The Ocala evening star. [volume] (Ocala, Fla.) 1895-1943, 1922-02-01

Now that the farmers are stirring.
thinking. and uniting N never before
70 eradicate these inequalities, they
are subjected to stern economic Lee.
lures, and are met with the accusatisn
that they are demanding, and ara the
recipients Of, special privileges. Let
Us see what privileges the governmeat
has conferred On the farmers. Much
has been made Of Section 0 Of the
Clayton Antitrust Act, which pur-
ported to permit them to combine with
immunity, under certain eenditisna
Admitting that, nominally, this az
emption was In the nature Of special
privilege,-though ! think Il was - In
appearance rather than In fact,-ws
and that the courts have nulliAe1 Il
by judicial Interpretation. Why shsuA
not the farmers be permitted to &C
comphsh by cooperative methods what
other businesses are already doing By
cooperation In the form Of incorpera-
tion7 II It be proper for men to form,
by fusion Of existing corporations Or
otherwise. a corporation that controls
the entire production Of q commodity.
or a large part Of II, why ID II net
proper for q group Of farmers to unite
for the marketing Of their commoa
products, either In one or In several
selling agencies! Why should II be
right for hundred thousand corporate
shareholders to direct Is or 80 or 70
per cent Of an industry, and wrong fer
hundred thousand cooperative
farmers to control q NO larger proper
ton Of the wheat crop, or Gotten. Or
any other product1
The Department Of Agriculture In
often spoken Of rs special concession
to the farmers, but In its commercial
results, 1t Is Of rs much benefit to the
buyers and consumers Of agricultural
products as to the producers, or even
more I do not suppose that anyone
opposes the benefits that the farmers
derive from the educational and re-
search work Of the department, or the
help that 1t gives them In working cut
improved cultural methods and prac-
tees, in developing better yielding va
rieties through breeding and selection,
In introducing new varieties from re-
mote parts Of the world and adapting
them to our climate and economic CEN
dition, and In devising practical meas
ures for the elimination Or centred Of
dangerous and destructive animal and
plant diseases, insect pests, and the
like. All these things manifestiy tend
to stimulate and enlarge preductisn,
and their general beneficial effects are
obvious
II IL complained that, whereas the
law restricts Federal Reserve banks
to three months time fer commercial
paper. the farmer In allowed ok
months on his notes This ID net q
special privilege. but merely such O
recognition Of business conditions m
makes 1t possible fer country banks
to do business with country people.
The crop farmer has only one turn
ever q year, while the merchant and
manufacturer have many. Incidental
", note that the Federal Reserve
Board has Just authorised the Fed
eral Reserve banks to discount expert
paper for q period Of six months. to
conform to the nature Of the buA-
ness.
The Farm Loan banks are pointed
to as an instance Of special govern
ment favor for farmers. Are they not
rather the outcome Of laudable efforts
to equalize rural and urban condi-
tons? And about all the government
does there IL to help set mp an ,ad-
ministrative organization and lend
little credit at the start. Eventually
81. %armere will nrovide all tia cant
tai and carry ell the iabtntiss thsn-