Crossville chronicle. [volume] (Crossville, Tenn.) 1894-current, 1922-05-31
HITTING AWAY FROM FARMS
NOT Remedy; COOPERATION
Intelligent Action Is Way to Win; Be-
moaning Hard Luck No
Remedy.

r II the farmers were getting what
] they should receive of the price paid
by consumers for farm products, they
, could be prospecting. They could pro-
vide attractive homes for their fam
lies; they could educate their chill
dren and surround them with conven-
fences that would insure the majority
OF them remaining on the farm. But
unfortunately. they are not getting It,
and each year the farmer is encount-
erlng new handlcapS, increased taxes,
increased freight rates, decreased pro
ductivity of the soil and increased de-
mands for necessary living expenses
Many farmers are getting discouraged
and leaving the farm, trying to find a
place in some industrial capacity
where they can hope to increase their
earning power. Some leave the farm
and succeed; many more date the be-
ginning of their drifting from the
time they cut loose from tn efarm.
Our population is constantly increas
ing. They must be fed the food must
be produced if they eat Farmers
could drift away from the farms until
production would not meet consump-
tion demands. Industry could not
prosper if food coul not be had for
those engaged in that line or became
SO scarce and high priced as to take
all of the earnings of those engaged
in industry.
The conditions that are driving peo-
pie from the farms should have the
sympathetic interest and cooperation
of all classes in improving, for all are
dependent upon a productive and
profitable agriculture for their own in
dividual prosperity.
Agriculture is the oldest vocation
known and all other activities grew
out of the needs of the farmers. Those
engaged in other activities have de-
veloped those activities, have kept
abreast of progress and have made
their work attractive and profitable,
wffife with tire fffasscs -ciTgagcd ir-'-
agriculture majority have been con-
tent to drift with the tide and cling
to old customs. They have been in
different to cooperative effort. While
some progress has been made in cul-
tural methods, some improvement in
quality OF livestock, very little has
been done in developing the market
ing of farm products. AS a conse-
quence, when our crops are harvested
we dump them on the market all to-
gether when them arket is glutted
and we pay the penalty of low prices.
The speculator who buys when the
market is overloaded is not to blame.
We did it ourselves. When we get
to the point where we can appreciate
the value of cooperative effort, msr-
chandising our products instead of
dumping them on the market, we will
get better prices. For some time much
has been said about cooperative SELL
ing and buying. People who have
seriously studied the situation have
realized that want of cooperative ct
fort was gripping the farmers and de-
priving them of the prices they should
receive.
Farmers purchase large amount of
fertilizers; prices for 10 percent acid
phosphate this season ranged from
eleven dollars and fifty cents per ton
to twenty-five dollars | have the
record in my office of the sales and
dealers making them. Those who
bought comparatively saved from five
to ten dollars per ton on their ferti-.
lizer. Farmers trying to market their
products or purchase their supplies
single handed are at a disadvantage.
The State and Federal Government
recognize the importance of coopera-
tive marketing and laws have been
passed legalizing it. Progressive com
munities in different sections of the
country have proved the value of CO.
operative effort in marketing, they
also solve numerous other problems
by working together When others
have successfully pointed the way for
practical solution of our problems,
the fault is ours, if we 90 not profit
by the object lessons.
We will not accomplish anything by
talking about our handicaps, unless
we do something on our part to re-
move them. What others have done,
we can do, if we will make a start.
We have the benefit of their expert
ence. Cooperative effort in market
ing and other farm problems have
been successfully solved. We can get
assistance in starting cooperative eff
fort in our several communities if we
will ask for it. We will get no where
as long as we sit still and bemoan our
hard luck.