News and citizen. [volume] (Morrisville, Vt. ;) 1881-current, 1922-02-01
| Y

Now, what Is the farmer asking
| Without trying to catalogue the re.
| medal measures that have been sug-
, gested in his behalf, the principal pro
posals that bear directly on the i'm
provement of his distributing and mar
keting relations may be summarized as
follows: -
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 capt
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 certifcatlon
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 certainty of credit sufficient
TO enable the marketing of products
in an orderly manner.
e. Fourth: the Department OF Agricul-
ture should collect. tabuate. summa-
rize. and regularly and frequently pub
fish and distribute to the farmers. full
information from all the markets OF
the world, so that they shall be 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
solidated 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 a business requires specialized |
talent, it has to buy it. SO will the
farmers; and perhaps the best way for |
them 10 get it 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 go further and engage |
in flour-milling and other manufactures
Of food products. In my opinion,
however, he would be wise to stop
short of that. Public interest NAV be
to all great integrations; but,
IN justice, should they be forbidden to
he farmer and permitted to Others?
Nh.n n Gown . II. Il
lot now be wholly adapted to his OBJ
ects and conditions. The looser CO.
operative form seems more generally !
Therefore. he wishes to be
rec, il he finds it desirable and feas-
bic, to resort to cooperation with his !
elbows and neighbors without run
ling afoul of the law. To urge that
he farmers should have the same lib /
rtys to consolidate and coordinate
heir peculiar economic functions.
rhlch other industries in their fields
njoy, is not, however To cnurede that
ny business Indignation should have
legislative sanction 10 eNprciS 50 monop-
listic power. The American people
re as firmly opposed to Industrial as
polAliNdl dulOIIutN. NTlelner al |
empted by rural or by urban industry
For lack Of united effort the farmers
5 a whole are still marketing their
ops by Anticipated methods. or by no |
ethods at all, but they are surrounded !
% business world that has been
Odernlzed to the last minute and is
relessly striving for efficiency. This
nciency is due In large measure to
z business. to united business. TO in
grated business. The farmers now ,
elk the benefits of such largeness. IN
a and Indignation.
The American farmer is a modern of
e moderns In. the use OF labor saving
lchinery, and he has made vast
tides in recent years In scientific
lage and efficient farm management .
Z as business in contact with other v
sinesses agriculture Is a zone horse a
ly' in competition with high power \
tOmobiles. The American farmer Is =
? greatest and most intractable Of !,
While Industrial pro- >
ctiGh and all phases of the huge com 4 !,
rcial mechanism and It's myriad &C. J