Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1922-01-23
Business Methods
m Farming Urged
Continued from Pare One

Continued from Pare One
turnover Is possible and to take the
chance that IL he Is called upon untimely
to pay OF his notes he may be compelled
to sacrifice growing crops or unfinished
livestock. Obviously, the farmer needs
TO have provisions, adapted TO his re-
quirements, for extension Of credit to
produce his working capital"
The President told the conference that
concerning the grim reality of the
present crisis in agriculture there can
be no differences Of opinion among In
formed people.
1.-THE depressions and discourage
ments," he continued "are not pc
culiar to agriculture, and think 1t fair
to say there could have been no avoid
ance Of great slump from wartime
excesses to the hardships Of readjust-
ment. We can have no helpful under
standing by assuming that agriculture
suffers alone, but we may fairly recog-
nize the fundamental difficulties which
accentuate the agricultural discourage
ments and menace the healthful life Of
this basic and absolutely necessary in
dustry.
The farmer, the President declared,
from the very mode of his life, is in
dividualistic and, therefore, "because he
buys and sells as an individual. it Is
his fate to buy in the dearest and
sell In the cheapest market" He con-
trasted with this the corporation, which,
he said. could effect economies and ac-
quire for itself power in the mar
kets by combinations.
The President said there was n mis-
conception regarding the financial status
Of agriculture.
"If the mortgage indebtedness Of
farms shows. over given period, n
marked tendency to increase. the fact
becomes occasion for concern" he said.
III. during the same period, the rail-
roads or the great industries controlled
by corporations find themselves able
to Increase their mortgage indebtedness
by dint Of bond issues the fact Is her
aided as evidence Of better business
conditions, and Of capitals increased
willingness to engage In these industries
and thus inspire larger production and
better employment Of labor. Both the
mechanism Of finance and the prcConcep-
tions OF the community arc united in
crentlng the impression that easy access
to ample capital is n disadvantage to
the farmer. and an evidence of his decay
in prosperity. while precisely the same
circumstances are construed. in other
lnUuStrlpS, rs eNluen'P VI prosperity anu
Of desirable business expansion.
at cannot be too strongly urged thnt
the farmer must be ready to help him
self" he added. This conference
would do most lasting good II il would
find ways to impress the great mass of
farmers to avail themselves Of the best
methods. BY this. | mean that, in
the last analysis. legislation ran do lit
la ha, uit hn 70 hn .hn
to organize and help himself"
The President then referred TO CO.
operative marketing. 1t should be pos
sible to afford to the farmers. he said.
ample provision Of law under which
they may carry on in cooperative fash
son those business operations which end
themselves to that method, and which.
thus handled, would bring advantages
to both the farmer and his consuming
public The farmers, he continued.
must be responsible for doing the rest
and must themselves learn organization
and the practical procedure Of CO.
operation.
Lack Of essential information. Mr..
Harding asserted, was one of the most
serious obstacles to proper balancing
of agricultural production. All too
frequently, he said, such information is
gathered by private interests. whose
concern Is private profit rather than
the general good.
with proper financial support for
agriculture, and with instrumentalities
for the collection and dissemination Of
useful information. he added. "a
group Of co operative marketing organ
izations would be able to advise their
members as to the probable demand for
staples, and to propose measures for
proper limitation of aCreages in par
ticular crops. The certainty that such
scientific distribution Of production was
to be observed would strengthen the
credit OF agriculture and increase the
security on which financial advances
could be made TO It. The disastrous
effets which arise OF over production
are notorious.
Stable Conditions Needed
1T Is apparent that the interest Of
the consumer, quite equally with that Of
the producer demands measures to pre-
vent these violent fluctuations which
result from unorganized and haphazard
production. Indeed the statistics OF
this entire subject clearly demonstrate
that the consumers concern for better
stabilized conditions is quite equal TO
that OF the producer. The farmer does