The Red Cloud chief., 1922-02-09
Aspects of the
Farmers Problems
BY N M. BARUCH
(Reprinted from Atlantic Monthly
(Reprinted from Atlantic Monthly
Continued from last wcclO
BY BERNARD M. BARUCH


or care very much. what the great
world was doing. The result Is that
tho agricultural group Is almost MS
much ut a disadvantage In dealing with
other economic groups as the jay farm.
er OF the funny pages - the hands OF
sleek urban confidence men. who sell
him acreage In Central Park OF the
Chicago city hall. The leaders OF the
farmers thoroughly understand this,
and they are intelllgently striving to
integrate their industry so that IL VIII
be On an equal footing with other busl
nesses.
AS an example Of Indignation, take
the steel industry, In which the model
is the United States steel Corporation,
with It's Iron mines, It's coal mines, It's
lake and rail transportation. Its ocean
vessels, It's by-product coke ovens, Its
blast furnaces, It's open hearth and
Bessemer furnaces, its rolling mills, Its
tube mills and other manufacturing
processes that are carried to the high
est degree OF finished production com
putlblc with the large trade 1t has
built up, All this Is generally Conrcd
ed Ia be 70 the advantage of the con
slmcr Nor does the steel corporation
inconsiderately dump It's products on
the market. ca thc contrary, it so
acts that Il Is frequently q slabi'iaing
influence. rs Is often the case with 9th
er large organizations. II Is master OF
its distribution as well as OF It's pro
dlctiun. If prices are not satisfactory
tie products are held back or prOduc
zion is reduced or suspended II Is not
compelled to send a years work to the
market at one time ana take whatever
i can get under such circumstances
1t has one selling policy and It's own
export department. Neither are the
grades ana qualities Of steel dCtcrmln
Ell at the caprice Gf the buyer, nor does
the latter hold the scales. In this sin
gie intcssutioRo the steel corporation
Is represented about 30 per cent Of the
steel production Of America. The rest
IL mostly ia the hands of a few large
companies. In ordinary times the
steel corporation, by example, stubilizcs
all steel prices II this Is permissible
az Is even desirable, because stable
nnd falr prices are essential 10 solid
md continued prosperity why would
II be wrong FOR the farmers to utilize
central agencies that would have siInl
ior effects on agricultural productsi
Sometime like that Is what they are
aiming NJ.
Some farmers favored 10y regional
cpmpuctless and c~ont.gulty. such MS the
citrus. fruit-r0l-ers OF California. al.
ready fg ya f9upd "a way legally to.
merEe t-Eat, uIeir products int.
grady -l1I n lccurdpucc with seasonal
and Focal demand. thus Improving
theiH .u0s.lion and rendering the con
sumner q rcIlab,, service col, ensured
quality. c.ttaln supply, aud reasonable
and relatively Slcaly prices. They
have not FOUND Il necessary % resort
70 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. aud to.
bacco farmers, and The producers "
hides lnd wool, because OF their nun.
bprs and the v~astness Of their regions.
and for other reasons, have found
utegra,iOn u more dinicult task /;
'hough there are now some thousands
X farmers cooperative elevators,
warehouses, creamerlcs, aud other en-
,erprlses ~ one sort and another. with
u turnover Of a billion dollers n year.
They are giving the farmers business
experience and training, and, so far
as they 80, they meet the need of
honest weighing and fair grading: but
they do net meet the requirements Of
nationally adjusted marketing In any
large and fundamental way.
The next step, which will be o pat.
fern f6f tther groups. IS now being
prepared by the grain-ralsers through
The establishment ol sales media which
shall handle grain separately Or col
l%ectiyely, as the Individual farmer may
elect. II IS this Step-the plan of,the
ComInlttee Of Scycntcen-whlch has
created SO much opposition and Is
thought by some TO be in conflict with
The antitrust laws. Though there Is
now before congress a measure de-
signed to clear up doubt on this point,
the graln-producers are not relying on
any immunity from antitrust leglsla.
ton. They desire, and they are en-.
titled, to coordinate their efforts Just
as effectively as the large business In.
teres.s Of tie country have done. In
connection with the selling organiza-
tlons the United States Grain Growers
incorporated Is drafting a scheme Of
financing lnstrumentalItles and auxlll.
airy agencies which are Indispensable
TO the successful utilization Of modern
business methods.
It Is essential that the farmers
should proceed gradually with these
plans, and aim TO avoid the error Of
scrapping the existing marketing ma.
chinery, which has been 80 lab0riously
built up by long experience, before
they have n tried and proved substi-
tute or supplementary mechanism.
They must be careful not TO become
enmeshed In their W reforms and
lose the perspective OF their place In
the national system. They must guard
against fanatical devotion to new doe.