Montpelier examiner. [volume] (Montpelier, Idaho) 1895-1937, 1922-01-26

much ali disadvantage In dealing with
other economic groups as the jay farm
or If the funny pages In the hands Of
sleek urban confidence men, who sell
him acreage Id Central Park or the
Chicago city hall. The leaders of the I
farmers thoroughly understand this,
and they are intelligently striving to
integrate their industry so that It VIII /
be on an equal footing with other bush /
nesses.
AS an example Of Indignation. take
the steel industry. In which the model I
is the United States Steel Corporation,
with It's iron mines, its coal mines, It's
lake and rail- transportation, Its ocean
vessels. its by-product coke ovens, Its
blast furnaces, its open hearth and
Bessemer furnaces, its rolling mills. its
tube 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 conced-
| ed to be to the advantage of the con-
sumner. Nor does the steel corporation
inconsiderately dump Its products on
| the market On the contrary. It so
acts that 1t is frequently stabilizing
influence, as Is often the case with 9th
err large organizations. 1t Is master Of
! its distribution as well as of its pro-
duction. If prices are not satisfactory
! the products are held back or produc-
ton is reduced or suspended. It Is not
compelled to send years work to the
market at one time and take whatever
1t 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 sin
gle indignation of the steel corporation
is represented about 10 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 If this is permissible
Git 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 SINH
Lar effects on agricultural products2
Something like that Is what they are
aiming at.
Some farmers favored by regional
compactness and contiguity, such as the
Observation-Disclosures of California, al
ready have found a way legally to
merge and sell their products lnte-
, orally and in accordance with seasonal
and local demand, thus improving
their position and rendering the con-
J sumner a reliable service of ensured
quality certain supply, and reasonable
, and relatively steady prices. They
have not found 1t 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
i baceo farmers, and the producers OF
6 hides and wool, because Of their mum
bers and the yastness of their regions
and for other reasons, have found
!. indignation a more difficult task
!. though there are now some thousands
!. Of farmers cooperative elevators
! warehouses, ereameries and other en-
. terprlses of one sort and another, will
! a turnover of billion dollers a year
r They are giving the farmers business
experience and training, and, SO "a
d as they go, they meet the need O
q honest weighing and fair grading: Blu
i they do not meet the requirements o
j nationally adjusted marketing In an,
D large and fundamental way.
= The next step, which will be pat
: tern for other groups, In now beinI
d prepared by the grain-raisers througl
: the establishment of sales media whicl
! shall handle grain separately or co
n lectively, as the individual farmer ma
% elect. 1t Is this step-the plan of tn
# Committee Of Seventeen-which ha
~ created so much opposition and
y thought by some to be In conflict wit
4. the antitrust laws Though there
II. now before congress a measure do
!. signed TO clear up doubt on this poin
" the grain-producers are not relying o
"a any immunity from antitrust legisli
9 ton. They desire, and they are Ell
Is titled, to coordinate their efforts jus
= as effectively as the large business Il
a. terests of the country have done. |
+. connection with the selling organic;
= lions the United States Grain Grower
s Incorporated Is drafting a scheme
ia financing Observation-Disclosures ana AuX1l
a. airy agencies which are indispensabl
% to the successful utilization of moder
n. business methods.
Ia It Is essential that the farmer
as should proceed gradually with thes
#. plans, and aim to avoid the error
y scrapping the existing marketing m
re chinery, which has been so laboriousl
,ir built up by long experience, befol
no they have a tried and proved subst
ed tute or supplementary mechanism
on They must be careful not to becon
Il enmeshed In their own reforms an
,is lose the perspective OF their place
70 the national system. They must guar
n. against fanatical devotion to new do
A.lnns and shnr,ld saaIr nrtlna.laAt1