Free trader-journal and Ottawa fair dealer. (Ottawa, Ill.) 1920-1927, 1922-01-06
FARMER MUST Be
PAID IF HE GOES ON
FEEDING MANKIND
EX-GOVERNOR FIR A NIX o
LOWDEN TELL S NEBRASKA
DATRYMEN's ASSOCIATION AT
MEe11NedN OMAHA.

omaha iNebr., Jan, 5.-If the farmer
is to conti9 ne to feed mankind, he
must be paid for his services and We
must provide warehouses for the sur.
pmses in bourn 'iful years Frank o.
Lowden, former Governor of Illinois,
told the Nebraska Dairyman's asso'
citation in convention here today,
"The farmer bellayes in the value
of what he produces and Knows that
il is indispensable TO- the world II
civilization is to go on, he Sa!d.
when he sees that the total value OF
an unusually large crop liz less in the
markets of the world than the yalue
of small crop, he knows that so me-
thing is wrong in our methods OF as
tribution He does not need to ne
familiar with higher mathematics tf
feel sure that twelve million bales OF
cotton ought to be worth more than
six million bales; for each OF the
twelve million bales will be genuine
" serviceable sooner or later III
clothing the world
%s''He has seen much improved mn
ancial conditions come to one great
section OF the country because OF an
abnomally short crop of that staple.
He can't persuade himself thai the
boil weevil is benefcient agent Oh
mankind. and yet he Is compelled, 70
admit that the cotton states are IN
debted to that little insect for THEN
improved financial condition.
I'VE know that no commodity will
.he long produced below the cost OF
production. and therefore il ought
never be necessary to market any
Farm commodity below such cost; for
If that commodity can be stored and
1held the world will have to pay the
cost some day.
These problems have been met and
solved, in a large measure, in Holland
and Denmark and among the fruit
growers of California. by the organi-
cation of farmers cooperative socie-
cites These societies do not attempt
TO arbitrarily fix prices. They do
Mstudy the probable demand and at
Tempt to adjust production to meet
that demand,
sA2 Instead of throwing the entire
seasons crop upon the market within
Ia few short weeks they provide for
orderly marketing OF their products.
The tendency Of this is TO stabilize the
market. And stabiligng the market
OF any product is in the end best for
s.sthe consumer and the producer ALIKE
II is never coed thing for anyone
tNhen any useful commodity is sold
for less than the cost, for under the
memorable laws OF economics cllrtaH
ed production viii follow until prices
abnormally high are the result Any
commodity that is produced proftably
wear after year viii Ia a long series
be produced more cheapiy than "hefe
there are violent fluctuations,
"When the price of wheat on Wed
nesfay Of one week is ten cents more
a. bushel than it was on the TUESDAY
of the week before, this law Of supply
and demand may mean the difference
between a profit or loss upon who'll
years work Of the farmer.
while in every other industry W
are abreast of the most advance
nations-in commerce, in manufaC
ture. in banking and merchandising
there is not a nation IN the Worl
that cannot teach America somethin
about farming This has been be
cause of the great abundance OF fei
tile lands in this country, so that "
could exhaust one field and then NOV
on West and take up virgin land
"lf our farm is worn out it is GU
own fault. and if We do not restore
is n
" our fault, but it is an act OF pos
,otive treachery to the generations ina
shall come after US