Metropolis weekly gazette. (Metropolis, Ill.) 1???-19??, 1922-04-14
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Now, what Is the farmer askinr7
Without trying TO catalogue the re-
medal measures that have been sng-
gested In his behalf. the principal pro
posals that bear directly on the I'M
provement of bis distributing and mar
keting relations may be summarized as
follows -
First: storage warehouses for cot
ton, WOOL and tobacco. and elevators
for grain of sufficient capacity to meet
the maximum demand on them al the
peak of the marketing period. The
farmer thinks that either private capi-
tai must furnish these facilities. or the
state must erect and own the eleva-
tors and warehouses.
Second. weighing and grading OF
agricultural products, and certlfcation
thereof. 10 be done by impartial and
dIsinferested public inspectors tthis Is
already accomplished 10 some extent
by the federal licensing Of weighers
and graders) To eliminate underpay-
ing. overcharging. and unfair grading.
and TO facilitate the utilization OF the
stored products as The basis Of credit
Third a certainty Of credit sufficient
10 enable the marketing OF products
In an orderly manner.
Fourth. The Department OF Agricui
ture should collect. iabulaie. summn.
rize. and regularly and frequently pub
lish anG distribute to the farmers. full
information from all the markets Of
the world so that they shall be ms wei
Informed of their selling position as
buyers now are OF their buying posi-
ton.
Fifth: freedom to Integrate the busi-
ness of agriculture by means Of con
soiidaied selling agencies. co-ordlnai-
Ing and cooperating In such way rs to
put the farmer On an equal, footing
with the large buyers of his products
and with commercial relations In other
industries.
When business requires specialized
talent. II has to buy II. So viii the
farmers aud perhaps the hes, way for
them To get II would he to utilize some
OF the present machinery OF The larg-
est established agencies dealing In
farm products or course. 10 he Wishes
the farmer may go further andaengage
IN fonr-millng and other manufactures
II food products In my opinion.
however. he would be wise 10 stop
short nf that. Public interest may be
opposed 10 all great lntegratlons: but.
In justice. should they he forbidden 10
the farmer and permitted to oihersf
The corporate form Of association can
not now be wholly adapted 10 Ills OBJ
iects and conditions The looser CO.
operative form seems more generally
suitable. Therefore. he wishes to be
free. Ii he finds II desirable and feas-
ible. to resort to cooperation with his
fellows and neighbors, without run
ming afoul OF the law. TO urge that
the farmers should have the same lib
erty TO consolidate and coordinate
their peculiar economic functions.
which otl r industries In their fields
enjoy, Is not, however, 10 concede that
any business indignation should have
legislative sanction to exercise monop-
olistlc power. The American people
are as firmly opposed to industrial as
TO political autoeracy. whether at
tempted by rural or by urban industry.
For lack Of united effort the farmers
as whole are still marketing their
crops by antlquated methods. or by no
methods at all. but they are surrounded
by a business world that has been
modernized to the last minute and Is
tirelessly striving for efficiency. This
efficiency is due In large measure TO
big business, to united business, to In
,egrated business. The farmers now
seek the benefits OF such largeness, IN
ion and Indignation.
The American farmer is a modern OF
the moderns In the use OF labor saving
machinery, and he has made vast
strides In recent years In scientific
tilage and efficient farm management,
but as business in contact with other
businesses agriculture Is zone horse
shay" In competition with high power
automobiles. The American farmer is
the greatest and most intractable of
lndividualists. While Industrial pro-
duction and all phases Of the huge com.
merc:ai mechanism and It's myriad ac-
cessories have articulated and c0-nrGi-
mated themselves all the way from nat
urMl raw materials to retail sales. tire
business OF agriculture has gone on IN
much the one man fashion OF the back
woods Of the first part Of the nine
tepntb century when the farmer was