Mountain advocate., 1922-04-07
Nv


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 capi-
tai must furnish these facilities. or the
state must erect and own the eleva
tors and warehouses.
Second: weighing and grading Of
agricultural products, and certifcatlon
thereof, to be done by impartial and
dlsinterested public inspectors (this Is
already accomplished to some extent
by the federal licensing of welghers
and graders), to eliminate underpay-
Ing, overcharging, 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 Agrlcul-
ture should collect, tabulate, summa-
riZe. and regularly and frequently pub
llsh anC distribute to the farmers. full
Information from all the markets OF
the world. so that they shall he as well
Informed Of their selling position as
buyers now are of their buying POSI-
tlon.
Fifth: freedom to lntegrate the bust.
ness Of agriculture by means of con
solldated selling agencies, co-ordinat-
ing prd 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 a business requires specialized
talent, 1t has TO buy 1t. 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 furthersand engage
In flour-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 lntegrations; but,
in justice. should they be forbidden to
the farmer and permitted to others?
The corporate form Of association cap.
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, I,
ible, to resort 10 cooperation with his |
fellows and neighbors without run
ming afOul of the law. To urge that |
the farmers should have the same lib.
erty 10 consolidate and coordinate |
their peculiar economic functions, /
which other industries in their fields |
enjoy, is not, however, to cOncede that |
any business integration should have |
legislative sanction to exercise monOp- |
Olstlc 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 anilquated 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
tegrated business. The farmers now
seek the senehts Of such largeness, un.
ion and lntegrauon.
The American farmer Is a modern OF
the moderns IN the use Of labor saving
and he has made vast
strides In recent years In SCIENTIFIC
tillage and efficient farm management
but as n business In contact with other
businesses agriculture Is a zone horse
-hnv" In pOmDetitiOn with hi0h no,var