The daily times., 1922-01-31

speculatively manipulated Dricea
spoilage, waste. scarcity, the resulta
Of defective distribution Of farm prod.
ucts. Should II not occur to ~ that
we have q common interest with the
farmer In his attempts to attain q de-
gree of efficiepcy In distribution cor
responding to his efnciency In prsduc-
tfon7 Do not the recent nucsuatious
N the May wheat option. apparently
unrsfated to normal interaction oe
supply and demand, OFFER . timely
proos OF the need Of some such statii-
'izlng agency as the grain growers have
In contemplattgni -.
Is contended that, II their pro.
posed organizations be perfected aud
operated. the farmers viii have Ia
their hands an instrument that will be
capable Of dangerous abuse. We arc
told that 1t will be possible to pervert
1t to arbitrary and oppressive price
nxing from Its legitimate use Of order
Ing and stabllizing the fiow Of farm
products to the market, TO the mutual
benefit of producer and consumer.
have no apprehensions on this point.
IN the frst place, loose organiza-
tion, such as any union OF farmers
must be at best. cannot be SO aEbi-
trariiy and promptly controlled as d
great corporation. The one is 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
NJ ftm0 In AvinD h0
law of supply and demand works In
various and surprising ways. to the
undoing Of the best laid plans that
attempt to foil 1t. In the third place.
their power will avail the farmers
nothing II 1t be abused In our time
and country power IL Of value to its
possessor only so long as 1t Is not
abused. 1t Is fair to say that I have
seen no signs in responsible quarters
OF disposition. to dictate prices.
There seems. On the contrary, to be q
commonly beneffciai purpose to realize
stability that will give an orderly
and abundant now Of farm products
to the consumer and ensure reasonable
and dependable returns to the pro-
ducer
In view Of the supreme Importance
to the national well-being Of a pros
perons and contented agricultural pop
uiation. we should be prepared to go
a long way In assisting the farmers to
get an equitable share Of the wealth
they produce, through the Inaugural
tion OF reforms that will procure q
continuous and increasing stream Of
farm products They are far from get
ting a 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 occupa tional class, with the
possible exception Of teachers, reli-
gious and lay. Though We know that
the present general distress Of the
farmers is exceptional and Is linked
with the Inevitable economic readjust-
ment following the war, 1t must be
remembered that, although represent
ing onethird OF the Industrial product
f., and half the total population Of the
nation, the rural communities ordf-
narily enjoy but Il 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 lower standard of living
among the cotton farmers Of the South
than in any other pursuit in the country.
In conclusion, it seems to me that the
farmers are chiefly striving for a gen.
orally beneficial integraton of their
business, of the same kind and charac-
ter that other business enjoys. If 1t
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, If 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 if we MAIN
tain d detached and judicial viewpoint,
remembering that existing wrongs may
be chiefly an accident of unsymmetri-
cal economic growth instead Of a crea-
ton of malevolent design and conspira-
cy We Americans are prone. as Pro-
feSsor David Friday well says in his
admirable DO k. Profits. Wages and
Prices" to seek a "criminal intent be-
hind every difficult and undesirable eco
nomir situation" I can positively as
sert from my contact with men OF
large affairs, Including bankers. that,
as whole they are endeavoring to
fulfill as they see them the obligations
that 20 with their power preoccupied
with fine grave problems AMI heavy
tasks Of their own immediate affairs.
they have not turned their thoughtful
personal attention or their construc-
tive abilities 80 the def dC.iencies Of agri-
cultural business organization. AgFi-
culture. il may be said. suffers from
their r.poccHpatinn and negle t rather
than from any purpoSeful exploitation
hx tse.n. They ought now 10 begin to
resnond IL t.a farmers difficulties.
which they mnst realize are their own.
On the olEer hand. NY contacts with