The Chattanooga news. [volume] (Chattanooga, Tenn.) 1891-1939, 1920-09-08

4, In production. but eficiency In market
| ing. Through cooperative associations
the route between the producer and the
consumer can and must be shortened.
Wasteful effort can and must be avoided.
Unnecessary expense can and must be
eliminated. II ls TO the ADVANTAGES OF
all OF out people that every possible inn
provement be made In our methods OF
, getting the products OF our farms into
the hands OF people who consume them,
The legitimate functions OF the middle.
man may continue to be performed, by
private enterprise. under conditions
where the middleman Is necessary and
gives his skill to our Joint welfare,
The parasite In distribution who ppeya
on both producer and consumer must no
longer sap the vitality OF this f,inda-
mental life,
Scientific Study.
Third, the republican party pledges
itself TO a scientific study OF agrlcul-
tural prices and farm production costs.
both at home and abroad. with view
to reducing the frequency OF abnormal
fluctuations here, Sterilization will con.
tribute to everybody's confidence, Farm
ers have complained bitterly OF the fire.
quent and violent fluctuations liY prices
OF farm products and especially In
prices OF livestock. They do not ind
fuct ations-such huctuations-in the
eral way prices OF farm products must
go up. or down according TO whether
there Is plentiful crop or a short one.
the farmers raw materials are the
fertility OF the soil, the sunshine and
the rain: and the size OF his crops Is
materials and the skill with which he
makes use OF them. lie cannot control
his production and adjust II TO tho de-
mand az can the manufacturer. But
he can see no good reason why the
prices OF his products should fuctuate
so violently from week 10 week, and
sometimes from day TO day, We must
get better understanding OF the fac
tors which Influence agricultural prices,
with view TO avoiding these violent
fluctuations and bring about average
prices, which shall bear a reasonable re-
lation to the cost OF production. We
40 not offer any quack remedies in
this matter. but We do pledge ourselves
TO make thorough study OF the dis
case, ind out what causes Il. and then
Apply the remedy which promises a
cure,
To Stop Price. Fixing.
Fourth, we promise to put an end TO
unnecessary price-hxing OF farm prod
ucts and to lll-considered efforts arbi-
trarily to reduce farm product prices.
In times OF national crisis. when there
II known scarcity OF any necessary
product. price control for the purpose
OF making fair distribution Of the
stores on hand may be both necessary
and wise. But we know that there can
he no repeal OF natural laws--the
eternal fundamentals, The histoy Of the
last 5000 years records the folly OF such
efforts. II the price OF any farm prod
uct. for example. is arbitrarily fixed
at a point which does not cover the cost
OF production. the farmer Ia compelled
to reduce the production OF that par
ticular crop. This results In a shortage
which In turn brings about higher prices
than before. and thus intonsifcs the
danger from which II was sought to
escape. In times past. many nations
have tried to hold down living costs by
arbitrarily fixing prices Of farm prod
ucts. All such efforts have failed, and
have usually brought national disaster.
Vain and Useless.
Government drives against food prices
such ms We have experienced during the
past two years are equally vain and
useless. The ostensible purpose OF such
drives Ii to reduce the price tho con-
srmer pays for food The actual re-
suit 10 unjustly to dcpress for n time
tho prices the farmer RECEIVES for his
grains and live stock, but with no APP
probable reduction In the price the con-
sumner pays. Such drives simply give
the Spectator and the pronteer addI-