The Elk Mountain pilot., 1922-01-26

duction and all phases of the huge COM
mercial mechanism and its myriad ac-
cessories have artlculated and co-ordi-
mated themselves all the way from nat
ural raw materials to. retail sales. the
business of agriculture has gone on in
much the one man fashion of the back
woods Of the first part of the nine
teenth century when the farmer was
self sufficient and did not depend upon,
or care very much, what the great
world was doing The result is that
the agricultural group is almost as
much at 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 thoroughly understand this,
and they are intelllgently striving to
integrate their industry so that 1t will
be on an equal footing with other busi-
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, its
lake and rail transportation, its ocean
vessels. its by-product coke ovens. Its
blast furnaces, Its open hearth and
Bessemer furnaces. Its rolling mills, its
tube mills and other manufacturing
est degree Of finished production COM
patible with the large trade 1t has
built up. All this is generally conced-
ed to be to the advantage Of the con-
sumer. Nor does the steel corporation
inconsiderately dump Its products on
the market. On the contrary, 1t so
acts that 1t Is frequently stabilizing
influence, as Is often the case with 9TH
er large organizations. 1t is master Of
Its distribution as well as Of its pro-
duction. II prices are not satisfactory
the products are held back or produc-
tion is reduced or suspended. 1t is not
compelled to send years work to the
market at one time and take whatever
1t can get under such circumstances.
1t has one selling policy and own
export department Neither are the
grades and qualities of steel determin-
ed at the caprice of the buyer, nor does
the latter hold the scales In this sim
gle integration of the steel corporation
is represented about 40 per cent Of the
steel production Of America. The rest
is mostly in the hands of a few large
companies. In ordinary times the
steel corporation, by example, stabilizes
all steel prices. If this is permissible
lit is even desirable, because stable
and fair prices are essential to solid
and continued prosperity why would
1t be wrong for the farmers to utilize
central agencies that would have simi-
lar effects on agricultural products?
Something like that is what they are
aiming at.
Some farmers favored by regional
compactness and contiguity, such as the
cltrus-fruit-raisers of California, al
ready have found a way legally to
merge and sell their products inte-
orally and in accordance with seasonal
and local demand, thus improving
their position and rendering the con-
sumer reliable service of ensured
quality, certain supply, and reasonable
and relatively steady prices. They
have not found 1t necessary to resort
to any special privilege. or to claim
any exemption under the antitrust
out removing local control, they have
built up very efficient marketing
agency. The grain. cotton and to-
bacco farmers, and the producers of
hides and wool, because of their num-
bers and the vastness of their regions.
and for other reasons, have found
integration more difficult task;
though there are now some thousands
Of farmers cooperative elevators,
warehouses, creameries and other en-
terprises Of one sort and another, with
a turnover of billion dollers a year.
They are giving the farmers business
experience and training, and, so far
as they go, they meet the need of
honest weighing and fair grading; but
they do not meet the requirements of
nationally adjusted marketing In any
large and fundamental way.
The next step, which will be a pat
tern for other groups, Is now being
prepared by the grain-raisers through
the establishment of sales media which
shall handle grain separately or col
lectively, as the individual farmer may
elect. 1t is this step-the plan of the
Committee of Seventeen-which has
created so much opposition and is
thought by some to be in conflict with
the antitrust laws. Though there is
now before congress a measure de-
signed to clear up doubt on this point,
the grain-producers are not relying on
any immunity from antitrust legisla-
ton. They desire, and they are en-
titled. to coordinate their efforts Just
as effectively as the large business In
terests of the country have done In
connection with the selling organiza-
tions the United States Grain Growers
Incorporated is drafting a scheme OF
financing instrumentalities and auxili-
ary agencies which are indispensable
to the successful utilization of modern