The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1923-01-05
REED DISCUSSES
MARKET PROBLEM
State Farm Bureau Chief
Gives Address
GREAT LAND NEED
Lack Proper Facilities For Dis
tribution Crop Products Is
Stressed
ASSOCIATED Press Dispatch.I


tribution of farm products and no
over production of these produCt'
is the basis for the existing agri
cultural difficulties, declared J. +
Reed, president of the Minnesota
Farm Bureau Federation in address
ing the morning session of the
fourth annual convention of tina
organization which opened thi:
morning al the University Farm
Proof for this declaration, he as
serted. lies in the fact that mil
lions of civilized people are toda!
going improperly nourished and i'm
properly clothed.
The marketing and distributor
OF farm products from the earliest
beginning OF agriculture was giver
by The producers TO a class which
through long series of years has
built up a system that only take:
into consideration the producers in
terest in production. This system is
beth economically and ethicaliy
wrong.
To-day, the farmers, OF America
are growing their products if not al
an actual loss. at less than fail
remuneration on the capital invest
ment and labor requirements. This
condition can not long continue. In
natural sequence a shortage of farm
products will be the inevitable re-
suit.
Il think this condition arises
through the inability OF marketing
organizations to function properly;
the wrong advice given by leaders
and by the wrong publicity pursued
by the department of agriculture. in
properly directing the farmers eff
forts"
Jealous of Producers Move
Present market organization and
market machinery, Mr.. Reed point
ed out, are jealous of any effort on
the part of the producers to follow
the products of the farm to the con-
sumner. Laws have been enacted, he
continued, which are not in the In
terest of the producer. and as soon
as an effort is made TO form pro
ducer's organization, legal obstruct-
ions are thrown in the way;
.,
in a determined effort on the part OF
PRODUCERS to so amend the laws that
their products can be handled by
their own organizations, IL l pro-
pa-ly guage the temper of agricul-
trre today, producers organizations
are going forward in spite of all OBJ
stacles and handicaps.
Minnesota. Mr.. Reed declared
leads all other states in cooperative
marketing, with nearly half OF its
products set before the consumer in
this manner.
I'm every instance where CO.
operative marketing has been. car
ried on with ordinary business
saving TO the producer. With this
thought in mind and operating Yin
der the present conditions which
faces agriculture, our producers are
going to insist that they have a free
hand in carrying their products to
the consumer.
Address BY CoyerdaIe
Speaking before the convention
today. John w. Coverdale- secretary
OF the American Farm Bureau Fed
Grafton, traced the farm bureau
movement through it's tour distinctive
steps the county agent, the de-
i
help that agent, the grouping OF
county associations into state fed
erations' and finally the grouping OF
these state declarations into the
present national organiZation-into
the largest farm organization in the
history of the world.
The movement Mr.. Coverdale de-
clared, at the present time has L.
SIS county divisions spread over AZ
states and has a membership of l.
$4,000 persons.
1.-The farm bureau aims TO replace
no other organization" the national
secretary declared, Its membership
includes farmers of nearly all other
associations. II believes that the
safeguarding and promotion of agri-
cultural interest are vital TO the
public welfare, and that these in
terests can best be protected by the
united action of all, regardless OF
factional or political differences. Its
program is. one of mutual self help
for the farmers" "
Marketing and finance. instructive
information and legislation, ranked
in the order of their Importance. are
the major problems confronting the
American farmers OF today, MI.
Coverdale continued.
must sell something which he pro-
duces, and If there is no market Tor
that product, or the price at his
market center is below the cost OF
production, then his energy has been
expended without giving him any
return to better the conditions OF
his home life. T..
Production Is The Slogan
Production was the slogan dur
ing the war. and it remains so to-
day. But il must be an intelligent
production carried on in a business
5 like manner and with a full know :
lelge of marketing facilities that
will return a profit to the producer:
The farmers second fundamental
problem is finance. II takes capital
to be a farmer under present con
ditions. He needs a financial system
built on thorough understanding
of the farmers needs. A commercial
mans bank is of small use to him,
The farmers business is not done
In 60 days. His turnover is. annual.
Legislation from the stand point
of the farmer does not mean class
legislation nor politics. However
there are some things relative To
building up Americas agricultural
Industry which requires legislative
attention. Working S.ong this line
the farm bureau office at Washing
ton rendered fine service to the Tar
-. ao-aciallv since the agricul :