Graham guardian., 1922-02-03
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Now, what Is the farmer askingi
Without trying To catalogue th, re
medal measures that have been sug
gested in his behalf, the principal pro
posals that hear directly on the i'm.
provement Of his distributing and mar.
ketlng relations may he summarized AZ
follows -
First: sAorage 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 capl
tai must furnish these facilities, or the
state must erect and ewn the eleva
tors and warehouses.
Second: weighing Rnd grading OF
agricultural products, and certificatlon
thereof, to be done by Impartial anG
dlsnterested public-inspectors (thls |,
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.
Thlrd: certainty If credit sufficient
to enable the marketing Of products
In an orderly manner.
Fourth: the Department Of Agrlcul
ture should collect, tabuiate. summa
rlze, and regularly and frequently pub.
llsh anG distribute to the farmers, full
information from all the markets OF
the world. so that they shall he rs well
informed OF their selling position as
buyers now are Of their buying posi-
tion.
Fifth: freedom TO integrate the bust
ness OF agriculture by means of con.
solldated selling agencies. co-ordlnat.
ing and co-operatinc; In such way as tc
put the farmer on an equal footing
with the large buyers of his products
and with commercial relations in other
Industries.
When n business requires specialized
talent. II has to huy It. So will the
farmers land perhaps the best way foi
them to get II would he to utilize some
of the present machinery OF the larg.
est established agencies dealing In
farm products. or course. II he wishes
the farmer may 20 further and engage
In Hour-mllling and other manufactures
Of food products. In my opinion
however, he would be. wise TO stor
short of that. Public interest may he
opposed to all great integratlons; but
In Justice, should they he forbidden tC
the farmer and permitted to others
The corporate form If association can
not now be wholly adapted to his oh
jects and conditions. The lOoser co
operative form seems more generally
suitable. Therefore, he wishes to he
free, it he finds 1t desirable and feas
ible, to resort TO cooperation with his
fellows and neighbors, without run
Ming afoul Of the law, To urge that
the farmers should have the same lih
erty to consolidate and coordinate
which other industries In their fields
enjoy, is not, however to concede that
any business integration should have
legislative sanction To exercise monop
olistlc power. The American peoplt
are as firmly opposed to industrial a.
to political autOcracy, whether at
tempted by rural or by urban industry
For lack VI united effort the farmers
as a whole are still marketing thGl
crops by antlquated methods, or by liz
methods at all, but they are surrounded
b. a business world that has been
mOderni2ed TO the last minute and Il
tirelessly striving FOR efficiency. Til:
efficiency Is due In large measure tC
big business, TO united business, to IN
tegrated business. The farmers now
seek the benefits Of such largeness, un
Ion and integration.
The American farmer is modern OF
the moderns In the use Of labor saving
machinery, and he has made vast
strides In recent years In scientific
tillage and efficient farm management
but as business In contact with other
businesses agriculture Is a "one horse
shay" In competition with high power
automobiles. The American farmer 10
the greatest and most intractable Of
lndividualists, while Industrial pro
duction and all phases Of the huge com,
merclal mechanism and Its myriad &C.
cessories have artlculated and co-ordl
mated themselves all the way from nat
ural raw materials TO retail sales, the
business OF agriculture has gone on In
much the one man fashion Of the back.
woods Of the hrst part 81 the nine
teenth century, when the farmer was
self sufficient and did not depend upon,
or care very much, what the great
world was doing. The result IL that
tho agricultural group Is almost ~
much At disadvantage In dealing with
other economic groups as the jay farm
er Of the funny pages In the hands OF
sleek urban confidence men, who sell
him acreage In Central Park or the
Chicago city hall. The leaders OF the
farmers thoroughly understand this,
and they are lntelllgently striving to
lntegrate their industry 30 that II will
be on an equal footing with other busi.
nesses.