The Laurens advertiser. (Laurens, S.C.) 1885-1973, 1919-05-21

present are fundamentally essential
FOR intelligent and successful handling
or the business end Of our agricultural
problem. AS a matter Of fact agricul-
tural statistics, consisting Of data per-
tanning to acreage, condition, prospec-
tive yields and total production at
stated intervals, are of vital import
ance not only to the farmer as a class.
but men in other lines Of business, as
manufacturers, dealers, jobbers, bank
ers and investors, having a present
or prospective interest in a county or
state, must, for the proper conduct of
their business, have knowledge of the
facts that affect the prosperity Of the
section or sections in which they are
interested.
1t is a deplorable fact that some
farmers object to government reports,
saying that il the reports were not is
sued spectators and business men of
financial centers would not know Of
the supply Of any crop and high
price to the producer could always
be maintained. This is only one OF
his business delusions, born largely
of ignorance and Indifference to busi-
ness methods. for he shoEld know that
the SpeculatOr, manufacturer or busi-
ness man is following a particular
line of business and it is a rare thing
to lind him deceived at any time as to
the actual or prospective supply OF any
crop. The only other man who objects
tC government reports s the interest
cd spcculatOr who opposes them be-
cause he believes that The crop reports
are made entirely for the benefit OF the
farmer and he realizes hat trey CON
tain the most reliable 'n7Drmat'nn as
to condition and production Of IT,,
spc nlat'rc crops and. ;ha. the li2ht o.
truth in regard to same prevents him
from spreading false reports in order
to bull or bear the market and there
by make his profits from the unsus-
pccting and ignorant. 1t may be true
that tho spcculator does take advan-
tagc of the crop report at times in his
buying or selling OF futures but if he
is able thereby to sell or buy at n
profit it is an advantage gained by his
wiser use of these statistics and not
IN advantage inherent in the crop re-
port itself
\ EnnN1pIDN nf o,.io
ties or familiarity with government
crop reports on the part Of the public
prevents interested spectators from
magnfying or minimizing the actual
or prosperity" supply Of any crop and
the relation thereof to a known de-
mand whereby they arc able TO sue
ccsSlully raise or lower prices for
their own benefit with resulting loss
TO the producing and consuming pub
lie. This is usually done by issuing
inaccurate, misleading. or unreliable
prospective yield Of some particular
crop. The farmer, of course, is the
greater sun crcr for the reason that he
is not so well organized as men in
other lines Of business and can not,
therefore, take advantage Of sudden
fluctuations in market prices. On the
other hand, the farmer may be ma
tcrally benefited by having depend
able and reliable data pertaining to
crop conditions and crop yields made
public. such as arc furnished by the
United States Government. He is ben
Gifted directly by being kept inform
ed as to the acreage, condition and
prospective yields as we'll as prices Of
various crops outside Of his immediate
locality, enabling him TO know when
to buy or sell to the best advantage
He is indirectly benefited because the
disintercstcd reports Of the govern
mcnt prevent the circulation Of false
land misleading reports by spcculat0rs
who are only interested in manipulate
ing prices to their advantage alone.
Government crop reports are a
further advantage to farmers in that
a knowledge of crop prospects enables
large manufacturing firms and agri-
cultural implement dealers to dis
tribute their wares moro economical
~, sending a larger quantity OF ar
ticlcs to sections where crops are
good and the demand larger and a
lesser quantity whore crops are poor
and the demand Omitted. Railroad
companies are enabled to furnish and
distribute cars in way to meet the