Milford chronicle., 1921-07-01
WHAT'S THE MATTER WITH US1

A farmers views on the economic
situation and some suggestions fol
improvement were set forth by J. w
CoveradeL Secretary of the American
Farm Bureau Federation, nefOre the
National Implement & Vehicle Asso-
citation of the United States of Amer
lea in the Auditorium Hotel, Chicago,
June Is, 1921. Mr.. Coverdale said:
whats the matter with us? The
right answer to this question would
bring fame and fortune to any man
wise enough to answer it today. The
farmer himself would be glad to know
the answer. Likewise correct ans
Wer would probably be worth great
deal of money to the implement man.
The manufacturer, the dealer, the
lawyer, the journalist, the laborer,
the banker-everyone is waiting
breathless to find out what is ailing
the farmer. Few questions are ex-
citing more real interest just now.
Last week a man qualified to know,
dropped in to our legislative office in
Washington and declared unqualified
ly that the American Farm Bureau
Federation was now mentioned more
frequently in the public prints than
any other organizations in the world.
This is significant. What is the mat
ter with us anyway?
"Emphatically, the only way to do
business with a farmer, speaking IN
the large sense, is to show a sympa-
thetic interest in his true welfare and
prosperity. The farmer thinks that
he knows what is the matter with
industry. The trouble is that your
best customer has been too hard hit
to feel very enthusiastic about doing
business with you. In round num-
bers, half the wealth of this nation is
in and on it's farms. Approximately
one-third of our national production
is agricultural. The farmer is both
capitalist and labOrer. His profession
has tended to make of him supreme
individualist. Up to very recent
date, he has not been organized. The
Farm Bureau, which began as
chamber of commerce movement In
New York ten years ago, seems to mt
his needs quite well. On March 4,
1920, the American Farm Bureau Fed
Grafton was organized. Today we
have a total membership of 1,O32,114.
Every state in the Union, save one, is
fed it's intention to affiliate.
There are four things necessary to
increase the buying power Of the far
mer's dollar at this time, namely:
Marketing, Finance, Instructive In
formation and Legislation.
production was the slogan during |
the War, and it is the slogan today, |
but it should be an intelligent produc-
tion carried on in a. business-like
wav and with a full knowledge of
where it can be marketed so as to re-
turn a profit to the producer. We as
producers in the past have been let
ting organized business tell us how
TO produce, with the result that to-
day we find our granaries and our
Dastures full and no market outlet,
and vet. in spite of all these Obstruc-
ions. nearly the normal acreage of
,rops are in the ground, thereby prov
ne to the world that the farmer is
1opeful of receiving economic JUS
ice in the reconstruction period dur
NO which we are now passing.
"The producer is fast learning to
Mt down his cost of production by the
,se of efficient machinery hat will
Increase the working capacity per
nan. and whenever this can be done
q purchases the necessary equip
,ent. providing his financial system
2 obtaining credit either through DIS
ank or otherwise is such that the
can be mace.