The Chesterfield advertiser. [volume] (Chesterfield C.H., S.C.) 1884-1978, 1922-02-02
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Now, what is the farmer asking7
without trying te catalogue the re-
| medal measures that have been sug-
gested in his behalf. the principal pro-
posals that bear directly on the tpl-
| provement Of his distributing and mar
| keting relations may be summarized as
! tollOwS:-
First: storage warehouses for cot
ton, wool, and tobacco, and elevators
for grain, Of sufficient capacity to meet
| the maximum demand on them at the
peak Of the marketing period The
farmer thinks that either private capi.
tai must furnish these facilities, or the
state must erect and own the eleva.
tors and warehouses.
Second: weighing and grading Of
agricultural products, and certlfication
| thereof, to be done by impartial and
| disinterested public inspectors (this Is
| already accomplished to some extent
| by the federal licensing Of weighers
| and graders), to eliminate underpay-
ing. overcharging, and unfair grading,
| and to facilitate the utilization Of the
stored products as the basis Of credit.
Third n certainty Of credit sufficient
to enable the marketing Of products
| In an orderly manner.
Fourth: the Department Of Agricul-
ture should collect. tabulate, summa.
rize and regularly and frequently pub.
ish anG distribute to the farmers, full
information from al! the markets OF
the world, Sc that they shall he as well
informed Of their selling position as
| buyers now are Of their buying posi-.
| ton.
| Fifth: freedom to integrate the bust.
ness Of agriculture by means Of con.
solldated selling agencies, co-ordinat-
Ing and cooperating In such way as to
put the farmer on an equal footing
with the large buyers Of his products,
and with commercial relations In other
Industries.
When business requires specialized
talent, 1t has to buy 1t. So will the
farmers; and perhaps the best way for
them to get 1t would be to utilize some
Of the present machinery Of the larg
est established agencies dealing In
farm products. OF course. If he wishes,
the farmer may 60 further and engage
In hourmilllng and other manufa ctures
Of food products. In my opinion,
however, he would be wise to stop
short Of that Public interest may be
opposed to all great integrations; but
In justice, should they be forbidden to
the farmer and permitted to othersi
The corporate form Of association oan.
not now be wholly adapted to his oh.
jects and conditions The looser CO.
operative form seems more generally
suitable Therefore, he wishes to be
free, II he finds 1t desirable and feas.
ible. to resort to cooperation with his
fellows and neighbors, without run.
ming afOul OF the law. TO urge that
the farmers should have the same lib.
] erty to consolidate and coordinate
their peculiar economic functions
which other Industries In their fields
enjoy, is not, however. to concede that
any business integratlun should have
legislative sanction TO exercise monop
olistic power The American people
are as firmly opposed to Industrial as
to political autocracy. whether at.
tempted by rural or by urban Industry
For lack Of united effort the farmers
as whole are still marketing their
crops by antiquated methods, or by no
methods at all, but they are surrounded
by business world that has been
modernized to the last minute and is
tirelessIy striving for efficiency. This
! efficiency is due In large measure to
big business. to united business, TO I'm.
tegrated business. The farmers now
seek the benefits OF such largeness. un-
ion and integration.
The American farmer Is a modern OF
the modcrns In the use OF labor saving
! machinery, and he has mnde vas,
strides In recent years I'm scientific.
/ iillagc ana efficient farm management,
! but rs a business in contact with other
| businesses agriculture Is zone horse
/ shay in competition with high power
! automobiles. The American farmer is
/ The g"r.iest and most intractable OF
| .indivihualsts While Industrial pro
! .luctiun and all phases Of the huge com
! merciHl mcChanism and It's myriad sc
""$%""ieS have articulated and co-ord
/ mated themselves all the way from nat
! trHi raw ma erials To rcrail sales, the
business Z agriculture has gone on H.
I nue. =. one man fashion Of the bnck
! woods 0f the first part # the nire
teenth century. when the farmer IA,
! self sufficient and did not depend upon
> W N''N WY WHAT tIlp great
world was doing. The result is that
the agricultural group Is almost as
much at a disadvantage In dealing with
other economic groups as the Jay farm.
er OF the funny pages In the hands Of
sleek urban confidence men. who sell
him acreage in Central Park or the
! Chicago city hall The leaders OF the
farmers thorCushly understand this,
ana they are intelligently striving to
lntegrate their Industry so that II will
be on an equal footing with other bust
nesses.
AS an example Of integration, take
the steel Industry In which the model
Is the United States Steel Corporation.
with Its iron mines its coal mines, It's
lake and rail- transportation. Its ocean
vessels. Its by-prOduct coke ovens. Its
blast furnaces. Its open hearth and