The log cabin Democrat., 1922-01-28
self sufficient and did not depend upon,

much al dlSa0FantaSe III uedllfk Wiln other economic groups as the jay farm CT 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 busi- nesseS.
 As an example of lntegration, take the steel industry, in which the model Is the United States Steel Corporation, with its iron mines, It's coal mines. Its lake and rail transportation, It's ocean vessels, its by-product coke ovens. It's blast furnaces, it's 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. patibe 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 tlte steel corporation inconsiderately dump its products on the market. On the contrary, 1t so acts that 1t Is frequently a stabilizing Influence as Is often the case with oth- CT large organizations II is master of its distribution as well as of its pro duction. If prices are not satisfactory the products are held back or produc- tion is reduced or suspended. h is nst compelled to send years work to me market at one time and take whatever 1t can get under such circumstances. It has one selling policy and its own export department. Neither are the grades and qualities of steel determln- ed at the caprice of +he buyer, nor does the latter hold the scales. In this sin gle integratlon 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 Git 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 slmi- 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 c1trus-fruit- -raisers of California, d. ready have found a way legally to merge and sell their products inte- grally and In accordance with seasonal and local demand, thus improving their position and rendering the con sumer a 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 legislation of the state or nation With out removing local control, they have built up very efficient marketing agency The grain, cotton. and ts- 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
 
 of farmers cooperative elevators warehouses; creameries, and other en- terprises of one sort and another with a turnover of a 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 rationally adjusted marketing in any large and fundamental way
 The next step, which will be 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 It is this step-the plan of the Committee of Seyenteen-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 h. terests of the country have done. In connection with the selling organ7a- tions the United States Grain Growers Incorporated Is drafting scheme of financing instrumentalities and au1ill- ary agencies which are indispensable to the successful utilization of modern business methods
 It Is essential that the farmers should proceed gradually with these plans, and aim to avoid the error of scrapping the existing marketing ma chinery. which has been so laboriously built up by long experience, before they have tried and pr6ved substi- tute or supplementary mechanism. They must be careful not to become enmeshed in their own reforms and lose the perspective of their place in ho national syStopn Tfov ypu.+