The Cordova daily times., 1921-01-17
MONDAY, JANUARY IT, 1921
NO VIOLATION OF THE ANTI
 TRUST PRINCIPLE

ganizations of farmers from the pen- alties of the Sherman antitrust law, is not, as many seem to assume, a vio- lation of the principle that statute. The Sherman law, the only anti-mon- opoly statute under which legal rem edies for monopolistic exaction have seriously been sought Is aimed at con- trol of markets by organizations of capital so large that it is within their power to control the general level of prices. Without a much wider exten- sion of the cooperative system among farm producers than now seems possible, and closer union of such producers than is easily imagin- able, no control of markets injurious to the consumer could be achieved What the cooperative organizations of farmers are undertaking is a de- fesnsive program, as against combina- tions of capital which have sometimes manipulated prices to the detriment of both producer and consumer. This is in the public interest, because req sOnable and stabilized prices of farm products will encourage production, and increased production is essential to the proper feeding and clothing of the American people.
 There is too wide a gap between the prices of food products on the farm and the prices paid by the con- sumer. This is not all due to ex- ploitation by middlemen, but in part it may be attributed to defective meth ods of collection and distribution of foodstuffs. The rotting of farm pro- ducts in the fields at time when con- sumers are paying almost prohibitive prices for these same commodities in retail stores, even in public markets ostensibly maintained for the purpose of maintaining reasonable price levels, is not an unusual occurrence.
 The farmer is by no means the only American producer who is carrying a heavy burden at this time. Deflation is causing general hardship, which touches the whole range of national production, distribution and consump- tion. Every element in American life must expect to carry some part of this burden; it cannot be shifted upon the shoulders of one class, group or ele- ment without disaster to everybody. We have been carrying on an orgy of waste during the past few years. Ac- eompanying it has been a false pros perity for which we must now foot the bills. Issuing promissory notes is one thing; paying them is another, and we have now passed out of the period of running bills into the cold gray dawn of the era of footing them. It is a time for better understanding and cooperation among all elements In our financial, industrial, agricul- tural economy. There never was a more inappropriate time for the cul- uvation of class prejudice and an at. tempted expression in legislation and administration of purpose to pro. mote class advantage. That policy would involve this country in ire, trievable disaster.
 But at such a time as this the first thought of the government should be the producer; the producers constitut' ing in our lana the preponderant ele ment at Washington, not in pater care of the producer in this country we take care of the consumer. The producer of farm, factory and mine must be looked after by the govern ment at Washington, not in a pate nalistic but in protective way, for the hope of the nation hangs upon in creased production.
 Incidentally it may be said that the producer who does not during the next year or so of threatened nation al economic disaster, put in his best licks with view to increasing the sum total of production, whether that producer be farmer, farm laborer manufacturer or wage earner, is a