Evening star., 1922-01-29
FARM PAR[EY ENDS
AM|DENTHUS|ASM
Adopt Many Recommended.
tions Designed to Alleviate
Depression.
SEEK TO CUT FOOD COST
Would Bring Producer and Con-
sumer Closer Together by
Cooperative Markets..
SEEK TO CUT FOOD COST

Cooperative Marhets.
The national agricultural confer
ence. which closed its sessions Friday
msht after adopting recommends
tiors designed to alleviate present
tarm depression and prevent recur-
renee OF such a condition, was hailed
as the most far-reaching conference
OF farmers ever held" in a statement
issued tonight by J. R. Howard, pres
ident of the American Farm Bureau
Federation, one of the largest farm
ers, organizations
The recommendations Of the confer
encTwere indorsed by Mr. Howard
last night. and dsring the day were
made the basis Of Study by Secretary
Wallace and other officials upon whom
will devcfre the task of making them
effective.
referring to President Harding's
suggestion. in opening the conference,
that the, farmers Of the nation seek
to unite in cooperative organizations,
Mr.. Howard in his statement said:
"Fhe farm bureau will undertake to
organize all the farmers Of the nation
and unite thsm into strong commod;-
ty marketing associations, which will
improve the distribution of food to
the lasting benefit Of both consumer
and producer. We want to bring the
eater and the grower closer to-
gethsr.".
Praise for President.
THE national agricultural conference
will go down into history as the far
thest reaching conference of farmers
ever held" the statement said. '"The
topmost feature, of course, was the
address Of the President of the United
States and the commitments which it
contained Of the administrations at
titude toward agriculture. Probably
no chief executive of the nation has
previously indicated so deep and In
telligent an interest in the farmers af-
fairs. President Harding recognized
the bad state of agriculture at the
present time; stressed the outstand-
ing importance Of agriculture in our
national life; showed that the farmer
must have credit system adapted to
his needs; asserted that lasting Inn
provement is 10 come only from the de-
yelopment to cooperate marketing;
favored scientific limitation of pro-
ductiona and pointed out the dignity of
the profession -
The cooperative marketing move
ment as fostered by the American Farm
Bureau Federation is a protest ex.
pressed in action against excessive
margins: and distributive costs. 1t is
no new thing. 1t has been carried on
successfully in Europe for hundreds of
years. Within less than fifty years
Denmark through cooperative market
ing has reduced distribution costs so
that the producer receives 72 cents of
the consumers dollar. more than twice
as much as we get here. and through
cooperative marke1ng, has rebuilded
her entire nationaf'prosperity.
Make Many Recommendations.
Secretary Wallace comes out of the
onaIagricultural conference with
his hands greatly strengthened to
perform a real and definite service
for agriculture and the nation. Par
ticularly notable in the Endorsements
of the conference are the farmers de-
mands for early completion Of the St.
Lawrence deep waterway, for the de-
velopment of Muscle Shoals by Henry
Ford, the building Of a credit ma
chine adapted to a farm turnover at
reasonable rates of interest, and that
both capital and labor must share
alike in the readjustments which have
already hit agriculture.
"The Endorsement by the conference
of the agricultural bloc is significant.
"The conference would probably
never have been possible except for
the work of the congressional joint
commission Of agricultural inquiry
under the progressive leadership of
Chairman Sidney Anderson. To Presi-
dent Harding Secretary Wallace and
Chairman Anderson the farmers of
America are today rendering sim
cere vote Of thanks for this oppor-
tunity to present their case to the ma
ton and to seek a just and lasting
remedy for the benefit of both agri-
culture and the nation"