The Bingham County news. [volume] (Blackfoot, Idaho) 1918-1930, 1922-03-10
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Now, what Is the farmer asking7
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 certiflcation
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
Fourth: the Department of Agricul
ture should collect, tabulate, summa-
rize, and regularly and frequently pub
lish and distribute to the farmers. full
informa ion from all the markets of
the world, so that they shall " 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
soidated 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 business requires specialized
talent, 1t has to buy it. SO will the
farmers; and perhaps the best way for
them to get it would be to utilize some
Of the present machinery of the arg-
est established agencies dealing In
farm products. or course, II he wishes,
the farmer may go further and engage
in hour-milling and other manufactures
Of food products. In my opinion,
however, he would be wise to stop
short Of that. Public interest may be
opposed to all great integrations; but,
In justice, should they be forbidden to
the farmer and permitted to others?
The corporate form Of association can.
not now be wholly adapted to his oh.
jects and conditions. The looser CO.
operative form seems more generally
suitable. Therefore, he wishes to be
free, II he finds 1t desirable and feas
ible, to resort to cooperation with his
fellows and neighbors without run
ming afoul Of the law. To urge that
the farmers should have the same lib
erty to consolidate and coordinate
their peculiar economic functions
which other industries in their fields
enjoy, Is not, however, to concede that
any business integratlon should have
legislative sanction to exercise monop
olfstic power. The American people
are as firmly opposed to industrial as
to political autocracy. whether at
tempted by rural or by urban industry.
For lack of united effort the farmers
as whole are still marketing their
crops by Anticipated methods, or by no
methods at all, but they are surrounded
nv a business world that has been
modernized to the last minute and is
tirelessly striving for efficiency. This
efficiency Is due in large measure to
hig 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 modern OF
the moderns In the use of labor saving
machinery, and he has made vast
strides in recent years in scientific
tillage and efficient farm management
Int as business in contact with othel
businesses agriculture Is lone horse
shay" in competition with high power
automobiles. The American farmer |:
the greatest and most intractable O.
,ndlvidualists. While industrial pro
| duction and all phases of the huge com
mercial mechanism and its myriad &C
ressories have articulated and co-ordi
mated themselves all the way from nat
nral raw materials to retail sales, the
business of agriculture has gone on IL
much the one man fashion Of the back
woods of the first part Of the nine
teenth century. when the farmer wa,
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 a 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 sci
him acreage in Central Park or tn,
Chicago city hall The leaders of TIT
farmers thoroughly understand this
and they are intelligently striving t
iutegrate their industry so that it vii
he on an equal footing with other busl
nesSeS.
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