The Ordway new era., 1922-01-20


American industries. The cities are
but the branches of the tree of ma
tional life. the roots OF which go deep
ly into the land.| We all flourish or
decline with the farmer So, when we
of the cities read Of the present uni.
yersaI distress OF the farmers, of
slump OF six billion dollars in the farm
value OF their crops in single year.
control over the time and conditions
OF marketing his products. with the
result that he Is often underpaid for
his products and usually overcharged
for marketing service. The differ
ence between what the farmer re-
ceives and what the consumer pays
often exceeds all possibility Of justi-
fication. To cite a single Illustration.
Last year, according to figures attest
ed by the railways and the growers.
Georgia watermelon-raisers received
on the average rs cents for q melon,
ing 1t to Baltimore and the consumer
paid one dollar, leaving 708 cents for
the service of marketing and its risks,
as against 20.2 cents for growing and
transporting. The hard annals of
farm-life are replete with such COM
mentaries on the crudeness Of pres
ent practices.
Nature prescribes that the farmers
goods must be finished within two
or three months of the year, while
financial and storage Limitations gen.
orally compel him to sell them at the
same time. AS rule, other Industries
are in continuous process of finish
ing goods for the markets; they dis
tribute as they produce. and they can
curtail production without too great
injury to themselves or the commu-
nifty; but II the farmer restricts his
output, 1t is with disastrous cOnse
auences, both to himself and to the
community.
The average farmer is busy with
production for the major part of the
year, and has nothing to sell. The
bulk of his output comes on the mar
ket at once. Because Of lack of stor-
age facilities and of financial support,
the farmer cannot carry his goods
through the year and dispose Of them
as they are currently needed. In the
great majority Of cases, farmers have
to entrust storage-in warehouses and
elevators-and the financial carrying
of their products to others.
Farm products are generally mar
keted at a time when there Is con
gestion of both transportation and
finance-when cars and money are
scarce. The outcome, In many in
stances, Is that the farmers not only
sell under pressure. and therefore at
a disadvantage, but are compelled to
take further reductions in net returns,
In order to meet the charges for the
service Of storing, transporting. fnanc-
ing, and ultimate marketing-which
charges they claim, are often exces-
sIye. bear heavily on both consumer
and producer, and are under the con-
troll Of those performing the services.
II Ia true that they are relieved OF
the risks Of 4 changing market by
selling at once but they are quite will
of their inability to meet mortgages or
to pay current BILLS, and how. seeking
relief from their ills, they are plan
ming to form pools. inaugurate farm
ers' strikes, and demand legisiation
abolishing grain exchanges. private
cattle markets. and the like, we ought
not hastily to brand them as economic
heretics and highwaymen. and huri at
them the charge Of being seekers OF
special privilege. Rather. we should
ask IL their trouble Is not ours ana
see what can be done to Improve the
situation. Purely from self-interest.
II for no higher motive. we shouia
help them. All OF us want to get Dack
permanently to "normalcy;" but L. II
rea asonsble to hope for that condition
unless our greatest and most basic IN.
dustry can be put on sound ana solid
permanent foundationf The farmers
are not entitled to special prixllegesj