The Challis messenger. (Challis, Idaho) 1912-current, 1922-03-01

tempted BY rural or by urban industry
For lack Of unitet. effort the farmers
- Z whole are still marketing the,i
crops, by antiQuated methods, or by no
methods at all, but they are surrounded
~ q business world that has been
modernized to the last minute and Il
t.relessly striving for efficiency. This
edlciency Ii due In large measure Il
Ag business, to united business, to In
tekrated business. The farmers now
seek the benefits Of such largeness, un
lon and Indignation.
The American farmer II a modern Of
the moderns In the use Of labor savins
machinery, and he has made vast
strides in recent years in scientific
tillage and efficient farm management
but as business In contact with other
businesses agriculture IL zone horse
shay" In competition with high powe,
automobiles. The American farmer Il
the greatest and most intnctable o.
individualists. While Industrial pro
duction and all phases Of the huge com
mercial mechanism and Its myriad &C
cessories have articulated and co-ordi
mated themselves all the way from nat
ural raw materials to retail sales, the
business Of agriculture has gone on ir
much the one man fashion of the back
woods Of the frst part Of the nine
toenth century, when the farmer wal
self sufficient and did not depend upon.
or care very much, what the great
world was doing. The result Is that
the agricultural group Is almost as
much at disadvantage in dealing with
other economic groups as the jay farm.
Or Of the funny pages In the hands Of
sleek urban confidence men, who sell
him acreage in Central Park or the
Chicago city hail. The leaders of the
farmers thoroughly understand this,
and they are intelllgently striving to
integrate their industry SO that It will
be on an equal footing with other bust
nesses.
A. an example Of Indignation, take
the steel industry. In which the model
u the United States Steel Corporation.
with Its iron mines, Its coal mines, Its
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 It has
built up. All this is generally conced.
Cd to be to the advantage Of the con-
oumer. Nor does the steel corporation
Inconsiderately dump Its products on
the market. On the contrary, 1t so
acts that 1t Is frequently stabilizlng
influence, as Is often the case with 9TH
or large organizations 1t is master Of
Its distribution as well as Of Its pro-
duction. II prices are not satisfactory
the products are held back or produc-
ton is reduced or suspended. 1t is not
compelled to send a 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
10 represented about 40 per cent Of the !
steel production Of America. The rest |
IL mostly In the hands Of few large |
companies. In ordinary times the +
steel corporation. by example, stabilizes
all steel prices. II this is permissible |
1T Is even desirable, because stable
and fair prices are essential to solid
and continued prosperity why would
II be wrong for the farmers to utilize
central agencies that would have slmi.
lar effects on agricultural products?
Something like that Is what they are
aiming at.
Some farmers favored by regional
eompactness and eontigulty, such as the
citrus-fruit-raisers 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.
sumer a reliable service Of ensured
quality, certain supply, and reasonable
and relatively steady prices. They
nave not found 1t necessary to resort
70 any special privilege, or to claim
any exemption under the antitrust
legislation Of the state or nation. With.
Dut removing local control, they have
built up very efficient marketing
agency. The grain. cotton, and to-
bacco farmers, and the producers Of
hides and wool. because Of their mum.
bers and the vastness Of their regions,
and for other reasons, have found
migration q more difficult task:
though there are now some thousands
y farmers cooperative elevators,
creameries. and other en-.
lerprises Of one sort and another, with
] turnover of billion dollers year
They are giving the farmers business
experience and training, and, SO far
y they 60, they meet the need Of
lonest Weighing and fair grading; but
hey do not meet the requirements Of
ationally adjusted marketing In any
Arge and fundamental way.
The next step, which will be a pat.
orn for other groups Is now being
repaired by the grain-raisers through
"a aofo hllchvnnnk o% l