The vidette. (Iuka, Tishomingo County, Miss.) 1912-1967, 1922-01-19

gpFl4 Sas aeIEs' Chs f3EHlI IL ERAI
tho agricultural group ~ almost ~
much at a disadvantage In dealing Win
other economic groups as the jay farH-
err 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 lntelligently striving To
integrate their industry so that II VIII
be on an equal footing with other bust
nesses.
As an example of migration. take
the steel Industry, in which the mede'
is the United States Steel Corporation.
with Its iron mines. its coal mines It's
lake and rail- transportation, lis ocean
vessels its hyproduct coke ovens us
blast furnaces. Its open hearlh anu
Bessemer furnaces. Its rolling mills. its
lube mills and other manufacturing
processes that are carried to the high
est degree Of finished production corr
patlhe with the large trade II mas
built up. All this, Is generally cohceo
ed to be TO the advantage OF the con
sumer. Nor d es the steel corporation
inconslderately dump It's products on
the market. On the contrary, IL SO
acts hat II Is frequently stabiliziue
lnlucns g, MS Is often the case with oth
or large organizations. II Is master %
its distribution as well as of its pro
ductlsn. II prices are not satisfactory
the products are held back or produc
ton Is reduced or suspended. 1t Is MOI
compelled 70 send years work 10 me
market at one time and take whatever
1t can get under such circumstances
It has one selling policy ana Its owl
export department Neither are the
grades aud qualities of steel determin
ed at the caprice of the buyer. nor does
the latter hold the scales In this sin
gle Indignation of the steel corporation
is represented about 40 per cent of the
steel production If America. The rest
Is mostly In the hands Of few large
companies. In ordinary times the
steel corporation, by example, stabilize
all steel prices II this is permissible
lit Is ever desirable, because stable
and fair prices are essential to solid
and continued prosperity why would
1t be wrong for the farmers to utilize
central agencies that would have siinl-
lar effects on agricultural products7
Something like that Is what they are
aiming at.
Some farmers favored by regional
compactness and contlgulty, such as the
citrus-f ruit-raisers of California, al
ready have found q way legally to
merge and sell their products inte-
orally and in accordance with seasonal
and local demand, thus Improving
their position and rendering the con-
sumer a reliable service Of ensured
quality, certain supply, and reasonable
and relatively steady prices. They
have not found 1t necessary to resort
to any special privilege, or to claim
any exemption under the antitrust
legislation Of the state or nation. With
out removing local control, they have
built up a very efficient marketing
agency. The grain, cotton, and to-
bacco farmers, and the producers of
hides and wool, because Of their num-
bers and the vastness of their regions,
and for other reasons, have found
Indignation more difficult task
though there are now some thousands
Of farmers cooperative elevators.
warehouses, creameries, and other en-
terprises of one sort and another, with
a turnover of billion -dollers year.
They are giving the farmers business
experience and training, and, so far
as they CO. they meet the need OF
honest weighing and fair grading; but
they do not meet the requirements Of
nationally adjusted marketing In any
large and fundamental way.
The next STEP which will be a pat.
tern for other groups, Is now being
prepared by the grain-raisers through
the establishment of sales media which
shall handle grain separately or col
lectively as the Individual farmer may
elect. 1t is this step-the plan Of the
Committee Of Seventeen-which has
created so much opposition and Is
thought by some to be in conflict with
now before congress measure de
signed TO clear up doubt on this ooint
the grain-producers are not relylr,; on
any immunity from antitrust legsla
ton. They desire. and they are en-
titled, to coordinate their efforts jusi
as effectively as the large business In
terests Of the country have done. In
connection with the selling organiza
tons the United States Grain Growers
Incorporated Is drafting scheme of
financing instrumentTites and auxili
airy agencies which are indispensable
to the successful utilization of modern
business methods.
should proceed gradually with these
plans, and aim to avoid the error OF
scrapping the existing marketing ma
chinery, which has been so laboriousl,
built up by long experience, befor,
they have tried and proved substi
tute or supplementary mechanism
They must be careful not to become
enmeshed In their own reforms and
lose the perspective Of their place In
the national system. They must guare
against fanatical devotion to new doc
trlnes, and should seek articulation
with the general economic system
rather than its reckless destruction as
1t relates to them
v
To take a tolerant and sympatheti,
view of the farmers strivings for bet
ter things Is not to give blanket
endorsement to any specific plan, and
~+s 70,