Fitzgerald leader enterprise and press. (Fitzgerald, Ben Hill County, Ga.) 1921-1964, 1922-01-26

endorsement to any specific plan, and
still less to applaud the yagares of
some Of their leaders and groups.
Neither should we, on the other hand,
allow the froth of bitter agitation.
false econo mics, AID mistaken radical
ism to conceal the facts of the farm
ers disadvantages, and the practicable
Ity of eliminating them by WELDON
sidered measures. 1t may be that the
farmers will not show the business
sagacity and develop the wise leader,
ship to carry through sound plans; but
that possibility does not Justify the
obstruction Of their upward efforts
We, as city people, see in high and
Speculdtively manipulated prices. |
spoilage, waste, scarcity, the results |
of defective distribution of farm pred
ucts. Should 1t not occur to us that
we have a common interest with the
farmer In his attempts to attain de
gree of efficiency in distribution cor
responding to his efficiency in produc- |
lOn! Do not the recent fluctuations |
In the May wheat option. apparently |
unrelated to normal interaction of |
supply and demand. offer timely |
proof of the need of some such stabil- |
izlng agency as the grain growers have |
in Contemplation?
1t is contended that, if their pro- |
poSed organizations be perfected and |
operated the farmers will have in |
their hands an instrument that will be |
capable of dangerous abuse. We are
told that it will be possible to pervert
1t TO arbitrary and oppressive price |
liking from its legitimate use of order
ing and stabilizins the flow IF farm
products to the market. to the mutual
benefit of producer and consumer. | |
have no apprehenSions on this point.
In the first place, loose organiza-
uon, such as any union of farmers
must be at best, cannot be SO, arbi- |
trarlly and promptly controlled as a
great corporation. The one is lum.
berlng democracy and the other an agile
autocracy. In the second place with
all possible power of org nization, tho
farmers cannot succeed to any greal
extent, or for any considerable len"ll
OF tline In fixing prices. The great
law of supply and demand works in
various and surprising ways, to the.I
undolnS of the best laid plans thatl
attempt to foil it, In the third place
their power will avail the farmer.
nothing if it be abused. In our tim
and country power is of value to it, |
p"SSesSor only so long as it is not
abused. II is fair to say that | have |
seen no signs in responsible quarters |
of disposition to dictate prices |
Ehere seems. on the contrary, to be : |
commonly beneficial purpose to realize
"A stability that will Civ an Orderly
and abundant flow of farm proGlrts
TO the consumer and ensure reasonable
and dependable returns IT, the pro
dUcer.
In view "f the supreme Importance
to the national weli-being of pros
porous and contented agricultural pop
ulatiOn, we should be prepared to z,
long way in assisting the farmers t
get an equitable share of the wealth
they produce, through the Inaugural
ton of reforms that will procure ::
continuous and increasing stream OF
farm products They are far from get
ting a fair share now. Considering
his capital and the long hours of labor
put in by the average farmer and his
family he Is remunerated less than
any other occupGtional class, with thu
possible exception of teachers. reli
gious and lay. Though we know that
the present general distress of the
farmers is exceptional and is linkeG
with the inevitable economic readjust
ment following the war it must he
remembered that, although represent
Ing one-third Of the industrial Broduci
and half the total population of the
nation, the rural communities Ordi
narily enjoy but fifth to quarter Of
the net annual national gain N0twith
standing the taste of prosperity that
the farmers had during the war, there
Is today lower standard of living
among the cotton farmers of the South
than in any other pursuit in the country
In conclusion 1t seems to me that the
farmers are chiefly striving for gen
orally beneficial Indignation of thei.
business, Of the same kind and charac
ter that other business enjoys. If II |
should be found on examination thai
the attainment of this end requires
methods different from those which
other activities have followed for the
same purpose should we not sympa
thetically consider the plea for the
right to cooperate, II only from our
tuh4 i,&a |
tanning an abundant and steady flow OF
farm products?
In examining the agricultural situa
ton with a view to its improvement
we shall be most helpful If we main.
tain a detached and judicial viewpoint
remembering that existing wrongs may
be chiefly an accident of unsymmetri.
cal economic growth instead Of a crea,
ton Of malevolent design and consplra.
~. We Americans are prone, as Pro
fessor David Friday, well says in his
admirable book profits. Wages and
Prices" 10 seek criminal intent he,
lind every difficult and undesirable eco,
lomic situation" | can positively as
Sert from my contact with men Ol
large affairs. including bankers. that.
as a whole. they are endeavOring tc
fulfill as they see them the obligations
that go With their power. Preoccupled
with the grave problems and heavy
tasks Of their own immediate affairs,
they have not turned their thoughtful
personal attention or their construc.
tive abilities to the deficiencies Of agri.
cultural business organization. Agri