The weekly times-record. (Valley City, N.D.) 1912-1922, 1922-02-09

We, as city people. sec In high and
speculatlvely manipulated prices.
spoilage, waste, scarcity, the results
Of defective distribution of farm prod
ucts. Should 1t not occur to us that
we have a common interest with tho
farmer In his attempts to attain a do
gree OF efficiency In distribution cor
responding to his efficiency In produc-
ton? Do not the recent fluctuations
In the May wheat option, apparently
unrelated to normal interaction OF
supply and demand, offer timely
proof Of the need Of some such stabll-
lzing agency as the grain growers have
In contemplation?
| 1t Is contended that, II their pro-
posed organizations be perfected and
operated, the farmers will have In
their hands an instrument that will DO
capable OF dangerous abuse We are
told that 1t will be possible to pervert
1t to arbitrary and oppressive price,
fixing from its legitimate use OF ORDER
Ing and stabilzing the flow Of farm
| products to the market, to the mutual
benefit Of producer aud consumer. I
have no approximations on this point
In the first place, a loose Organizn-
tton such as any union Of farmers
must be at best, cannot be so arbi-
| trarlly and promptly controlled as 4
| great corporation. The one Is a lum-
bering democracy and the other an agile
autocrary. In the second place. with
| all possible power OF org .niZation, the
| farmers cannot succeed to any great
| extent, or for any considerable length
Of time. In fixing prices. The great
law Of supply and demand works In
various and surprising ways. to the
undolng OF the best laid plans that
attempt to foil it, In the third place,
their power will avail the farmers
| nothing if 1t be abused In our time
and country power is Of value to it's
| possesSor only so long as it is not
abused. 1t is fair to say that I have
seen no signs in responsible quarters
OF a disposition to dictate prices
There seems, on the contrary to be 4
commonly beneficial purpose to realize
a stability that will Civ an orderly
| and abundant flow Of farm products
| to the consumer and ensure reasonable
and dependable returns to the pro-
| Queer.
| In view "f the supreme Importance
to the national well-beiug Of pros
| porous and contented agricultural pop
| ulation we should be prepared to 60
| q long way in assisting the farmers to
| get all equitable share OF The wealth
| they produce, through the inaugural
| ton OF reforms that will procure 4
! continuous and increasing stream of
farm products. They are far Fl. m get
| ting fair share now Considering
| his capital and the long hours of labor
| put in by the average farmer and. his
| family he is rrlnl'rralrd less than
! any other occupuliullaI class, with the
| possible exception Of teachers. rell-
| gious and lay. Though we know that
| the present general distress OF the
| farmers is "Ncrrtional and is linked
| with the inevitable economic readjust-
! ment following the war, it must be
| remembered that, although represent
! ing one-third Of the industrial product
and half the total population Ut the
hutton, lnt TuIil
| narily enjoy but fifth to a quarter Of
| the net annual national gain. Nrtwith-
| standing the taste Of prosperity that
| the farmers had during the war, there
| is today lower standard OF living
! among the cotton farmers Of the South
! than in any ether pursuit in the country.
! In conclusion. il seems to me that the
| farmers are chiefly striving for a gen
| orally beneficial Indignation of their
| business, of the same kind and charac-
| ter that other business enjoys If 1t
should he found on examination that
| the attainment Of this end requires
methods different from those which
| other activities have followed for the
same purpose should we not Sympa-
| thetically consider the plea for the
| right to cooperate, II only from our
own enlightened self interest, in OBJ
tanning an abundant and steady flow OF
farm products?
In examining the agricultural situa-
ton with view to its Improvement,
we shall he most helpful If we main
tain detached and judicial viewpoint,
remembering that existing wrongs may
be chiefly an accident OF unsymmetrt-
| cal economic growth instead of crea-
ton Of malevolent design and conspira-
cy. We Americans are prone, as Pro
lessor David Friday we'll says In his
admirable book. profits, Wages and
! Prices" to seek a "criminal intent be-
hind every difficult and undesirable eco
nomic situation" I can positively as
sert from my contact with men OF
large affairs. including bankers, that,
as whole. they are endeavoring to
fulfill ~ 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 agrf-
cultural business organization. Agrt-
culture, it may be said, suffers from
their preoccupati"n and neglect rather