The Challis messenger. (Challis, Idaho) 1912-current, 1922-02-22
Some Aspects of the
Farmers Problems
(Reprinted from Atlantic Monthly
BY BERNARD M. BARUcH

Ans American peopN
are as nrrniy opposed to Industrial as
to. political autocracy, whether at
tempted by rural or by urban Industry
For lack Of united effort the farmers
as a whole are still marketing their
crops by antiquated methods, or by nc
methods at all. but they are surrounded
BY business world that has been
modernlzed to the last minute and Is
i,relessly striving Tor efficiency This
efficiency Is due in large measure tc
a,g business, to united business, to in
tegrated business. The farmers now
seek the benefits of such largeness, I'm
ion and Indignation.
The American farmer Is a modern OF
the moderns In the use Of labor saaIne
machinery. and, he has made vast
strides In recent years In scientific
tiIlage and efficient farm management
but as business In contact with other
businesses agriculture Is zone horse
shay" In competition with high power
automobiles. The American farmer Ia
the greatest and most intractable OF
indivldualists. While Industrial pro
ductlon and all phases Of the huge com.
mercial mechanism and its myriad &C.
cessories have articulated and co-ordi.
mated themselves all the way from nat.
ural raw materials to retail sales, the
business Of agriculture has gone on ir
much the one man fashion Of the back
woods Of the first part Of the nine
teenth century. when the farmer wei
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 intelligently striving to
integrate their industry so that it will
be on an equal footing with other bust
nesses
AS an, example Of Indignation, 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, It's 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
processes that are carried to the high.
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-
sumner. Nor does the steel corporation
lnconsiderately dump Its products on
the market. On the contrary, 1t so
acts that 1t is frequently a stabilizlng
Influence, as Is often the case with 9TH
er large organizations. 1t Is master Of
Its distribution as well as Of its pro-
ductlen. If prices are not satisfactory
the products are held back or produc-
ton Is reduced or suspended. 1t Is not
to send a years work to the
market at one time and take whatever
Il can get under such circumstances.
II has one selling policy and Its own
expart department. Neither are the
grades and qualities of steel determin.
ed n the caprice of the buyer, nor does
the latter hold the scales In this sim
gle lhtegrati6n of the steel corporation
IS represented about 40 per cent Of the
steel production If America The rest
la, h. 4,
In ordinary times the
'teei corporation. by example. stabillzes
Ill steel prices If This Is permissible
III Is even desirable. because stable
md fair prices are essential to solid
ihd continued prosperity why would
I be wrong for the farmers to utilize
central agencies that would have SINH.
ar effects on agricultural products?
like thar Is what they are
aiming Mt
s Some farmers favored by regional
'ompacinessfan contlguity, such as the
Observation-Disclosures Of California, al
'eady haze found a way legally to
merge ana sell their products lnte-
.rally and In accordance with seasonal
md iocaf demand. thus improving
heir position and rendering the con,
umer reliable service of ensured
quality certain supply. and reasonable
md relatively steady prices. They
AVE mol round 1t necessary to resort
o any special priv jege. or to claim
ny exemption under the antitrust !
aglsallon Of the state or nation With. |
nj removing local control. they have
'ullt up a very efficient marketing J
gency The grain, cotton, and to. |
'aceo farmers, and the producers Of
lides and wool, because of their mum
'ers and the vastness OF their regions |
md for other reasons, have found |
migration q mare difficult task |
hough there are new some thousands |
4 farmers cooperative elevators
warehouses, creameries, and other en- |
OF one sort and another, with |
turnover of billion dollers a year |
hey are giving tie farmers business |
Experience and training and. so far |
s they go, they meet the need of |
onest weighing and fair grading; but
hey do not meet the requirements Of |
atlonally adjusted marketing In any |