The Union daily times. [volume] (Union, S.C.) 1918-current, 1922-02-14
What The Farmers
Accomplished

One impatient farmer at the Pres
ident's agricultural conference is re-
ported to have described the meeting
as an affair of shaking hands and
eating ice cream; but while its re-
suits may not be immediate, it seems
to be generally felt that the benefits
of the gathering will at least last
longer than the ice cream. The very
fact that the conference was called is
matter Of encouragement to the
farmer, the Houston Chronicle (Dem.)
believes, for "it indicates that the
public servants in high places have
at least awakened to realization that
the time has come to give attention
to the interests Of the farmer.
One Of he interesting developments
of the conference, the Asbury Park
Press {Ind.) says, "has been the dis
covery that farming is a business
much like anything else," and that the
delegates, instead Of being the farm
ers of the comic section" were bus
mess men with cost sheets and sta
tistics at their fingers ends" And
moreover they were given an oppor-
tunity to show that they understood
the economies Of the situation as
clearly as any man in Washington or
any other man in Wall Street" and
ito tell what they know" the Pitts
burg Leader prog. Rep.) observes.
The Newark (Ind.) rejoices that the
conference demonstrated that "the
farmer is doing his own thinking" for
when half the population takes to
thinking for itself instead of having
formulas worked out for it by those
at the top Of political organizations,
there is much hopeful leaven in the
political loaf"
Agricultural interests in the gath
ering formulated and presented "a
program for the consideration Of the
administration and Of Congress" the
st. Louis Globe Democrat (Rep.) re-
ports which, according to the Burling-
ton Free Press (Ind. Rep) "can be
summed up as aiming at three things:
credits, marketing and cooperation"
1t was felt for while after the dele
gates got into action that a radical
element with rather fiery tendencies
was in control, but, as the Portland
Oregonian Ind. Rep.) poitns out, "the
most radical proposal" made was that
calling for government guarantee Of
minimum prices, and in that matter
the conference went not further "than
TO ask for a careful investigation.
The idea Of the guarantee proposal,
as the Raleigh News and Observer
Dem.) explains it, twas to tax all
the people TO give the farmers the
same profits guaranteed to railroads,
but "the wiser and better view pre-
vailed" and instead of claiming the
same privilege the delegates demand
ed the repeal of the guaranty policy"
as applied to railroads. The Spokane
Spokesman Review lind. Rep.) also
commends the sound Judgment Of the
conference In rejecting this proposal
for ats adoption would have any of
its conclusions" But while repudiat-
ing price fixing as a policy the farm
ers Showed an even more childlike
faith in the power Of the government"
the New York Post (Ind.) thinks, "by
demanding that congress and the
President take steps which shall i'm
mediately reestablish a fair exchange
value for all farm products" How
ever. "any plan for accomplishing
this the Canton (O.) News Und.)
suggests, would be merely legislation
"that would permit the formation Of
pools among growers of cotton, grain
and other agricultural products, the
purpose Of which would be the mar
keting Of these products in way that
would secure an average for certain
products"
Indeed "this group Of farmers gath
a,.ol f~na. Akn fz,,- z..- r. ~