The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1922-01-25
Cooperative ,
MARKETING IS
FARMERS PLAN
Harding Backs Farley in Drive
To Eliminate Legal Intsrfsr-
ence With Organizations.
BY WARREN w. WHEATON.
International News Service.

| Backed by publicity expressed sup
port from President Harding. farmers
Of the country here today at the Ma
t.onal Agricultural Conference. launch
ed a vigorous drive for the right to
act collectively In cooperative market
ing of their products.
They challenged the legality Of either
Federal or State governments to deny
them organization. and hurled warn
Ing to the nation that interference In
the fulfillment of their plan will result
in endless conflict and confusion"
Through G. Harold Powell. OF Los
Angeles, general manager of the Call.
fornia Fruit Growers Exchange, and
other speakers from all sections OF the
United States, the farmer delegates
initiated concerted demand that the
| legislative bodies OF the country give
them legal power to organize.
Delegates openly declared their de.
mand IL not inconsistent with pro.
visions Of the antitrust act. They
promised to press the conference TO
| go on record as favor. ing a nationwide
cooperative marketing scheme.
Right to Organize.
Farmers should have the legal
right to organize and to act collect
lively, to form purchasing. warehous-
ing, and distributing agencies, and to
acquire and disseminate information
for the orderly purchasing. distribut.
ing, and marketing of their products"
Powell told the conference.
whether II shall be formed with
or without capital stock. whether II
shall have equal or unequal voting
power Of members or whether II shnn
pay interest or dividends on capital.
should not be written into the State
or national statutes as q test of its
legality" he added.
| There can be no quarrel between
| farmers and the Independent distri.
butor. William L. Wagner. Of Chicago.
told the conference.
Marketing of cotton and grain and
cooperative sales OF cotton was dis
cussed. Carl Williams, of Oklahoma,
president of the American Cotton
Growing Exchange, asserted cooper.
alive marketing is gaining nation.
wide support, and has progressed
most in the cotton belt.
Cotton came in for further discus
sion by Governor John M. Parker Of
Louisiana, who urged that immed-
I
insect menace which, he declared,
has become so serious as to threaten
curtailment OF the crop.
Grain marketing and the promo
ton OF grain business by the Chi.
cago Board of Trade. was spoken Of
by Robert McDougal, president Of
the board.
j. M. Anderson Speaks.
| J. NJ. Anderson, of st. Paul, Mimi,
president Of the Equity Cooperative
Exchange. addressed the conferences
on the need Of open markets. Ter.
minal markets. he declared, should
be put under effective Government
Regulation and States should require
la fidelity bond for grain commission
merchants. Proper financing Of for.
eign countries SO that they may buy
i American agricultural products would
60 a long way in alternating present
conditions, Anderson said.
THE Government should be petit.
toned to extend one or two billion
dollars to foreign countries for that
purpose in the interest Of our gen.
eral welfare. not as a favor to farm.
ers." he said.