The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1921-04-06
AID FARMERS
IN MARKETING
WALLACE aim
Secretary of Agriculture Tells
Committee of Seventeen De-
partment Must Assist in
Selling of Crops.
ADVISES LEVEL HEADS
(By Associated Press)

NiAASaNS, Apiii ". uG uCpols'
ment of agriculture should lend the
same aid to farmers in marketing
their crops as it does in their produc-
tion, Secretary Wallace declared to-
day in an address here before the
Farmers Grain Marketing Committe,
of Seventeen. There is just as much
reason" he said, why the depart
ment should assist the farmer In de
veloping methods of marketing his
crops efficiently as that it should as
sist him in increasing his produc-
ton"
Study Of improved marketing meth
DDS. as we'll as of conditions the farm
er should understand to produce in
telligently, and adjust his production
to the needs of consumption" the sec
retary said, "are proper functions OF
the department"
The department should turn on the
light he continued. 'If there are
points along the way at which there
is unnecessary waste, that should be
made known. If there are men along
,, the way who are taking too much toll
for the service they render. that also
should be made known. A plentiful
supply of food at prices which are
just to both producer and consumer is
vital to our national welfare, and it
is proper function of the govern
ment to do what it can to insure it
Must Know Condition
Information of world production and
consumption is especially useful ard
necessary" the secretary declared. to
aid farmers in deciding "in what guam
titles given commodities should be
produced in order that there may be
an adequate supply"
1t is coming TO be recognized, he
said. that if prices are to be salts
| factory. there must be a right ad-
: justment of production to marketing
conditions"
The farmers right to organize into
associations, cooperative or other
wise, for the purpose of marketing
their crops, Mr.. Wallace said 'cannot
be questioned. so long as they observe
| the requirements Of our laws. ) de
| nial of this right" he continued,
| would result in reducing the free
farmers of the United States to con-
dition comparable with the down
trodden peasants or poems of less en-
lightened countries. and would bring
upon US all the griefs which those
countries are now bearing"
Profits by Experience
tees marketing plan in detail. the ag-
riculture secretary said il appeared to
have profited by practical experience
of the past and TO have avoided the
| weaknesses which had broken down
! many previous organizations. 1t had
tried, he said, to improve the present
marketing machinery and not under
| take to wipe it out, adding: In this
| you have been most wise" The com
| mittee he asserted, was neither at
tempting to create a monopoly nor tc
| fix prices"
Calling attention to the current low
! prices for fsym products while "prac-
! tically everything the farmers buy
are from so to 100 per cent above pre-
war normals." Secretary Wallace said
them should be willing and ready to
adopt drastic measures to correct a
| condition which is so grossly unjust
and which is causing widespread hard
| ship and suffering"
Urges Level Heads
The secretary added, however, that
it was mo time to be ruled by preju-
| dices and no time for shallow-think-
| ing" declaring the more critical the
situation, "the greater the need for
| keeping a level head" American
| farmers are in competition with the
world and must adjust themselves to
the situation. the secretary added.
"as best they may 1t is not time
to try quack nostrums." This nation.
| Secretary Wallace asserted, cannot
hope to maintain its agriculture on a
sound economic basis unless our
| farmers give attention to the business
! end of farming; this is imperative if
| production is to be maintained and
our people to be fed at reasonable
! costs"
! The ratification conference on the
cooperative grain marketing plan sub
mitted by the farmers marketing COM
mittee of seventeen assembled here
today for the most important meet
! ing of farmers that the history OF our
country or any other country has over
recorder" in the words Of C. H. Gus
| larson, chairman of the committee.
Details of the plan prepared during
year Of conferences to market them
majority of the farm products Of the
country, under the most favorable
price conditions were submitted to
| representative of the various farm or
ganizations behind the proposal.
The plan provides purely and simply
for the farmer to enter upon a program
of conducting his own business of mar
! keting," said Mr.. Gustafson, sit Is pur-
! prely a cooperative plan offered in
competition with existing unsatisfac-
| tory methods of marketing. We be-
lieve that while recognizing and pro-
tecting the rights of the consuming
public, it insures the farmers an
equitable and just return on his grain
crops by effecting savings. avoiding
speculation. preventing needless dupli-
cation of effort and eventually stabiliz-
ing the market for grain crops.
ABSTRACT OF TITLE