Essex County herald. [volume] (Guildhall, Vt.) 1873-1964, 1922-01-26
Some Aspects of the
Farmers Problems
CONTINUED from last week.
I Y

"
Now, what IL the farmer asking7
Without trying to catalogue tho re-
medal measures that have been sug-
gested In his behalf, the principal pro-
posals that bear directly on the i'm
prorement 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 eleva-
tors ard warehouses.
Second weighing and grading Of
agricultural products, and certidcation
thereof, to be done by impartial and
dislnterested public inspectors (this Is
already accomplished to some extent
by the federal licensing of weiglers
and grude&s), to eliminate un6prUag-
ing, o~erchnrGiGg. and unfair gnHG'na.
stored products as tha basis If credit.
YA+gd Il certainty of credit sufficient
to enable the marketing Of pvoaHcts
In au orderly manner
Fourth: the Department Of Agricul-
ture should collect, tabdlate summn-
riHe, and regularly and frequently pub
lish auG distribute to the farmers, full
i,,F tif,,, ,,Ir .
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 busl-
ness Of agriculture by means Of con-
sohdated 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. 1t 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 Ia
farm products. OF course, if he wishes,
the farmer may go further and engage
In four-mllllng 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; but,
in justice, should they be forbidden to
the farmer and permitted to others?
The corporate form Of association can
not DOW be wholly adapted to his OBJ
tecfs and conditions. The l0oser CO.
operative form seems more generally
suit0ble. Therefore, he wishes to be
free, IL be finds It desirable and feas-
fble, 20 resort to cooperation with bis
GslloWa and neighboCs, without run
Riag afeId OF the Law. To urge that
the fsFpaee Should bare the sane lib
ertF to eaRsalldate and Coordinate
their peculiar economic functions,
which either industries In thsir fields
enjoy, Is not, however, to cGncsde that
any brsness tntegration should have
Legislative sanction ca eEerodse u0nop-
ollstie Pggar Rlia AmaidGan people
arc as firmly opposed to industrial as
to political autoeRncy, wflather at
tenptsd by rural or by urban industry.
For hack Of united effort the farmers
Us q whole are still marieSting their
crops by afrf1qHated methsds, or by no
methods at oil, but they are surrounded
| by a business world that has been
iuudeFnizea to the last minute and IL
tireiessty striving for efficiency. This
efficiency ts due In large measure to
big business, 10 united business, to Ln-
terrated business. The farmers now
seek the benefits of such largensss, un-
ron end fntegraffon.
The American farmer La q modern Of
tina uodeyne IN Che use OF labor saving
nnaeniuerN, ard he has made vast
s1ytdes to recent years 10 eeentit1s
dnaSs &p6 efficient farm management,
I but q q ttSfDsss In e0pts<e sfl.h other
bue1Sad,ae SsassDlkuss b %sua Ssxss
AssH Il es1psiftsds vSM ~ Ss~ts
kStasalSnsh ~ ADe1ssa 6vrsHss b
~ fsss1jes Aps nstdA isaxsssbblS ID
tpd) <aSD6i1sts. EhIk tnAss~fsa pfs-
0pSStna mls m phases Of ~ bog eefn-
fySpsssf ibAShanastn and II afs4s.A IA
nNsy H1SS KlgISMAsGs ~ ~p4H0
tsaisA Gssslves nh The w &saA os1
spal ~ MATERIALS 10 1csa1 eeieA a.
hpAnss - agriculture has ss1s - n
.nnsh In she han Fashion d ~ bach.
rpe6s Or The flss part of d. sfxsr
lsenfb stnfuAs. when the jsrn~ was
self eunefcnt and did net Depend upon,
i or, care very much, whAt the great
world was doing. The result IL that
the agricultural group Is slnnost al
much ut disadvantage IN dealing with
other economic groups as tho jay farm
er Of the funny pages In the hands OF
sleek urban confidence men, who gel
him acreage IN Central Park or the
Chicago city hall. Tho LEADERS, of the
farmers thoroughly understand this
and they are intelhgentiy striving To
intsgrats their industry 20 that Il viii!
DO on ~ equal footing with other buA
raseSk
A. N axampas Of Indignation, TAXI
tbs steet Industry, In which the modes
| IN fka nMffnd QfaSes StAaI CDrDOrp n on