The Nezperce herald. (Nezperce, Idaho) 1900-1957, 1922-02-02

buyers now are of their buying posi-
ton.
Fifth: freedom to integrate the bust
ness of agriculture by means of con-
solidated 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, it 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 larg-
est established agencies dealing In
farm products OF course, if he wishes,
the farmer may go further and engage
in fiour-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 lntegrations; 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 OBJ
jects and conditions The looser CO.
operative form seems more generally
suitable Therefore, he wishes to be
free, If he finds it 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 Indignation should have
legislative sanction to exercise monop-
olistic 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 a whole are still marketing their |
crops by antiquated methods, or by no
methods at all, but they are surrounded |
by a business world that has been
to the last minute and is
tirelessly striving for efficiency. This
is due in large measure to
big business, to united business, to In
business The farmers now
seek the benefits of such largeness, I'M
on and indignation.
The American farmer Is modern Of
he moderns In the use of labor saving
and he has made vast
strides in recent years in scientific
illage and efficient farm management,
nut as a business in contact with other
businesses agriculture Is zone horse
hay' in competition with high power
automobiles. The American farmer is
he greatest and most intractable of
While Industrial pro
luction and all phases Of the huge com
nercial mechanism and It's myriad ac-
essories have articulated and co-ordi-
lated themselves all the way from nat |
ral raw materials to retail sales, the j
BUSINESS Of agriculture has gone on in
much the one man fashion of the back !
woods of the first part Of the nine
zenith century, when the farmer was
elf sufficient and did not depend upon,
r care very much, what the great
orld was doing. The result is that
lie agricultural group is almost as
uch at disadvantage in dealing with {
Their economic groups as the jay farm {
: of the funny pages in the hands Of |
eek urban confidence men, who sell {
i'm acreage in Central Park or the
hicago city hail. The leaders of the =
Irmers thoroughly understand this,
nd they are intelligently striving to
tegrate their industry so that it will
: on an equal footing with other bush
esses. C
AS an example of indignation, take S
lie steel industry, in which the model r
the United States Steel Corporation,
18th its iron mines, its coal mines, its
Ike and rail transportation, Its ocean
,ssels, its by-product coke ovens, its :
furnaces, it's rolling mills, its >
be mills and other manufacturing D
'ocesses that are carried to the high
It degree of finished production COM IT
ltible with the large trade it has
tilt up. ALI this is generally conced- n
to be to the advantage of the con-
mer. Nor does the steel corporation
COuoiuSIdltly Jump It's pIOuutlo Oh
e market. On the contrary, it so y
It's that it is frequently stabilizing
fuence, as Is often the case with 9th al
large organizations 1t is master of til
J distribution as we'll as of It's pro- h.
lction. If prices are not satisfactory
e products are held back or produc- =
IN Is reduced or suspended. 1t is not =
mpelled to send years work to the
lrket at one time and take whatever
can get under such circumstances. tn
has one selling policy and Its own ce
port department. Neither are the re
AIDES and qualities of steel determin-
at the caprice Of the buyer, nor does
e latter hold the scales. In this sin
= Indignation of the steel corporation
represented about 40 per cent of the
eel production Of America. The rest Its
mostly in the hands Of few large he
mpanies In ordinary times the wi
eel corporation, by example, stabilizes wi
steel prices. If this is permissible an
Is even desirable, because stable ;al
d fair prices are essential to solid %.
d continued prosperity why would -
be wrong for the farmers to utilize "a
1tral agencies that would have SINH an
i Il