Shepherdstown register. [volume] (Shepherdstown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1849-1955, 1922-01-26
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Now, what Is the farmer askingf
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 eleya-
tors and warehouses.
Second: Weighing and grading Of
agricultural products, and certification
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). - eliminate underpay-
Ing, overcharEfng, 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
fish and distribsAs to the farmers, full
Information frem all the markets Of
the world, so that they shall be as well
Informed Of their selling position as
buyers now are Of their buying posi-
ton.
Fifth: freedom to integrate the busI-
ness Of agriculture by means Of con-
soIidated selling agencies, co-erdinat-
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, II has to buy It. 80 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. II he wishes,
the farmer may 70 further and engage
in lour-<nflhng end other manufactures
II feed 'psseesAs In my opinion,
however, he wvu1d be wise to stop
short Of that Public interest may be
opposed to aii great integratisas; but
In Justice, shsulA they be forbidden to
the farmer and permitted to othersf
The corporate form OF esssetatisn can.
net nsw Be wh>1y adapted to his OBJ
jects and conditions TIE Ioossr 60
operative form seems more generally
suitable. Therefore, he wishes TO Be
free, II he finds It desirable and feas-
ible, to resort 70 eo-operaLsn with his
fellows and letghbsrs, without run
ming afsul Of the law. Ts urge that
the farmers shsRld have the same rbu
eYty to esnsS1date and co-orAinata
their peculiar sconsnic functions,
which ether Industries IN their aeids
enjoy, II net, hswever. to csneede That
any bssiness iAIegratisA should have
Legislative sanction to exercise nsnop-
slistic power. The American people
are as firmly opposed to Industrial as
to political s1pscracy. whether at.
tempted by rural Or By urban Industry.
Fer lack Of united effort the farmers
as q whole are still marketing their
crops BY antiquafed methods, or by no
methods at all, bst they are surrounded
by q business world that has been
moderated to - last minute and u
tireiessly striving fer efficiency. This
efficiency II due In large measure to
big business, to united business, to in
tegrated business. The farmers now
seek the benefits Of such largeness, I'm.
lon and Indignation.
The American farmer Is a modern Of
the mOderns In the use Of labor saving
machinery, and he has made vast
strides in recent years In scientific
tilage and efficient farm management,
hut as business in contact with other
businesses agriculture Is a zone horse
shay" in competition with high power
automobiles. The American farmer Is
the greatest and most intractable Of
individualists. While Industrial pro-
duction and all phases of the huge COM
mercial mechanism and Its myriad ac-
cessories have articulated and co-ordi.
mated themselves all the way from nat
ural raw materials to retail sales, the
business Of agriculture has gone on In
much the one man fashion Of the back
woods OF the frst part Of the nine