Oxford eagle., 1922-01-19
Nv

/ Now, what is the farmer asking!
| Without trying to catalogue the re-
| medal measures that have been sug-
/ gested in his behalf, the principal pro-
| posals that bear directly on the i'm
provement Of his distributing and mar
keting relations may be summarized as
follows -
First: storage warehouses for cot
| ton, wool, and tobacco, and elevators
! for grain, of sufficient capacity to meet
| the maximum demand on them at the
peak Of the marketing period. The
| farmer thinks that either private capi-
! tai must furnish these facilities. or the
state must erect and own the eleva-
| tors and warehouses
Second: weighing and grading OF
agricultural products, and certifcatf0n
thereof, to be done by impartial and
disinterested public inspectors (this 10
already accomplished to some extent
by the federal licensing Of weighers
and gvaders). to eliminate underpay-
ing, overcharging, and unfair grading.
and to facilitate the utilization Of the
stored products as the basis Of credit.
Third q certainty Of credit sufficient
to enable the marketing Of products
In an orderly manner.
Fourth: the Department of Agricul-
ture should collect. tabulate, summa-
rize, and regularly and frequently pub
lish and distribute to the farmers, full
information from all the markets Of
the world. so that they shall be as well
informed Of their selling position as
! buyers now are Of their buying posi-
tiOn.
Fifth: freedom to integrate the busi-
ness Of agriculture by means OF con-
solidated selling agencies, co-ordinat-
ing and cooperating in such way as to
put the farmer on an equal footing
with the large buyers OF his products
and with commercial relations in other
industries.
When business requires specialized
talent, 1t has 10 buy 1t. So will the
farmers; and perhaps the best way for
them to get it would be to utilize some
Of the present machinery of the larg-
est established agencies dealing in
farm products. OF course, If he wishes,
the farmer may 60 further and engage
in fiour-inilling and other manufactures
OF food products, In my opinion,
however he would be wise to- stop
short OF that. Public interest may be
opposed to all great integrations: but,
in Justice, should they be forbidden to
the farmer and permitted to Others?
The corporate form Of association can
not now be wholly adapted to his OBJ
iects and conditions The looser CO.
operative form seems more generally
suitable. Therefore. he wishes to be
free, II ne finds It desirable and feas-
ible, to resort to cooperation with his
fellows and neighhors, without run
ming afoul Of the law. To urge that
the farmers should have the same lib
erty to consolidate and coordinate
their peculiar economic functions,
which other industries In their fields
enjoy, Is not, however, to concede that
any business integration should have
legislative sanction to exercise monop-
olistic power. The American people
ave as firmly opposed to industrial as
to political autOcracy. whether at
tempted BY rural or by urban industry.
For lack Of united effort the farmers
as q whole are still marketing their
crops By antiquated methods, or By no
methods al all, but they are surrounded
by business world that has been
modernized to the last minute and II
tirelessly striving for ef1ciency. This
efIlciency Is due In large measure to
big business, to united business u y
texAted business The FARMERS, nsw
seek the benefits - sp<A IargsAssR y
lon and infegratisn.
TIE American farmer b = neoern sf
the moderns In the use ef labsr saving
ma achinery, and be has made vast
strides In recent years \ scientific
tillage and efficient farm management
hut as business IN contact with ethel
businesses agriculture Is zone horse
shay In competition with high powe,
automobiles The American farmer Is
the greafest and most intracfable OF
individualists. While Industrial pro
.iuction and all phases Of the huge COM
fnercial mechanism and Its myriad at
cessories have articulated and co-ortli
mated themselves an the way from nat
saral raw maferiale 70 retail sales, The
huotnens az agriculture haa zone on n
much the one man faghion * the hack
Woo6S ~ ~ hfgt poIt q tne me
fol1 eontury. wnon ~ 1ns1les WlID