The daily times., 1922-01-31

was oOAAB. Inc result II that
the Agricultural group 10 almost as
mh"h at disadvantage In dealing with
other eco's'lnir CRAMPS ss the Jay farm
or uf the funny pages In the hands Of
SLEEK urban confidence men. who sell
him acreage In Central Park or rhe
chicago city hall The leaders Of the,
FARMERS Thoroughly understand this
ana they are intelligently striving to
integrate their Industry 20 that II will
BE on an equal footing with other busi-
naesee c - -
A. an example Of integrafion. take
the steel Industry : In which the model
y the United States Steel Corpora zion,
with It's iron Mines its coal mines, its
lake and rail transportation, Its ocean
vessels. its by-producs coke ovens, its
0iaet farnaces. Its open hearth and
bessemer furnaces, It's rolling mills. it's
tppe mills and other manufacturing
processes that are carried to the high
EST degree of finished production com.
patible with the large trade 1t has
built up. All this is generally coAced-
co TO be to- the advantage Of the con-
! sumner. Nor does the steel corporation
inconsiderately dump Its products on
l S~- AANAACe. vi tnc COHlEdTy, IL SU
acts that 1t Is frequently a stabilizing
influence, as Is often the case with 9TH
er large organizations. 1t is master of
Its distribution as well as Of its pro-
ductlon. If prices are not satisfactory
the products are held back or produc-
tion Is reduced or suspended. 1t is not
compelled to send a years work to the
market at one time and take whatever
It can get under such circumstances.
1t has one selling policy and its own
export department. Neither are the
| grades and qualities of steel determin-
ed at the caprice of the buyer, nor does
the latter hold the scales In this sim
| gle integratiOn Of the steel corporation
10 represented about 40 per cent of the
steel production Of America The rest
Is mostly in the hands Of few large
| companies. In ordinary times the
steel corporation, by example, stabilizes
all steel prices II this is permissible
Ut Is even 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 simi-
lar effects on agricultural products?
/
aiming at.
Some farmers favored by regional
] compaetness and contiguity, such as the
| citrus-fruit-raisers of California. al
ready have found a 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 reliable service of ensured
| quality. certain supply. and reasonable
and relatively steady prices. They
have not found it 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 Nun
! begs and the vastness of their regions,
| and for other reasons, have found
integration more difficult task =:
I 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 a billion dollers a year
They are giving the farmers business
| experience and training, and. so far
/ as they go, 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 pat
tern for other groups, is now being
]
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
| the antitrust laws Though there is
| now before congress a measure de-
! signed to clear up doubt on this point,
| the grain-producers are not relying on
4, any immunity from antitrust legisia-
| ton. They desire, and they are en-
| titled to coordinate their efforts just
! as effectively as the large business in
| terests Of the country have done. In
| connection with the selling organiZa-
| tions the United States Grain Growers
| Incorporated rs drafting scheme of
| financing instrumentalities and auxili-
| ary agencies which are indispensable
| to the successful utilization of modern
| business methods
1t is essential that the farmers
should proceed gradually with these
plans, and aim to avoid the error Of
scrapring the existing marketing ma
chinery, which has been SD laboriously
built up by long experience. before
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 guard
against fanatical devotion to new doe
trines, and should seek articulation
with the general eco2Rmic system
rather than it's reckless destruction az