The Powder River County examiner and the Broadus independent. [volume] (Broadus, Mont.) 1919-1935, 1922-09-01

nuos % q DESK, connot b - arbl-
erafaly ana promptly csntrollod %
great evaporation. The enc u . lum.
ossan9 democracy ana the ether an asile
aueoctocy. In the socoad place. with
81 peeslbae power Of organization, the
1arnsfS cannot succeed 70 any great
exteat Or tor any considerable length
q dms, In fixing prices. The great
law Of supply and demand works in
var1eus and Surprising ways, to the
undodng ef the best laid plans that
attempt to foil II. In the third place,
ene1f pswef will avall the farmers
nothing II II b. abused. In our time
ana country power 10 Of value to Its
posseesor emily % long % It IL not
aoussd. Il II fair 70 ny that have
seen No signs IN responsible quarters
OF Z disposition T. dictate prices.
There seems, on. the contrary, to be .
commonly beneficial purpose to realize
. stability that will giv, an orderly
ana abundant dow Of farm products
to the consumer and ensure reasonable
and dependable returns to the pro.
Queer.
In view a the supreme Importance
to the national wsll-being Of q pros
porous and contented agricultural pop
ulation, Ne should be prepared to "a
long way In assisting the farmers t.
get IN equitable share OF the wealth
they produce. through the Inaugural.
ton Of reforms that will procure a
continuous and Increasing stream of
farm products. They are far from get
ting 4 fair share now. Considering
his capital and the long hours of labor
put In By the average farmer and his
family. no IL remunerated less than
any other occupational class, with the
possible exception Of teachers. reli
slous ana lay. Though We know that
the present general distress Of the
farmers 10 exceptional and IL linked
with the inevitable economic readjust.
ment following the war, It must be
remembered that, although represent.
ing one-third Of the industrial product
and half the total population Of the
nation, the rural communities ordi.
narily enjoy but nth to a quarter Of
the net annual national gain. Notwith.
standing the taste Of prosperity that
the farmers had during the war, there
10 today q lower standard Of living
amsng the cotton farmers Of the South
than In any other pursuit In the country.
In conclusion, It seems to mo that the
farmers are chiefly striving for a gen.
orally beneficial indignation Of their.
business. Of the same kind and charac-
ter that other business enjoys. II II
should be found on examination tina,
the attainment Of this end requires
methods different from those which
other activities have followed for the
same purpose should We not sympa
thetically consider the plea for the
right to cooperate, IL only from our
own enlightened self interest, in cb-
tanning an abundant and steady flow Of
farm products?
In examining the Agricultural situa
ton with q view to it, Improvement.
We shall be most helpful II we main.
tain q detached and judicial viewpoint.
remembering that existing wrongs may
bs chiefly an accident ef unsymmetri-
cal economic growth instead Of 4 crea-
ton Of malevolent design and censpira.
cy. We Americans are prone, as Pro.
fessor David Friday well says in his
admirable book, "Prodts, Wages and
Prices" % seek criminal intent be-
hind every dihicult and undesirable eco.
uomie situation" I can positively as
seet from my contact with men of
large affairs, including bankers, that,
% . whole, they are endeavoring t.
fulAn ~ they sec them the obligations
that 20 with their power. Preeccupied
with the grave problems and heavy
tasks Of their own immediate affairs.
they have net turned their thoughtful
personal attention or their construc-
tive abilities to the deaciencies Of agri.
cultural business organization. Agri.
culture, It may be said, suffers from
their preeccupation and neglect rather
than from any purposeful exploitation
BY them. They ought now to begin to
respsnd to the farmers' difficulties.
which they must realise are their own
On the ether hand. my contacts with
the farmers have filled ne with respect
for thsm-for their sanity, TIER pa.
tience. their balance. Within the last
year, and particularly q . meeting
called By the Kansas STATE Board of
Agriculture and ut another called by
The Committee Of Seventeen, I have
met many OF the leaders Of the new
6ax0 msvemsnt. and I testify In all
sfheesity that they are endeevoripg to
deal With their problems, h5t % pro-
Uotoes e q NARROW class interest. not
- e9pleltsss Of the hapless consumer.
use % nereiless 1sonepelists, but as
Aoo0oe 0oat bent On the Improvement
e ~ ee0mea veal.
We eaA and must neee such men
a1l S1eh q cause Aalf way. Their
bu1anoGD = eur bualDon-tAo nations
businosa
70 o 60oa koadors.
We'll. gentlemen, whatever you may
think Of these historical points. the