The Washington herald., 1921-03-20
new SPIRIT AMONG
FARMERS OF SOUTH
IS ECO-OPERATION
Evils of Working on
Credit Bring Section
Near to Ruin.
FEW SURVIVE LONG
Present Situation Awakens
Tillers of Soil-Market AS
sociations Are Organizing.
n, RAY srANNARD BAKER.

BIZ RAY sTANNARD BAKER
have spoken of the two crises
which confront the farmer-the
acute immediate crisis. due to the
collapse of the market for the crops
of 1890, and the deep-seated. long
deyeloping discomfort of farmers
with the conditions under which
they live. 1t Is the acute distress
added to the chronic trouble which
makes the present situation so per-
picking, and even dangerous.
It is the sudden rise in the tenn
perature of a patient long ailing
The farmers of North Dakota ana
other northwestern States were In
revolt long before the collapse OF
1890. and now the same spirit is
spreading everywhere
The remedies proposed also divide
themselves into two groups-those
intended to meet the immediate
crisis and those intended to meet
the deeper difficulties.
II has become a kind of traGi-
tional method with American far
mers when in distress to form great
examinations for relief. These have
usually been started by able lead
ers, who seized upon the immediate
unrest of the farmers. suggested
quick remedies of various sorts and
either adopted at once the political
method or tended irreSstibly TO
drift into II.
Few Survived Long.
Some of these movements were
promptly wrecked upon the politi-
cal rocks: others drifted helplessly
into the eddies. where they contin-
ned to exist as agreeable social or
secret organisations. without any
real vitality or any real innuence
upon the crying problems OF the
farmer. One may mention sucn
movements as the Populist party,
the Farmers Alliance. the Farmers
Union, and the backbone OF the
Rryan free silver agitation OF 1885
was agrarian-
In the present crisis such organi-
kations have sprung into existence,
but with certain new ideas which,
shall explain later. In the South
there are the American Cotton As
sociation and the Tobacco Growers
Associations of the various states,
both of which have been spreading
widely. each useful in its way.
Two General Remedies.
To meet the present emergency
these organizations propose two
general remedies:
First, there being an unsalaole
surplus of both cotton and tobacco
of the 1920 crop. the farmers are
urged to sign an ironclad agree
ment to cut down the production IN
1921 by at least one-third.
4 Second. an appeal to the govern
ment for help in marketing the
present surplus. The great new or
ganizations were behind the de-
mand for the revival of the War
Finance Corporation and they seek
a more liberal policy of credits to
farm interests upon the part OF the
Federal Reserve Board. Many
farmers are also for protective
tariffs on their products.
/ attended quite number OF
meetings in the South of both cot
ton and tobacco growers There
was evidence in all of them of the
seriousness of the unrest which eX-
lists and a very general signing up
of the acreage reduction agree
ments; but IL seemed to me that
in so far as these particular RENE
dies were discussed there existed a
curious apathy regarding them,
skepticism as to whether it was
"any use to sign up or not"
At least. I got this feeling from
many farmers. For these are rem
edies that have been advocated
many times before and the farmers
remark with a kind of cynicism
that the only result of agreements
to cut crop acreage is that those
who do not sign are likely to seize
upon this opportunity to increase
acreage, and even many of those
who do sign up find ways of avoid
ing the consequences of their
agreement. There exists also a
widespread skepticism of any real
help from Warrington.
Another recommendation always
made by these organizations is for
the farmer to produce more food,
to put some of his cotton acreage
into other crops. Indeed. one of
the very greatest burdens of the
people of the South is the fact that.
in spite of every facility for grow
ing everything they heed. they i'm
port each year, at prices made espe-
etally high by the cost of railroad
transportation, a considerable pro-
portion of their food and fodder.
Every Southern agricultural lead
er has. indeed. been making this
Recommendation for years; 1t has
been q subject of hortatory edi-
torials ever since the civil war, but
with very little result to date.
Caught Fast I'm Wise.
The fact is the South has been
caught as in a wise in a vicious eco
nomic system; two or three great
cash crops raised upon credit. 1t
has been difficult to change this for
several reasons. chief among which
is the fact that the South Is still
burdened with an immense load Of
Ignorance, especially among the
tenant class Of farmers, both white
and colored.
s It is very difficult to change the
traditional habits and practises OF
ignorant men. It's white popula-
tion. like all agricultural people.
has been strongly individualistic-
These people have lived on more or
less isolated farms and IL has been
dinacult to develop any community
or cooperative spirit.
/ saw the farmers coming into the
markets this fall by hundreds with
the; products over which they had
swsated and toiled all the year; a