Gunnison news-champion., 1922-08-25

% time. ln fiVins prices The srsst
law % supply anf demand works In
various and surprising ways. O. the
undalug uf the hesf laid plans that
attempt - fol IL IN the thirI place.
their power VIII avail the farmers
nothing II il be abused In onr time
and country DoEer : q value 10 its
poss-ssor only - long a. Il Is no,
abused IL Is fair q say fhat ! have
ssen no signs IN responsible quarters
uf q disposition 10 diT'ate prices
There seems. on The c1utrary, 10 be 4
commonly beneficial PurIE1se O realize
a stability that viii Civ an orderly
and abundant h0w 4 farm products
20 the consumer and ensure reasonable
and dependable returns 10 tie pro
Queer
In view = the supreme Importance
10 the national weil-beins q pros
porous and contsnted agricultural pop
ulailnn. we should be prepared to 20
q long way In assisting the farmers to
&c; an equitable share OF the wealth
they produce. through the inaugura-
tion OF reforms that Will procure
continuous and Increasing stream OF
farm products They are far from get,
ting a fair share now. Considering
bis capital aud the long hours Of labor
put In by the average farmer and his
family. be is rernunerAied less than
any other cccupational class, with the
possible exception OF teachers, reli-
gious and lay. Though we know that
the present general distress Of the
farmers is exceptional and Is linked
with the Inevitable economic readtust-
nent following the war. Il must he
remembered that. although represent
ing one-thlrd OF the Industrial product
and half the total population Of the
nation. the rural communities or'il
narily enjoy but 3 ffth 10 n quarter Of
the net annual national gain. Natwith
standing the taste Of prosperity that
the farmers had during the war, there
Is today a lower standard of living
among the cotton farmers 81 the Sorta
than In any other pursuit In the country
In conclusion. It seems 10 me that the
farmers are chiefly striving for a gen
orally beneficial Indignation OF their
business. ~ the same kind and charac.
ter that other business enjoys. II II
should be found IN examination that
the attainment of this end requires
melhOds different from those which
nIher activities have followed for the
same purpose should we not sympa
iha;icuIlv cnnsltsr the plea for tht
right To cooperate. II only from our
own enlighfan"si S"lf hsirreSt In nh
talning an abundant and steady flow OF
farm productsi
In examining the agricultural situa
ton with a view to Its Improvement
we shall be most helpful II we main
tain detached and judicial viewpoint,
remembering that existing wrongs may
be chiefly an accident OF unsymmetri
cal economic growth Instead Of crea.
ton OF maievolent design and conspira.
cy. We Americans are prone. as Pro
fessor David Friday well says In his
admirable book. Profits. Wages and
Prices" to seek criminal inten; be
hind every difficult and undesirable eco.
nomic situation can positively as
sert from my contact with men Of
large affairs. including bankers. that.
as a whole. they are endeavoring to
fulfill as they see them the obligations
that 20 with their power. PreoccupIed
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. Asri-
culture, 4, may be said, suffers from
their preoccupat!on and neglect rather
than from any purposeful exploitation
by them They ought now to begin to
respond 90 the farmers difficulties,
which they must realize are their own.
On the other hand, my contacts with
the farmers have filed me with respect
for thein-for their sanity, their pa
tIence, their balance. Within the last
year, and particularly at meeting
called by the Kansas State Board of
Agriculture and at another called by
the Committee OF Seventeen, l have
met many of the leaders of the new
farm movement, and testify in all
sincerity that they are endeavoring to
deal with their problems, not as pro-
rnoters OF narrow class interest. not
as eSploiters Of the hapless consumer.
not as merciless monopolists. but as
honest ment bent on the Improvement
Of the common wenl.
We can and must meet such men
and such cause half way. Their
business Is our business-the nations
buSineSA