The Jasper weekly courier. [volume] (Jasper, Ind.) 1858-1922, 1922-01-27
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Now, what f. the farmer sskinef
Without trying 10 catalogue the ~
medal measures thar have been sug-
gested In his behalf. the principal pro-
posals that bear directly or the i'm
prOvement OF his distributing and mar
keting relations may be summarized sc
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 certificstlSn
thereof, TO be done by impartial and
disinterested public inspectors (this is
already accomplished 10 some extent
by the federal licensing Of weighers
and graders), to eliminate underpay-
ing, overcharging, and unfair grading.
and TO facilitate the utilization Of the
stored products as the basis Of credit.
Third: certainty Of credit sufficient
10 enable the marketing OF products
In an orderly manner.
Fourth: the Department OF Agrlcul-
ture should collect, tabulate, summa-
rize, and regularly and frequently pub
lish and distribute to the farmers, full
information from ell tho markets OF
the world. so that they shall be as well
Informed OF their selling position as
buyers now are Of their buying posi-
ton.
Fifth: freedom to integrate the bust.
ness OF agriculture by means OF con-
solidated selling agencies, co-ordlnat.
( 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 a business requires specialized
talent, 1t has to buy It. So will the
farmers; and perhaps the best way for
them 10 get II would be TO utilize some
OF the present machinery OF the larg-
sst established agencies dealing In
farm products. OF course. II he wishes,
the farmer may go further and engage
In -four milling 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 integratlons; but.
IN justice, should they be forbidden to
the farmer and permitted TO othersS
The corporate form Of association cam
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, IL he finds II desirable and feas-
ble, TO resort TO cooperation with his
fellows and ReighbOrs, without run
ming afoul OF the law. To urge that
the farmers should have the same I'D.
erty TO consolidate and coordinate
their peculiar economic functions.
which other industries In their fields
enjoy, Is not, however, 10 cOncede thar
any business integration should have
legislative sanction TO exercise mOnOp-
olistic power. The American people
aN as firmly opposed 10 industrial as
10 political autocracy. whether at
tempted by rural or by urban industry.
For lack OF united effort the farmers
as whole are still marketing their
crops by antiQuated methods, or by no
methods at all. but they are surrounded
by business world that has been
rA0dernized 10 the last minute and Is
tirelessly striving for efficiency. This
efficiency is due In large measure 10
big business, 10 united business. TO In
teerated business The farmers now
seek the benefits & such largeness, un-
ion and integratiOn.
The American farmer Is a modern OF
the moderns in the use Of labor saving
machinery. and he has made vast
strides In recent years In scientific
tillage and efficient farm mana cement,
businesses agriculture is zone horse
shay i'm competition with high power
automobiles. The American farmer is
the greatest and most intractable OF
Individualists. While industrial pro
ducti0n and all phases OF the huge com
p,ercial mechanism and It's myriad &C.
cessories have a-ticulated and cO-OTdl.
mated themselves all the way from nat
tIral raw materials To retail sales, the
business Of agriculture has gone on In
1uch the one man fashion Of the back
woods Of the first part ~ the nine
teeDrh century. when the farmer wss
self sufficient and did not depend upon.
or care very much. what the great
world was doing. The result Is that
, The agricultural group IL almost as
much at a disadvantage In dealing with
other economic groups as the jay farm
er Of the funny pages In the hands OF
sleek han confidence men. who sell
him acreage In Central Park OF the
Chicago city hall The leaders OF the
farmers thoroughly understand this,
and they are intelllgently striving 10
T lntegrate their Industry 80 that II will
be on al equal footing with other bust
, neSses
/ As an example Of integration. take
the steel Industry. In which the model
= IS the United States Steel Corporation
! With lis Iron mines. It's coal mines, Ia
1 lake and rail transportation. Its ocean
! vessels. It's by-product coke ovens. if'
> blast furnaces. Its cpen hearth ant
|. Bessemer furnaces. It's rolling mills. it'
tube mills aud other maautacturin: