The Democratic advocate. [volume] (Westminster, Md.) 1865-1972, 1922-12-01

Wars aftermath had spread chronic dis
content with the speculative system of
handling grain. Men OF the sickle were
beginning to realize as they developed
their farms and changed from the state
OF living on what they produced to the
state of living from the profits OF their
harvests, that there had necessarily de-
veloped great grain distribution system
which profltcd altogether too greatly at
their expense. This commercial system
had once rendered them service, but
folks had begun to question.
A great plan was now before the house
Here was 4 new move TO provide an al
ternate channel through which growers
could distribute their grain. Everywhere
people were hailing it as great boon and
if it succeeded in accordance with expec-
tations many would benefit.
But let us begin at the beginning. If
We are to perceive the import OF this great
grain marketing struggle, we must 60
back into agricultural History for some
thirty years beginning with the time when
a small group Of grain farmers formed the
first cooperative elevator and took a
definite stand against the unfair practices
OF the grain buyers at local stations
For years these farmers had been VIC
tins of price manipulators, and had been
forced to take whatever price local buyers
saw tit to give them. These same grain
buyers and old-line elevator owners were
quick to see in the cooperative elevator
a movement to take enormous profits
from them. They united and fought it
bitterly. They opposed the farmers in
securing sites for their elevators, en-
Couraged car discrimination by agreement
with station agents and artiiciaIly raised
The price to a point where farmers CO.
operative elevators faced failure.
Then line elevators were able to pur-
chase on such program as to buy higher
than the market price in order to freeze
out farmers elevators, by buying under
the market where no cooperative COM
petition existed.
In April, 1920, William G.. Eckhardt,
county adviser of Dekalb county, Illinois,
was employed by the Illinois Agricultural
Association to head 4 department of grain
marketing. lie came to Chicago in May
with the knowledge that something was
wrong with the present and past systems
of marketing grain. and an Office dcsl;
and chair a. his sole stock in trade.
Mr.. EcEhardt began his work by going
straight to the farmers of Illinois in
series OF Is meetings, and asked them if
they would back up 4 new and improved
system OF grain marketing. He presented
4 few preliminary suggestions for stabil-
ling prices at these meetings and farmers
pledged their support almost to a man.
The idea OF big cooperative grain mar
keting system then sprcao over the state
like wildfrc and into other States.
That conference or Jiiy 1924, 1920,
will long he remembered by the farmers
of the grain-producing states.
For the FIRST time in the history of or
yanized agriculture a truly representative
group Of grains growing farmers from all
parts of the United States met in national
get-togcther grain marketing conference.
Three hundred and fifty delegates repre-
.cnting practically every important farm
organization in the grain-producing sec
lions of the whole country attended.
They heard how time and again some farm
leader with a vision had made an attempt
to unity the efforts of different co-opera-
tive grain marketing plans and that every
plan so far had failed 20 give farmers
control over their products. Time and
again the aim of such cooperative move
ment had failed and selfish organizational
purposes or selfish leadership had stood
in the way OF national cooperation.