The citizen. [volume] (Berea, Ky.) 1899-1958, 1922-01-26

Il
speculatlvely manipulated prices,
spoilage, waste. scarcity. the results
Of defective distribution Of farm prod
ucts. Should II not occur to Us that
we have common interest with the
FARMER In his attempts to attain n de-
gree Of efficiency In distribution cor.
responding to his efficiency m produc-
t0nf 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 stabil-
izing agency as the grain growers have
In contemplation
II Is commended that, II their pro-
posed organizations be perfected and
operated. the farmers will have In
their hands an instrument that will be
capable OF dangerous abuse. We are
told that II will be possible to pervert
II to arbitrary and oppressive price
fixing from Its legitimate use Of ORDER
Ing and stabIllzlng the flow Of farm
products to the market. to the mutual
benefit or producer and consumer.
have no apprehensions on this point.
In the first place. a loose organiza-
tion. such as any union of farmers
must be at best. cannot be so arbi-
trarily and promptly controlled as q
great corporation. The one Is a lum-
bering democracy and the other an agile
autocracy. 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
undoing Of the best laid plans that
attempt to foil It. In the third place,
their power will avail the farmers
nothing II II be abused. In our time
and country power Is Of value to Its
possessor only so long as II 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 q
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 Of the supreme Importance
to the national well-being Of a pros
porous and contented agricultural pop
uiation. we should be prepared to 20
a long way In assisting the farmers to
get an equitable share of the wealth
they produce, through the Inaugural
ton of reforms that will procure q
continuous and increasing stream Of
farm products. They are far from 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 remunerated less than
any other occupational class, with the
possible exception Of teachers, reli-
gious and lay. Though we know that
the present general distress Of the
farmers IL exceptional and 10 linked
with the Inevitable economic readjust-
ment following the war, II must be
remembered that, although represent
ing one-thlrd Of the Industrial product
and half the total population Of the
udtiou, tic Tufui
narily enjoy but a fifth to a quarter Of
the net annual national gain. Notwith-
standing the taste Of prosperity that
the farmers had during the war, there
Is today q lower standard of living
among the cotton farmers Of the South
than In any other pursuit In the country.
In conclusion, 1t seems to me that the
farmers are chiefly striving for q gen.
orally beneficial Indignation Of their
business, Of the same kind and charac-
ter that other business enjoys. II II
should be 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 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 unsymmetrf-
cal economic growth instead Of a crea-
ton Of malevolent design and conspira-
cy. We Americans are prone, as Pro
lessor David Friday well says In his
admirable book, "Pronts. Wages and
Prices" to seek "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 a whole. they are endeavorlng to
fuifin 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. Agri-
culture, II may be said, suffers from
their preoccupation and neglect rather
Than from any purposeful exploitation
~ them. They ought now 10 begin to
respond to the farmers difficulties,
which they must realize are their own.