Pullman herald. [volume] (Pullman, W.T. [Wash.]) 1888-1989, 1922-01-20

Tor the benefit OF shipping, commerce,
and labor.
Now, what Is the farmer asking?
without trying to catalogue tho re-
medal measures that have been sug
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 certifcation
thereof, to be done by impartial and
disnterested public Inspectors (ths 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-
81 to-, IN,
rize, and regularly and frequently pub
lish anG 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-.
ton.
Fifth freedom to lntegrate the bust.
ness Of agriculture by means of cor.
soidated 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 10 buy IT, SO will the
farmers and perhaps the best way for
them to get it would be to utilize some
of the present machinery of the larg-
est established agencies dealing in
farm products. OF course if he wishes.
the farmer may 20 further and engage
In hourmilling and other manufactures
Of food products. In my opinion.
however. he would be wise 10 stop
oh 3 81,
opposed to all great integrations but.
In Justice should they be forbidden to
the farmer and permitted to others?
The corporate form Of association can.
not now be wholly adapted to his OBJ
iects and conditions The looser 60.
operative form seems more generally
suitable Therefore. he wishes to be
free, II 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
their peculiar economic functions
which other Industries in their fields
enjoy, is not, however to cOncede thar
any business Indignation should have
legislative sanction To exercise monop.
olistlc power The American people
are as firmly opposed To Industrial as
to political autocracy whether at
tempted by rural or by urban industry
For lack Of united effort the farmers
as a whole are still marketing their
crops by Anticipated methods, or by no
methods al all, but they are surrounded
by a business world that has been
mOdernized TO the last minute and is
tirelessly striving for efficiency. This
efficiency IS due In large measure to
big business. 10 united business, to in
tegrated business. The farmers now
seek the benefits Of such largeness, un-
ion and indignation.
The American farmer Is a modern of
the moderns In the use Of labor saving
machinery, and ne has made vast
strides in recent years In scientific
Village and efficient farm management
but as a business in contact with other
businesses agriculture is a zone horse
shay in competition with high power
automobiles The American farmer is
the greatest and most intractable OF
individualists. While Industrial pro
ductian and all phases OF the huge com.
merclal mechanism and Its myriad ac
cessories have arhculated and co-ordl
mated themselves all the way from nat
ural raw materials 10 retail sales, the
business Of agriculture has gone on Ii
much the one man fashion OF the back
woods Of the first part Of the nine
feer.h eurss.. when the farmer wa,