The Glenwood post., 1922-01-19
III

Now that the farmers are stirring.
thinking, and uniting as never before
to eradicate these inequalities, they
are subjected to stern economic lee
lures. and are met with the accusation
that they are demanding, and are the
recipients Of. special privileges. Let
us see what privileges the government
has conferred on the farmers Much
has been made of Section 6 of the
Clayton Antitrust Act, which pur-
ported to permit them to combine with
immunity, under certain conditions.
Admitting that nomlnally. this eS-
emption was in the nature Off special
privilege, though think 1t was so In
appearance rather than in iact.-we
find that the courts have nullified 1t
by judicial Interpretation. Why should
not the farmers be permitted to ac-
complish by cooperative meth IDS what
other businesses are already doing by
cooperation in the form of incorpora
ton? II it be proper for men to form,
by fusion of existing corporations or
otherwise. Ia corporation that controls
the entire production Of commodity,
or large part Of It, why Is 1t not
proper for group of farmers to unite
for the marketing OF their common
products. either In one or In several
selling agencies? Why should 1t be
right for Il hundred thousand corporate
shareholders to direct 25 or 30 or 40
percent Of an industry, and wrong for
hundred thousand cooperative
farmers to control Il no larger proper
tioa Of the wheat crop, or cotton. or
any other product7
The Department Of Agriculture Is
often spoken of as special concession
to the farmers, but In its commercial
results, 1t is Of as much benefit to the
buyers and consumers of agricultural
products as to the producers. or even
more. do not suppose that anyone
opposes the benefits that the farmers
derive from the educational and re-
search work of the department, or the
help that 1t gives them In working out
improved cultural methods and prac
tices. I'm developing better yielding va
rietIes through breeding and selection.
in Introducing new varieties from re-
mote parts Of the world and adapting
them to our climate and economic con-
ditlon. and in devising practical meas
ures for the elimination or control of
dangerous and destructive animal and
plant diseases, insect pests, and the
like. All these things manifestly tend
to stimulate and enlarge production,
and their general beneficial effects are
obvious
It Is complained that, whereas the
law restricts Federal Reserve banks
to three months time for commercial
paper. the farmer is allowed six
months on his notes. This Is not
special privilege, but merely such q
recognition Of business conditions as
makes 1t possible for country banks
to do business with country people.
The crop farmer has only one turn
over year, while the merchant and
manufacturer have many. Incidental
", note that the Federal Reserve
Board has Just authorized the Fed
eral Reserve banks to discount export
paper for period Of six months, to
conform to the nature Of the bust
ness. saN - sts oft ~ tr-tt ,..
Tie Farm Loan banks are pointed
to as an instance Of special govern
ment favor for farmers. . Are they not
rather, the. outcome Of .laudable efforts
., to equallxe rural and urban condi-
tionsf And about alitths government
%,s:.4ss'ss aSs s;e:I|sa9S S:R A. "a % z "S
itth9tdl1SMbIk taStsARMi Hveseuay
thu farmers will provide all the capl-
tai and carry all the liabilities them