The labor world. [volume] (Duluth, Minn.) 1896-current, 1921-06-25
FARMERS COOP.
BILL HAS TOUGH
Time IN SENATE
Is Vital to New $1oo,ooo,ooo
Cooperative Grain Mar.
keting Association

hVtIIjS hOOVVlQllVJi
WASHINGTON, D. c., June as
Farmers organizations in Washington
are having hard time with the sem
ate subcommittee on judiciary to get
prompt action on the bill prepared by
Congressman Volstead, legalizing the
organization Of farmers cooperative.
associations for the marketing and
handling Of agricultural crops. This
measure came to the senate after
passing the house by a large vote. 1t
provides that persons engaged in the
production of agricultural products as
farmers. planters, ranchmen, dairy
men, or fruit growers may act to-
sether in associations. corporate OR
otherwise, with or without capital
stock" to market their products CO.
operatively.
Obviously, this bill vitality affects
not only the new $1o0,0oo,0oo CO.
| operative grain marketing association,
which the farmers are now organizing
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it also concerns similar efforts being
made by the live stock growers, the
cotton and tobacco producers, the
milk and dairymen, and similar ma
tiOnal farmers cooperative market
ing organizations to protect the far
mer from the exploitation Of specula-
tors and middlemen. At present the
! farmers cannot form such organiza-
tons without mourning the possibility
of drastic and summary prosecution
under the antitrust laws, were de-
signed to curb the monOpolistic ex-
plotting of the people by the very
same combines that are bleeding the
farmers. Indeed, these monopolies
have largely escaped the penalties of
the antitrust laws by means of inter-
locking directorates, subdivisions of
stock, and other articles. But the
farmers must secure the enactment of
| this bill, according to some of the
keenest lawyers in congress, if they
are to form national cooperative mar
| keting organizations which their enc
mics cannot attack.
Farmers Arc Patient.
The farmers have been pathetically
patient in asking congress for this
simple yet exceedingly important leg
islation. A similar bill was introduced
| In the last congress- passed the house,
| and was amended in the senate for the
alleged purpose Of preventing a far
merproducers' monopoly! AS a. re-
suit, the house would not accept the
ambiguous amendment, and the bill
died in conference.
The present bill specifically pro-
tects the public from amy such i'm
aginary danger by providing that
whenever the secretary of agriculture
"shall have reason to believe that any
such association monopolizes or re-
strains trade to such an extent that
the price Of any agricultural product
is unduly enhanced by reason there
Of" he shall file a complaint against
such association and hold hearing
within thirty days to determine
whether the association is guilty Of
monopolistic practices; and if he is of
the opinion that it is guilty. he shall
order it to cease such practices.
IT the cooperative association fails
to obey this order. or wishes to appeal
from it, the sc cretary Of agriculture
shall then turn the case over to the at
torney general for trial before
United Stataes district court, which
shall have power to prohibit by in
junction the monopoly complained Of
The bill thus establishes a wise prece-
dent, in that 1t requires investigation
by the competent executive authority
before the case is dragged into the
courts. Surely these provisions should
be adequate protection to the public
against any possible farmers mon
opoly." Yet certain members of the
senate judiciary committee are still
endeaVoring to tack on to the bill the
same obnoxious and ambiguous mon
opoly clause that caused the defeat Of
the bill in the last congress.
Debate Prolonged.
Discussion over the bill have also
been prolonged by the amendment
which exempts from the antitrust
laws all persons engaged in collec-
lively processing, preparing for mar
ket, handling and marketing" the
| farmers crops. Just what this may
be interpreted to. mean, or how big a
loophole it makes for the protection
of pseudo-co-operative middlemen, we
do not. know Another amendment of
a different nature has been suggested
by representa- tives Of the farmers Or
CARNATIONS, to the effect that the
federal trade commission, rather than
the already overloaded secretary Of
agriculture, shall be given the power
Of general supervision over farmer
producers cooperative organizations.
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