The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1922-01-25
Subcommittee of Agriculture
Conference Takes Action.
Drive Started for Collective
Marketing of Crops.
CALIFORNIA PLAN PROPOSED
Fruit Growers by Cooperating
Made Profit in 1921.
Fireworks Promised Over
"Hand-Picked" Delegates.

Washington, Jan. 25.-Recommen-
dation for repeal of the commonly
known guaranty clause OF the trans
portation act and return to the state
railroad commission of control over
state rates was voted today by a sub
committee on railway transportation
of the general transportation commit
tee of the national agricultural con-
ference.
The vote on the repeal OF the guar
anty clause was IL to and on the
return of the state railway powers IL
to 6.
Recommendation for the construc-
tion of the st. Lawrence-Grear Lakes
waterway project was voted by the
subcommittee on waterways transpor-
tation under the general transporta-
ton committee.
Drive for Collective Markets.
Backed by publicly expressed sup
port from President Harding. farmers
of the country here today at the ma
tional agricultural conference,
launched a vigorous drive for the
right to act collectively in cooperative
marketing of their products.
Practically the whole program of
| today'S session~was given over to dis
cussion of the needs of an open mar
ket for farming products and the pre-
sentation of an outline of the funda-
| mentals of the system. Cotton and
grain producers joined with the fruit
growers, cattlemen and the represen-
| tatives of the varied phases of agri
culture in voicing this demand
| California Plan Proposed.
| American agriculture as a whole
could profitably study the factors
! that have contributed to the welfare
of California in face of general bust
ness depression" G. Harold Powell.
general. manager of the California
Fruit Growers exchange. declared in
an address before the conference.
Powell declared the success of CO.
operative marketing depended 1'upon
the will of the farmer 10 cooperate"
and on the development of a spirit
of mutual confidence and trust be-
tween those engaging in the venture.
| Cooperative organizations he said.
! should be composed exclusively of
farmers and managed by farmers
with the benefits returned to each
member determined by his patronage
! of the organization. He advocated
| payment of only a fair rate of interest
on capital stock and that a voting
power be distributed on the one
n-one-vote" principle. He said a
cooperative association could be heid
| together by contract or agreement be
tween it and each member and that
! membership terms should extend over
lonS per-Ods OF years.
4 They Got Good Prices.
Such organizations. he added, have
the best chance for success il they
handle only one crop. Extension or
an orga nization to local communi-
ties thru small units. he suggested.
might increase its usefulness.
I'm the California Fruit Growers
exchange, for example, said Mr..
/ Powell, thru which ten thousand five
hundred m
hundred million dollars worth Of
citrus fruits annually to the whole
sale trade, the growers have formed
more than two hundred local associs-
tfons, each owning its own packing.
house and managing its local affairs.
Most of the California growers re-
ceived prices for their fruit crops In
| 1921 that returned more than the cost
or production. Not only have thees
products returned the cost of produc-
tion to the producers, but the trade.
also, has made fair profits. And the
steadily sustained demand by cousl1n-
ers for California fruits is an evidenct
of the power of continuous, friendly
advertising, coupled with sound mer-
chandising methods, in promoting a
larger consumption of farm prod cts. .
Charge Hand Picked Delegates.
i, Underground dissension in the ma
tional agricultural conference and in
surgency among delegates because of
charges that the gathering is made up
of hand picked" delegates who viii
favor ''cut and dried" policies today
threatened fireworks before the con-
ference ends.
Criticism of the conference was
voiced openly today. The so-ca1led
progressive group organized a farm
paper bloc and charged that the con-
ference was called primarily TO admin
!. lister rebuke to the congressional
| agricultural bloc.