, the American repre-
sentative to the International lnsu-
tute of Agriculture here and himself
the. originator of the plan of found
ing 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. 1.-THE trouble with our pres
ont farming conditions is that the
middleman and the Spectator rather
than the farmer get the plssesI Pront
from the sale Of farm prooucts' rms
is shown by the fact that soon nearly
fifty per cent of the Farms OF our
country will be mortgaged or mercy
occupied on lease by the SOILS culu-
vators
Right here in Rome a long while
ago we had striking eAanlple OF
what poverty means to the lariner.
In the time of Emperor Ilperlus Grac-
chus, Rome began to puy hef looo
from Africa instead or encouraging
her farmers. The land raploly passed
then from the hands OF the cultlVator
of the soil to other ownership and
the small farmers ruin entalled That
of the nation. 49,
america won't solve It's hlgh cost
of food problem by putting the spec
ulators in Jail. We must make 1t I'M,
possible for the SPECTATOR 10 operate
by strengthening the farmer. The
Germans saw this many years ago,
and they worked out welfare plan
for the farmer, and thereby for the
nation, which resulted in placing
eighty-six per cent. of the farms in
the hands of the cultivator.
Germany's Plan.
1.-THE key to the plan of the Ger
mans known as the Landwirthschaft-
rat, is that of keeping the farmer
regarded the needs of the
cities, of the market, so that his dis
tribution system is good, so that he
knows how to plant his crops.
"All of Germany Is divided by prov
inces, and each province is kept in
formed of the others doings through
a central office. Suppose there were
too many potatoes in the province of
A, with the result that prices were
low, the farmers in this province
would make inquiries of the farmer
in a neighboring prov
ince, say of B, how it's supply stood,
and so on through several provinces
until the whole potato proposition was
gone over. and the potatoes shipped
to the point where the supply was
least. In the United States, at pres
ent, given the condition Of the prov
irce of A. the growers there merely
continue to sell their potatoes to the
big city buyers at whatever prices
they choose to offer. the farmers in
Kentucky say. being unaware of con-
ditions in Ohio. or at least inexactly
informed:
THE German plan is valuable be-
cause it Is farmers affair. All
the business of information is car
ried on through their own agents, and
not by outsiders. Their organization
IS recognized by the government. AN
legislation affecting agriculture must
by law first be submitted to a standing
central committee Of tho farmers. Th'
organization is entirely Independent
of the department of agriculture. 81
it should be, since no such depart
ment can ever cooperate directly OF
matters affecting prices and business
Congress has already passed TIN
Rural Credits Act, and this white
congress will also be called upon t.
consider this German remedy for tn
high cost Of food. The Rural Credit
Act by itself will not vastly bench
the farmer unless he Is further aide
to get equitable prices for his prod
ucts by the adoption Of the other an
complimentary act. BY this creation
Of an official farmers organization tn
farmer will be turned into an eff1
cient merchant, and the people i
| California will, say, should they b
| lacking in a food plentiful in Ne,
York State. be able to buy that foo
at prices helpful to the New Yor
| farmer and not prohibitive to them.