The daily banner. (Cambridge, Md.) 1897-2008, 1922-03-22
Chamber OF Commerce
And Agriculture

. The Chamber of Commerce since
its organization has believed that lIs
success depends very largely upon
the kind and the amount OF coop
Grafton which it can expect TO re-
ceiye from the farmers, and We have
tried to agitate and promote policies
| which would bring about this closer
! cooperation.
! With this idea in mind the Secre-
J tary OF Agriculture Henry c. Wallace
has written an article, explaining
frs why he believes in chambers OF
, commerce, and second how the cham
| Der OF commerce can help the farm
| er. The following are his remarks
| which we feel will prove Interesting
/ not only to the farming interest, Dut
! to the citizens of this communlty:-
LIE me preface what may seem TO
! chamber OF commerce executives 10
be gratuitous advice, by saying that
| believe l understand both the mod
ern chamber OF commerce and the
modern farmer, and having been ask
ed by Community Leadership to ex-
press myself freely,I have ayalled
myself fully Of that privilege.
l am a member of the Chamber OF
Commerce of Desmoines. My rea-
sons for joining were mainly three
because OF my desire to aid in the
development OF my home city ana IN
promoting the prosperity and wei
fare of it's citizens; because l real
lied that one of the most effective
ways of accomplishing this purpose
was through an organization OF pup
lie spirited business men; and De-
cause l desire to benefit from per-
sonal contact mountaineering, ana
interchange of ideas with the busl-
ness men of my city. AS to the
modern farmer, my official position
brings me into fairly close touch with
his problems.
The thing of first Importance that
should be undertaken by the cham
bers OF commerce of America. prob
ably the most important service they
can render this country, is to set
about systematically acquainting
themselves and city people generally
with the intimate and reciprocal re-
lation which necessarily exists be-
tween agriculture as an industry ana
all other Industries.
Obviously, anything which materl-
ally affects this great industry and
this large proportion of our wealth
creating population favorably or ad-
versely Is bound to have a profound
in fiuence on the business prosperity
and welfare OF the entire country.
From the beginning Of the Euro
pean war prices Of farm products
rose steadily and most farmers pros
pered. Prices of all other commod-
tiles and wages of labor followed
closely and other industries and lines
of business prospered corresponding
". Within six or eight months af-
ter the armistice farm prices broke
and have continued to decline stead
lily until with few exceptions they
fell below cost of production, and for
many crops below the pre-war aver
age. The acute financial distress OF
farmers and their families. about 40
millions of them and their greatly
reduced purchasing power. PERHAPS
more than anything else, is at the
bottom Of the widespread business
depression and unemployment from
which the entire country has suf-
fered.
What is true now with respect to
the intimate relation between agri-
culture and industry will be true for
all time to come, but to a greater de-
gree as the pressure of population
upon the limited area Of ttllable land
increases. The period of exploita-
ton Of easily accessible, fertile. Vir-