Webster City freeman. [volume] (Webster City, Hamilton County, Iowa) 1884-1946, 1922-01-23
HARDING URGES
COOPERATIVE
MARKET SELLING
Continued from page ~

io6AASutuIC AiS w OISdHlZetl, Nj
Harding said. are suggested in the pla
of the federal farm loan board and il
those rural finance societies which hav
been so effective in some European
countries.
For Cooperation.
THE cooperative loaning association
of Europe have been effective incen
tives to united action by farmers" HI
continued, land have led them direct
~ into cooperation in both production
and marketing which have contributed
greatly to the sterilization and pros
Iperity OF agriculture"
Whether these organizations are con
|sidered as means to buying the farm
|ers' requirements in cheaper market
the president asserted, or to selling his
products in more remuneratiye one
'the conclusion in all cases is the same
lie is that the farmer as as good a bust
nessman as any other if he has the
chance"
The manufacturer, Mr.. Harding said,
whose turnover is rapid, finds he can
borrow money from the bank OH short
time notes when he needs working CAPT
tai and his money will come back to
him in time to meet his short term 0bli-
CATION. On the other hand, he con-
tinued, the farmers turnover is long
one, from year in most crops to some
times three years in the cattle indus
try.
Yet the farmer is compelled" he
declared, IF he borrows his working
capital, to borrow for short periods, to
renew his paper several times before
bis turnover is possible and to take
The chance that if he is called upon
nntimely to pay off his notes, he may
be compelled to sacrifice growing crops
Dr. unfinished livestock. Obviously, the
Farmer needs to have provisions, adapt
"a to his requirements, for extension
II credit to produce his working CAPT
al"
The president told the conference
hat concerning the grim reality of the
present crisis in agriculture there can
,e no differences of opinion among in
'ormed people"
Farmer Not Alone.
1.-THE depressions and discourage
nents' he continued, ARE not peculiar
n agriculture, and think it fair t6
,ay there could have been no avoid
ance Of great slump from war time
.xcesses to the hardships Of readjust-
nent. We can have no helpful under
by assuming that agriculture
suffers alone, but we may fairly recog.
,ize the fundamental difficulties which
the agricultural discourage
nents and menace the healthful life Of
his basic and absolutely necessary in
lustry."
The farmer, the president declared
rom the very mode of his life is in
l!vidualistic and, therefore, because
Ne buys and sells as an individual, il
s his fate to buy in the dearest ant
ell in the cheapest market" He con-
rasted with this the corporation, ht
aid, which could effect economies anf
Icquire for itself power in the mar.
,cts by combinations.
A Misconception.
The president said there was mis-
conception regarding the financial
status Of agriculture.
If the mortgage Indebtedness Of
arms shows, over given period,
marked tendency to increase. the fact
becomes occasion for concern he said
If, during the same period, the rail
roads or the great industries controlled
,y corpora tons, find themselves able
10 increase their mortgage indebtedness
By dint of bond issues, the fact Il
heralded as evidence of better bushes:
and of capitals increased
y illingness to engage in these indus
.ries and thus inspire larger production
md better employment Of labor. Boil
The mechanism of finance and the pre-
of the community are unit
I'd in creating the impression that easy
Dccess to ample capital is a disadvan-
tdge to the farmer, and an evidence
IF his decay in prosperity; while pre-
cisely the same circumstances are con
strued, in other industries, as evidence
pf prosperity and of desirable business
expansion"
For Cooperative Marketing.
1T cannot be too strongly urged thai
the farmer must be ready to help him
self" he added. This conference woult
10 most lasting good if it would tint
ways to impress the great mass OF
farmers to avail themselves of the bes
methods BY this, mean that, in til,
last analysis, legislation can do littlt
more than give the farmer the chance
to organize and help himself"
The president then referred to co
operative marketing. 1t should be pos
sible to afford to the farmers, he said.
ample provision of law under which |
they may carry on in cooperative fash |
ion those business operations which |