The Brattleboro daily reformer. (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1913-1955, 1917-01-30
EVEN DISTRIBUTION
LEVELS FOOD COST
Adoption by the United States of Ger
man Methods Advocated at Rome
Conference

COHIeTGilCG.
Correspondence of The Associated
Press
ROME, Jan. 1.-THE remedy for
the high cost of food in the United
States is adoption by the national gov
eminent of a scientific plan for dispos-
ing of farm products according toI
David Lubiu, the American representa-
tive to the International Institute of
Agriculture here and himself the orig
inator OF the plan Of founding that
institution.
THE remedy was worked out bvI
Germany many years ago and all we
have to do is to adopt this remedy, ~
ms said. 1.-THE trouble with our ores
cnt farming conditions is that the mid
dtemau and the Spectator rather than
the farmer get the biggest profit from
the sale of farm products. This isl
shown by the fact that soon nearly 80.
per cent Of the farms Of our country
viii be mortgaged or merely occupied
on lease by ths soil s cultivators.
Right here in Rome a long time ago
we had 4 striking example of what
poverty means to the farmer. In the
tima Of Emperor Tiberius Gracious.
Rome began to buy her food from At
rica instead of encouraging her farm
crs. The land rapidly passed then from.
the hands Of the cultivator of the soil
to other ownership. and the small
farmers ruin entailed that OF the ma
ton.
America won t solve its high cost
cf food problem by putting the syccu-
lators in Jail. We must make it impos-
Siblc for the sp2rulator to operate by
strengthening the farmer. The Ger
mans saw this many years ago, and
they worked out a welfare plan for the
which resulted in placing So per cent
of the farms in the hands Of the cult
yator.
"The key to the plan of the Ger.
mans, known as the Landwirthchaft-
rat. is that of keeping the farmer in
formed regarding the needs of the cit
les, of the market, So that his distri-
button system is good. so that he
knows how to sell and 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
q central Office. Surprising there were
! too many potatoes in the province of
| i, with th- result that prices were
/ low, tha farmers in this province would
make inquiries Of the farmers organi-
zation in "a ncighboring province, say of
/ x. how its supply stood, and so through
/ several provinces until the whole 20
/ tato proposition was gone over. and the
/ potatoes shipped to thu point where
I the supply was least. In the United
\ states, at present, given the condition
\ of the province Of 4, the growers theirs
merely continue to sell their potatoes
Ito Che big city buyers at whatever
\ prices they choose to offer. the farmers
4 in Kentucky. say, being aware of con
\ ditious in Ohio, or at least inexactly
I informed.
1.-THE German plan is valuable he
N cause it is a farmer 5 affair. All tn,
business of information is carried OF
through their own agents, and not b!
outsiders. Their organization is recog
nized By the government. All legisla
ton affecting agriculture must by Law
first be submitted to a standing centra
committee of the farmers. The organ
izatiou is entirely independent of tn
department OF agriculture, as it Shout,
be, since no such department can eve
cooperate directly on matters affectin
prices and business.
d" Congress has already passed tn
Rural Credits Act, and this winter con
gresa will also be called upon to cor
slider this German remedy for the hig
cost of food. The Rural Credits act b.
itself will not vastly benefit the farm
cr unless he is further aided to ge
equitable prices for his products by til
I adoption Of the other and complimeI
I tary act. BY this creation Of an OF
fetal farmers organization the farme
l win he turned into an efficient me,
| chant, and the people in Californi
| will, say, should they be lacking in
4 food plentiful in New York state, b
able TO bug that food at prices helpfl
to tn New York farmer and not pr,
q hibitive TO them.