The Rock Island Argus and daily union. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1920-1923, 1922-02-11
What the Farmers Ac-
comDliShed.

One impatient farmer at the pres
ident's agricultural conference is
reported to have described the meet
ing as an affair of shaking hands
and eating ice cream; but while
it's results may not be immediate,
it seems to be generally felt that
the benefits of the gathering will
at least last longer than the ice
cream. The very fact that the con-
ference was called is a matter of
encouragement to the farmer, the
Houston Chronicle (Democrat) be
lieves, for "it indicates that the
public servants in high places have
at last awakened to realization
that the time has come =. 20 give
attention to the interests OF the
farmer"
One of the interesting develop
ments OF the conference, the Asbury
Park Press Und.) says, has been
the discovery that farming is bus
mess much like anything else" and
that the delegates, instead Of being
the farmers OF the comic section"
were business men with cost
sheets and statistics at their fin
gers ends" And moreover they
were given an opportunity to show
that they understand the econom-
les of the situation as clearly as
any man in Washington or any man
in Wall Street" and Ito tell what
they know" the Pittsburgh Leader
prog. Rep.) observes The New
ark News Ind reioices that the
conference demonstrated that "the
farmer is doing his own thinking"
for when half the population takes
to thinking for itself instead OF
having formulas worked out for it
by those at the top Of political or
CARNATIONS, there is much hopeful
leaven in the political loaf.
Formulate Program.
Agricultural interests in the gath
ering formulated and presented "a
program for the consideration of the
administration and OF congress"
the st. Louis Globe Democrat (Rep.)
reports, which, according to the
Burlington Free Press Und. Rep)
can be summed up as timing at
three things: credits, marketing and
cooperation" It was felt for a
while after the delegates got into
action that a radical element with
rather fiery tendencies was in con-
troll, but, as the Portland Oregonian
Qnd. Rep.) points out, the most
radical proposal" made was that
calling for government guarantee
of minimum prices, and in that mat
ter the conference went not furth-
er than to ask for a careful inves-
tigation'
: The idea of the guarantee pro-
posal, as the Raleigh News and OBJ
server DEM explains it, was to
ask all the people to give the farm
ers the same profits guaranteed to
railroads." but "the wiser and bet
ter view prevailed" and instead of
claiming the same privilege the
delegates demanded the repeal of
the guaranty policy" as applied to
railroads. The Spokane Spokes-
man Review Qnd. Rep.) also COM
mends the sound judgment Of the
conference in rejecting this propos-
al for Its adoption would have i'm
paired public confidence" in any OF
its conclusions. But while repudi-
ating price fixing as a policy the
farmers showed an even more
childlike faith in the power Of the
government" the New York Post
(Ind.) thinks, by demanding that
congress and the president take
steps which shall Immediately re-
establish a fair exchange value for
all farm products" However, any
plan for accomplishing this" the
Canton (Ohiol News (lndO sug-
gests, would be merely legislation
that would permit the formation
OF pools among growers of cotton,
grain and other agricultural pro-
ducts, the purpose of which would
be the marketing of these products
in a way that would secure an aver
age price for certain products.
In some French rural districts