The Meridian times. (Meridian, Idaho) 1909-1938, 1922-02-10

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Now, what Is the farmer asking?
without trying to catalogue the re.
medal measures that have been sng-
gested In his behalf, the principal pro-
posals that bear directly on the Inn
proyement Of his distributing and mar.
keting relations may be summarized ais
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
fal must fnrnlsh these facilities, or the
state must erect and own the eleva.
tors and warehouses.
Second: weighing and grading Of
agricultural products, and cerrification
thereof. to be done by impartial and
disinterested public inspectors (this ls
already accomplished to some extent
by the federal licensing Of weighers
and graders), to eliminate underpay
ing, overclarging, aud unfair grading.
and to facilitate the utilization Of the
stored products ms 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 tabuate, summa.
rlze, and regularly and frequently pub
fish anG distribute to the farmers. full
Information from 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-
tion.
Fifth: freedom to integrate the bust
ness of agriculture by means Of con.
solidated selling agencies, co-ordlnat-
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 90 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 integrations; hut,
in justice, should they be forbidden to
the farmer aud permitted to others?
The corporate form Of association can
not now be wholly adapted to his OBJ
iects and conditions. The looser co,
operative form seems more generally
suitable. Therefore, he wishes to be
free, il Re 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, te concede that
any business indignation should have
legislative sanction to exercise monap
oIistic 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 ths farmers
as whole are still marketing their
crops by Anticipated methods, or by no
methods at all, but they are surrounded
by a business world that has been
modernized to the last minute and Is
tfrelessly striving for efficiency. This
efficiency Is 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
y ion 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
tiJlage and efficient farm management,
bur as a business in contact with other
businesses agriculture is zone horse
shay in competition with high power
automobiles. The American farmer is
the greatest and most intractable OF
indIyidualists While industrial pro
duction and all phases OF the huge com.
mercial mechanism and Its myriad &C
cessories have articulated and co-0rdi-
mated themselves all the way from nat.
ural raw materials 10 retail sales, tine
business Of agriculture has gone on in
much the one man fashion OF the back
woods of the first part Of the nine.
tenth century, when the farmer was
I self sufficient and did not depend upon,
or care very much. what the great
world was doing. The result is that
the agricultural group Is almost az
much at disadvantage In dealing Win
other economic groups as the Jay farm.
er Of the funny pages In the hands Of
sleek urban confidence men. who sell
him acreage in Central Park or the
Chicago city hall. The leaders OF the
farmers thoroughly understand TINS
and they are inteIligently striving g
integrate their industry SO that u VIII
be on an equal footing with other busi
IleSseS