Albuquerque morning journal. [volume] (Albuquerque, N.M.) 1903-1926, 1922-12-15
MARKETING Of
FARM PRODUCTS
TOPIC At MEET
Endorsement Of CO-0pera-
tive Selling Is Endorsed
by Harding, Wallace,
Klein and Many Others

washington Dec. I4,---Endorse-
Inent Of cooperative marketing
was expressed by President Hard
ing. Secretary wallace of the de-
psrtment Of agriculture, and Dr.
Julius Klein. chief OF the bureau
OF foreign and domestic commerce
Of the department OF commerce.
and by a number Of representa-
tiyes of farmers organizations, at
the first meeting today of the Ma
tional Council Of Farmers Coop
erative Marketing Associations.
National organizations marketing
major commodities were repre-
scented by several hundred dele
gates from thirty states.
In a message of greeting, read
bv Senator Ernst, republican, Ken
lucky, the president declared ne
knew of mo single movement that
promises more help towards the
present relief and the permanent
betterment Of agricultural condi-
tons" than the cooperative or
ganization OF farmers to market
their products.
The system. Secretary Wallace
said, should act to avoid Cutting
markets with farm products and
at the same time to obvlate periods
Of scarcity. thus preventing both
ruinously low prices to producers
and high costs to consumers.
'If we can avoid these periods
Of feasts and famines," he added,
"the farmers will benefit more by
a fairly stable price and the con-
sumers will be able to buy what
they need at more reasonable
prices. Hence, as I see 1t, the or
ganization and successful conduct
of farmers cooperative assocla-
tions result in a benefit both to
the farmers and the people VINO
consume the products"
The department of agriculture
regards marketing as an essential
part of production, he said, land
il seems to us Just as much ouI
business to help the farmer mar
ket his crop intelligently and get
fair prices for them as it is to helr
him produce them in the first
place. A productive agriculture
must be a prosperous agriculture,
Declaring he wanted the govern
ment to do everything within
reason and sound procedure" for
the aid of the farmers, President
Harding said he was STILL more
anxious that the farmers shall
themselves cooperate TO make the
governments efforts doubly effi-
Pledges Of cooperation in the
councils efforts were made IN be-
half of their organizations by
Walton Peteet OF Texas, for the
National Farm Bureau Federation;
Representative John c, Ketcham
Of Michigan. former officer of the
National Grange, and w. G. Lans-
don of Kansas OF the Farmers
Union of America.
Aaron Sapiro Of San Francisco
general counsel for the co-opera'
tive associations. told the delegates
the principle of cooperation was
the merchandising Of crops rather
than dumping" them, utilization
by the producers Of the practice OF
spreading sales over a longer
period to increase returns, and the
prevention of high prices to con-
sumers by obviating periods OF
scarcity. He said cooperative
marketing was possible with every
crop but had not progressed far
with the great wheat crops because
OF the lack Of leadership.
Carl Williams, president of the
American Cotton Growers ex-
change, said $Z50.000 would have
been added to the buying power of
cotton producers this year had
they not been forced to dump
their crop on the market. He add
cd that. since July 1920. more
than 10000 cotton growers had
signed contracts in marketing as
sociations.