Atlanta tri-weekly journal. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1920-19??, 1922-12-14

WITH this issue The Tri-Weeky Journal in
w augurates, with a good deal of pride, a de-
partment called COOPERATIVE MAR
KETINC}. 1t will DEAL of course, solely with the
pooling of farm products. Speaking generally,
no set of people in American need coopera-
tive selling except the farmers.
The purpose of the department is two-fold
First. The Tri-Weelly Journal intends to pur-
vey to the thousands of southern agriculturists
the real news of what the associations, of which
they members, are doing.
Second it hopes by spreading the gospel Of
cooperative marketing to convert those who
now are not members to what will put them
on the road to prosperity
There is no doubt that the principles of CO.
operative marketing are sound, and when as
sociations are properly managed they will in
sure a fair price to the producers of every COM
modify So handled There is no dissent on any
side from the truth of this statement. On the
contrary leaders in every walk Of life who have
studied the subject agree that it is the one thing
most needed for every farm product.
The Tri-WeekIy Journal expects to give spe-
cial attention in this department to the CO.
operative marketing of cotton, the south's great
est crop, and the one in which the farmer has
suffered most from lack of a selling system
But while stressing cotton, it proposes to deal
fully with the pool selling of all other crops.
In Tuesdays issue of The Tri-Weekly Journal
appeared a striking interview with Judge Rob
ert w. Bingham, publisher Of the Louisville
Courier-Journal, which is fresh in the minds of
every reader of our paper and in which that dis
tingushed southerner prophesied that American
agriculture is destined to be revoutionized by CO.
operative marketing.
Judge Bingham is not man given to extraV-
agance of speech hastily considered action.
10 ted To he market
ing idea after panstaking investi ration and ma
ture deliberaton. His conviction that cO;opera-
tive marketing the only possible hope Of
salvation for the hurley tobacco growers of Ken
lucky has been abundantly indicated by their
experience in the short space of year.
In the summer of 1920 as he relates, Judge
Bingham on a trip to California was powerfully
impressed by the prosperity of California farm
IS. He saw paved roads, painted homes, lawns
and flowers, beautiful schools and churches,
automobiles, farms and orchards and vineyards
as beautiful as a dream. He found a social
atmosphere in the rural districts Of the state.
He found the University of California filled with
sons and daughters Of California farmers and
orchard owners.
Returning to Kentucky, he the hurley
tobacco growers completely impoverished by the
price at which they dumped their 1920 crop on
the market in January, 1921. They did not get
Instead of returning home with money to pay
their debts, to improve their farms and homes,
and to buy Christmas gifts for their hard-work-
ing wives and children, whose labor had mingled
with mems labor to produce this crop the bank
rupt farmers went home loaded with a crushing
burden of debt, broken financially and broken
spirit.
Net four months later the same tobacco these
farmers had sold for 0ne-half cent pound to
middle men who stored it was@eson by those
middle men for eighteen cen "a pound. AS
Judge Bingham points out Wa9zse middle men
were "skimming the cream Of the wealth pro-
duced by the labor of these Woodworking,
poyerty -striclien men and women and children"
Something must be done to relieve this situa-
ton, or else great agricultural industry would
die and dry up on the stem, thousands of farm
ers would desert their lands, and towns and
cities would be faced with financial ruin. All
for what reason? Because the farmers were
dumping their tobacco; middle men were fatten-
ing on their labor tobacco manufacturer was
getting advantage from the middle mems opera
tons; and users of tobacco paying as much
as if the grower had been we'll paid.