The Washington herald., 1920-05-11

ferent organizations is a problem
that must be met and worked out
mutually by the different member
ships. The local associations are
then to be merged into central and
terminal cooperative marketing as
sociations. which will be State wide
or Interstate, according to railroad
facilities. No stock will be per.
mitted to be held by any person
not farmer or member of a local
consumers cooperative organiza-
ton.
Terminal Marketing Associa tions.
In turn, the district or terminal
marketing associations will be
merged into national organs. The
latter are intended to form chan.
1 nels through which the cereal prod
ucts Of all Americas farms will
reach the ultimate consumer. All
Information concerning the world
supply and demand will be fur
| nished the district associations by
the national organization.
The wheat growers expect but lit
tie difficulty in perfecting their plans
for the marketing of their cereal
crops. They believe a program of
leasing terminal elevators and OF
building new ones can be readily
worked out. The cooperative scheme,
! however, is broader and more dif-
hcut' The national leaders in this
proposed new and gigantic combina-
tloh OF farmers and consumers say
that the elimination of the middle
men in delivering products direct
from producer to consumer must be
started by organizations in COM
'muhitles where sentiment for CO.
operative business is strong, and
gradually spread as its feasibility
rs demonstrated. This viewpoint
recognizes that the extensive plans
10 eliminate unearned profits on
products en- route from the soil IA
the table can only be successful
where strong consumers organiza.
tion is perfected.
, Probably a start will be found In
labor organizations. of which sew.
eral in Kansas are already buyinp
/ their butter. eggs and other ready.
to-cook raw products. direct from
farmer organizations. But the farm.
iers do not propose to be limited in
/ their ultimate plans to union Iabor
groups. They propose that Ihe bie
central associations for distribution
snail be open to all consumers. who
desire to take advantage of direct
dealing. Y.
Plan for More Mills,
Starting the movement off. the
"neat-srowers propose to increase
the number Of farmer-owned mills
suincientiy to get the finished fiour
dlrect from the farmer to the city
man. The success of the few mills
already established Is encouraging
the growers say, and the growth
along this line. encouraged by the
organization of the cooperative
distributing associations, is expect.
ed to be rapid.
Mr.. Hyde, the Oklahoma member
Of the committee to draft plans
for the combine. had this to say OF
the causes leading up to it:
The farmers under present con.
ditions will produce an average
YIELD, but with the high price OF
equipment and tools and the scar.
city Of labor. the much-needed sur.
plus Will not be available. Fo,
instance. in Kansas and Oklahoma
this year the crop is 2,o0O, 900 acres
short of the crop a year ago. The
farmer boys who went to war are
/ not returning to the farm; others
are leaving, and the only way tc
keep them at work as producers is
to make farming as attractive to
them as shipbuilding or wages in
other lines. The farmer of the
future must make, profit suficien,
to enable him to have a modern
home and improvements; and TO get
the best results from modern tilling
The loss in population in the ru.
raj communities is more serious tc
the thickly populated consuming
districts than to the farmer. He
will at least produce enough or
which to live, and sell his surplus
at the highest possible figure, which
will be high and inadequate to feed
all the people IL production slump,
appreciably' below normal. That i.
| why the plan of combine of con.
sumers and producers Is feasible
and will ultimately be the solution
worked out in our. economic life
We are just preparing to organize
to hasten that which must harper
IL food shortage Is to be ayerted.'