Montpelier examiner. [volume] (Montpelier, Idaho) 1895-1937, 1922-01-26
+ w

Now, what is the farmer asking3
without trying to catalogue thu re.
medal measures that have been sng
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 CAPT
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 certification
thereof, to be done by impartial and
dlsinterested public inspectors (this Is
already accomplished to some extent
by the federal licensing Of weighers
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 AgrIcul
| ture should collect, tabulate, summa-
rize, and regularly and frequently pub
fish and 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 lntegrate the bust
ness of agriculture by means of con
solidated selling agencies, co-ordinat-
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 a business requires specialized
talent, 1t has to buy 1t. So will the
farmers; and perhaps the best way fol
them to get It would be to utilize some
of the present machinery of the larg
est established agencies dealing Ii
farm products OF course, II he wishes
the farmer may go further and engage
In fiour-milling and other manufacture.
Of food products In my opinion
however. he would be wise to stoy
short of that. Public interest may b.
opposed TO all great integrations but
In justice, should they be forbidden t,
the farmer and permitted to others
The corporate form of association can
not now be wholly adapted to his OBJ
jeets and conditions. The looser co
operative form seems more general,
suitable. Therefore, he wishes to b
free, IL he finds It desirable and feas
ible, to resort to cooperation with hi
fellows and neighbors, without run
ming afoul OF the law. To urge tina
the farmers should have the same lit
erty to consolidate and co-ordinat
their peculiar economic functions
which other industries in their field
enjoy, Is not, however, to concede tina
j any business Indignation should hav
! legislative sanction to exercise mOnoT
olistic power. The American peopl
are as firmly opposed TO Industrial a
+ to political autocracy, whether al
tempted by rural or by urban industr,
!. as a whole are still marketing thel
crops by Anticipated methods, or by n
d methods at all, but they are surrounde
| by a business world that has bee
il modernized to the last minute and
S tirelessly striving for efficiency. ThI
b efficiency is due In large measure |
i big business, to united business, to Ii
e tegrated business. The farmers no,
seek the benefits of such largeness, III
ion and Indignation.
], The American farmer Is modern
s the moderns in the use of labor savin
e machinery, and he has made va.
e strides In recent years In scientif
! .tillage and efficient farm management
e but as a business In contact with otht
i businesses agriculture Is a "one hors
o shay In competition with high powt
automobiles. The American farmer
il the greatest and most intractable
c. lndividuallsts. While Industrial Or
i duction and all phases OF the huge cor
y mercial mechanism and It's myriad a
) eessorles have articuiated and eo-ord
c mated themselves ali the way from ma
e ural raw materials to retail sales, Il
e business OF agriculture has gone on
II much the one man fashion Of the bac
d woods OF the frst part OF the min
j teenth century. whan the farmer vi