Audubon Republican. [volume] (Audubon, Iowa) 1894-1925, 1919-12-11
FARMERS ARE
SURELY The GOAT"
STOCK MANIPULATORS REDUCE
PRICE OF HOGS CAUSING
BIG LOSS TO FARMERS

1t has been more discussed than
the league of nations in Iowa this
past month-this hog situation
and the most discussed side of it
has been the cause with no very
definite steps taken to solve the
problem of stabilizing the market so
that stunning, outrageous, drops
such as the recent one, will be I'M
possible.
This year il has meant a loss OF
millions for the men who did all that
was asked of them during the recent
world war and who made it possible
to properly feed, and clothe as well
the Allied armies. And worse,
il has brought about discourage
ment and fear of the markets by
men who have never known fear; 1t
is that powerful and harmful.
The most prominent and staunch
feeders, some of them, have decided
to curtail their feeding operations,
and when these men slow up, surely
the smaller feeder will do as much
or more in the same line.
There is at present in Iowa a
powerful and far reaching splendid
campaign in all counties to enroll a
great majority of the farmers of the
state in the Federation of Farm
Bureaus, an organization which has
been proving itself for several years
and is only now assuming the
strength in numbers and enthusiasm
which it has long deserved. Along
with the development of the Farm
Bureau Federation in this state,
there is the same movement taking
place in many others though not so
far advanced in organization. The
power and influence of such a body
of farmers cooperating, has been
shown already by the repeal of the
Daylight Saving Law, and in dozen
smaller ways so it will doubtless
, help in stabilizing the markets at
least by forecasting, planning pro-
duction and apportioning in some
way the production according to con-
sumption. The recent meeting in
Chicago to form National Fedora
tion of Farm Bureaus, will greatly
aid the taking of concerted action
by the farmers.
But think of the result to be OBJ
tanned IL the business men who are
organized in a most efficient way
would stand behind the farmer in
stabilizing the market and in regu-
lating production with demand
The business men of Iowa realize
the importance of financial loss to
the farmer as being loss which re-
acts very violently and effectively in
the state, as well as farming, and
even more especially in the recent
hog situation where the consumer
received no very noticeable reduc-
ton in his meat bill, the, consumer
feels it a rank injustice to the
farmer. There is no doubt but
that the Farm Bureau, with the
support of other business organiza-
tions in Iowa, could stabilize the
hog market to great extent and the
market changes would be only the
natural, seasonal notifications
which are just and to be expected.
Until some organized effort is be-
gun and definite steps taken along
this line, the farmer of Iowa will
always be subject to gamble" of the
live stock market, and Just now it is
the pork producers who are the
small end-just as for years the cot
ton growers Of the south never knew
the prospect for selling crop until
they saw the light of organizing.
The cotton growing sections are SOL
id behind it, for 1t is the wealth OF
their section even as corn and hogs
are the most important productions
of Iowa. and such cooperation as
the, cotton grower receives in his
section, is what the farmer in Iowa
needs to protect his products and to
make the states greatest source of
wealth safe from radical market
fluctuations,
II Is the concerted action OF all
business men in Iowa which is
needed Iowa Farmer