Atlanta tri-weekly journal. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1920-19??, 1921-08-16
Marketing Farm Crops

There is much agitation and dis
cussion of this important subject at
the present time. Certainly the farm
er is concerned about the prompt and
efficient disposition of his crops on a
basis that will afford him a living
wage. Undoubtedly many combina-
tons have been formed in the past
Tor the purpose of depressing the
price of farm crops. At other times
ECONOMIC conditions have brought
about fall in prices. These con-
dlt1ons are likely to continue as long
as our present haphazard method OF
production is followed. 1t is Gus
tomary now, whenever the price OF
a commodity falls, to lessen it's pro-
ductlon. AS result. shrinkage in
the supply soon takes place and then
shortage. During this period the
producer obtains a good return for
his effort and investment. Then
comes the inevitable period of over
production and the decline in prices
AS a matter of fact, there are some
duce enough of any year.
If the energies of our farmers were
better organized and a worldwide
program of production commensurate
with public needs organized and
promulgated we could avoid these
periods of over and under produc-
ton which upset the whole economic
fabric of the world. A service of
the character which is essential to
meet the needs of the existing sit
uation can only be organized by the
national government in cooperation
with the governments of all the other
leading countries of the world. 1t
to map out the worlds needs in
cotton for a year or five-year period,
and allocate to the different produc-
Ing countries the amount which they
should raise. Then if the energies
of the farmers concerned were
other foodstuffs and commodities
which the world needs there would
be a balance or equilibrium obtained
which would supply the land and
tend to eliminate the unfortunate
condition which has prevailed in the
south during the past year and for
which we have as yet found no salts
factory remedy.
It will take some time to bring
about the results Indicated and
doubtless there are those who are
impatient for the immediate solu-
can only say that patience is after
all the greatest of virtues and that
the making of hay slowly. is the
most effective plan of lnsuring SUP
stantial and permanent progress
along any given line.
On the other hand. there are more
ways of meeting the present situa-
tion which has arisen than are prob
ably understood or appreciated at
their face value, and certainly an
effort should be made to utilize all
of these as advantageously as pos
sible. There is an impression, for
instance, that nothing has been don.
TO aid the farmer in the marketing
of his crops, but plans looking to this
end were in the minds Of congress-
men many years ago. The Smith
Lever act. for instance, became law
on June Z, 1914. In the discussion in
cident to the passage of that act,
1t appears that the matter of mar
keing the farmers crops satisfac-
torily was then playing an impor-
tant part in the minds of our con-
gressmen. To show that this is ture
I quote the following excerpt from an
address given by Congressman Lever,
the author of the Smith-Lever bill,
and who introduced this measure in
the house of representatives and pi-