Omaha daily bee., 1922-01-24


I that the farmer must be ready Il
I help himself" he added "fhis con
ference would do most lasting good
II Il would lind ways 10 impress the
great mass OF iarmars 10 avail them
selves OF the best methods. by this
mean that Ia the last analysis, lex
islation can do little more than give
the farmer the chance 10 organize
aud help himself"
He then referred TO cooperative
marketing i, would be possible 10
afford TO the farmers. he said, ample
provision OF law under which they
may carry on IN cooperative fash
ion those business operations which
lend themselves 10 that method and
which thus handled would bring adj
yanlages TO both the farmer aud his
consuming public" The farmers, he
continued, must be responsible for
doing the rest. aud must themselves
learn organization aud the practical
procedure OF cooperation.
Lack OF essential Information. Mr..
Harding asserted. was one of the
most serious obstacles TO a proper
balancing OF agriculture production.
An too frequently. he said, such in
formation is gathered by private in
terests, whose concern is private
profit rather than the general good"
Mentions Acreage Limitation.
with proper financial support for
agriculture and with instrumental
ties Tor the collection and dissent
nation OF useful information" he
added, "a group OF cooperative mar
kcting organizations WOULD be able
TO advise their members as to the
probable demand jor staples, and TO
propose measures for proper limiia-
ton Of acresges in particular crops.
The certainty that such scientific dis
uibution OF production was to be OBJ
served would strengthen the credit
OF agriculture and increase the sccur-
ity on which financial advances
could be made to it. The disastrous
effects which arise from over-pro-
dnction are notorious.
1T is apparent that the interest
Of the consumer, quite equally with
that of the producer, demands meas.
ures to prevent these violent fluctu-
atoms and haphazard production.
Indeed the statistics of this entire
subject already clearly demonstrate
that the consumers concern for bet
ter stabilized conditions is quite
equal to that of the producer. The
farmer does not demand special con-
sideration to the disadvantage OF any
other class; he asks only for that
consideration which shall place his
vital industry on parity of oppor-
tunity with others and enable it to
serve the broadest interest"
Crisis May Result Well.
Turning to the subject OF trans
Dortation the president said that IF
broad visioned craftsmanship shall
establish fundamentally sound poll
cies toward transportation, the pres
ent crisis will one day be regarded |
as a piece of good fortune to the
nation"
ITO this time railroad constrnc-
ton, financing and operatios,@ he
added, have been urAcientific and
devoid of proper consideration for
the wider concerns Of the commu-
nifty. To say this is simply to admit
/ fact which applies to practically
every railroad system in the world"
Waterways have been too long
neglected. in America, he. declared,
adding that I'VE need a practical de- |
of water resources for
both transportation and power"
"a large share of railway tonnage I
S coal for railway fuel" he said. /
The experience of railway electrif;-
,ation demonstrates the possibility
# reducing this waste and increas-
ng efficiency. We may begin very |
Don to consider plans to electrify
'ur railroads. If such suggestion
GEMS to involve inordinate demands
lpon our financial and industrial
'ower it may be replied that three
generations ago the suggestion of
100000 miles OF railways
n this country would have been
couted as financial and industrial
mpossibility. Waterways improve
nent represents not only the pos
ibility of expanding our transport
alton system, but also of producing
lydro-electric power for its opera
ion and for the activities of widely
industry"
The national policy, ne said,
hould be to develop industry and
ommerce so that they might prosper
ide by side.>~
To this end, he continued, encour-
cement should be given to every
tactical proposal for watering arid
ands, draining swamp areas, reclaim
1g cutover forest areas and for pro-
ection of fertile valleys from nunda-
ion.
Farmer Must Be Expert.
. He declared there must be new
of the farmers place in
he social and economic scheme of /,
ne country.
The time is long past" he said,
when we may think OF farming as
n occupation fitting for the man who
not equipped for or has somehow
allied at some other line of endeavor.
he successful farmer of today far
-om being All unframed laborer
rorking every day and every hour !