Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1921-12-06
ing productivity and promoting fortu-
nate and remunerative employment,
RELIEF for The Farmer

ing productivity and promoting fortu-
nate and remunerative employment.
Relief for the Farmer
Something more than tariff protec.
tion is required Gy American agricul-
I ture. TO the farmer has come the ear
| lier and the heavier burdens Of read
iustmcnt There Is actual depression
in our agricultural industry. while ag-
ricultpral prosperity is absolutely essen
! ttal to the general prosperity of the
country.
Congress has sought very earnestly
to provide relief. 1t has promptly
given such temporary relief as has been
possible. but the call Is insistent for the
permanent solution. II is inevitable
that large crops lower the prices and
short crops advance them. No legis-
iatlon can cure that fundamental law.
But there must be some economic soiu-
ton for the excessive variation in re-
turns for agricultural production.
! 1T is rather shocking to be told,
and to have the statement strongly
supported, that nine million bales of
cotton raised on American plantations
in given year will actually be worth
more to the producers than thirteen
million bales would have been. Equally
shocking is the statement that TO0, ,O00,-
600 bushels Of wheat raised by American
farmers would bring them more money
than Il bill !on bushels. Yet these are
not exaggerated statements. In
world where there are tens of millions
who need food and clothing which they
cannot get. such condition is sure to
indict the social system which makes it
possible.
Distribution and Marketing
''ln the main the remedy lies in dis.
! trtbutiOn and marketing. Every proper
encouragement should be given to the
! cooperative marketing programs. These
have proven very helpful to the CO.
operation communities in Europe. In
! Russia the cooperative community has
become the recognized bulwark Of law
and order. and saved indiyidualism from
engulfment in social paralysis. Ulti-
! matc)y they will be accredited with the
salvation Of the Russian state.
There Is high appeal for this expert
! ment. Why not try It? No one chal-
/ lonG"S the right Of the farmer to a
large share OF the consumers pay
for his product, no one can dispute that
We cannot live without the farmer. He
is justified in rebelling against the
transportation cost. Given a fair re-
turn for his labor. he will have less
occasion TO appeal for financial aid and
given assurances that his labors shall
not be- in vain. we reassure all the
people of production sufficient to meet
, our national and guard against indus
try.
"Th" pyramid Of civilization which
rests upon the soil is shrinking through
the drift OF population from farm TO
city. For a generation we have been
expressing more or less concern about
this tendency. Economists have
warned and statesmen have deplorcd.
We Thought for n time that modern con
ycnienc" and the more intimate con-
tact would halt rho movement. but It
has gone steadily on. Perhaps only
grim necessity will correct il. but we
ought TO find less drastic remedy.
Mcnaces in Concentration
The existing scheme of adjusting
freight rates has been favoring the basic
points, until industries are attracted to
some centcrs and repelled from others.
4 great volume of unCconomc ard
wUStPful transportation has attended,
and the cost increased accordingly. The
grain milling and meat packing in
duStries afford ample illustration, and
the attending concentration is readily
apparent.
The menaccs in concentration are
not limited to the rctarding influences
on agriculture. Manifestly, the Condi .
tiOns and terms OF railway transpOrta :
lion ought not be permitted to increase
2 this undesirable tendency. We have q
Just. pride in our great cities, but we
shall find greater pride in the na =
tiOn which has q larger distribution OF
is population into the country where
! Comparatively self sufficient smaller
communities may blend agricultural and
manufacturing interests in harmonious
hrlpfulness and enhanced good fortune
''>UCh movement COntemplates nC
! destruction OF things wrought or in
ye>tmentS made or wealth involved. II
only looks to Il general policy OF trans
pOrtatiOn Of distributed industry and Of
. highway construction 10 encourage tht
spread oi our population and restore The
: proper balance between city GnC
country. The problem may well have
l ycur earnest attention.
! "l has been ucrhapS tho proulcvt
c MA. Of our American civilization thai
I in dealing with human relationships il
nav constantly moved toward such JUS
i,co in distributing the product OF nv
nan energy that 1t has improved con
l t!uUUuNy the economic status of tht
!, mas of the people. Ours has been
u highly productive social organization
= On the Wav up from the Clemenfa
. Stages = "itlkky We IUNc tI-llllI4uNN'
= slavery and are nov far on the Wul
& on the elimination Of poverty.
i Euusiity Of Opportunity
L "Through the eradication Of iuiterac'
e and tI, diffusion Of education mankin'
y has rrtched a stage where we ma,
fairly say in the United states cQualt
X Of orDortunity has been attained
though NJ are not prepared to embrar
II It. Their" i, indeed, a too great di
y v,rg,ncn between the economic condi
:. lions Of the most and the least fNVOre
II ,lasse4 in the community. But tina
n divcrgencr 4as now come TO the DOin
vhor" we bracket the very poor md I'll
D.. .:,r~ rich together MS the least fOrtunat
- classes. Our efforts may well he dl
% rectfd 20 imnroving the status OF hotf
~. "WAic this ret Of problems is com
- monty coInprehended under the genert
- phrase capital and labor, it, is reall
1t vastly broader. It is q question {
ID social and economic organizations. Labt
= has become large contributor thr0ug
70 its savings to the stock OF capita
while the people who own the large
/. individual aggregate Of capital al
20 themselves often hard and earne
laborcrs. Very often 1t is extreme
20 dificult 20 draw the line of demarc6
i ton between the two groups 70 deter