The Washington times., 1923-10-15
BALANCED CROP
HELD NEED Of
FARMERS
E. 7. Meredith, Former Secre-
tary ofrAgriculture, Tells of
Remedies for Ills.
BY WILLIAM X. HUTCHINSON.
international News Service.

international News Service.
A balanced agricultural produc.
elon, through proper diversification
. OF crops, is the most vital problem
} now confronting the American
farmer, E. T. Meredith, former Sec
+. retary of Agriculture, declared today
in an exclusive review of farm cor
ditions for International News Serv-
ice. He stressed the Importance Of
Governmental Interpretation of
the law of supply and demand as u
means or removing the menace Of
farm depression.
Il heartily indorse the idea of co
operative marketing associations,
which the present Administratio
urges as a form of relief" Meredith
said. "It is an efficiency, and the
farmer needs this service along with
adequate transportation, ample
financing, cheaper credits and the
practice of modern methods in crop
production.
Other Remedies.
''I don't feel it is a complete rem
edy, for there are other steps which
must be taken. The Government
should in some way interpret the
law Of supply and demand in terms
which can be understood by Ill
farmers, and they, as other busi-
ness men, can appreciate a problem
stated in terms Of dollars and cents.
"A vital need in agriculture is to
place the farmer upon the same Geo.
1omic basis of employment now en-
Joyed in other industries. This is
the privilege to know in advance
= n aWlon - As< L.
receive for the units of his produc.
ton granted that his efforts are
successful, although he, as all other
business men, viii face the hazards
OF his work
The farmer asks no guaranteed
profit. He does not ask to be re-
lieved of the natural hazards, which
ere droughts, pests and frosts, but
he does feel the need Of some
@ounder basis than a hope Of price
UPON which to plan his years work.
IN other words, he needs an inter.
pretation OF the law OF supply and
demand upon which he can rely"
Sees Good Trade Ahead.
The Secretary was optimistic over
the Industrial outlook. He declared
the 1928 income Of American farm.
ers would exceed that OF 1922 by
posSlDIy $1,000 900 ,O00.s
''In my opinion, therefore, busi-
ness will continue 1t fits present fair
rate for some time to come" lie
added.
Meredith also issued a plea for
'13air play" to farmers, declaring
that Government statistics proved
that all business conditions are in
'fluenced largely by the agricultural
situations. From 1879, when there
was one business house to each 1875
acres of improved land, industry in
creased relatively with agriculture
until, in 1920, there were 500, 600, 900
acres of improved land and 800, 300
business cohcerns, or one business
house to each 275 acres of farm
land.
On the other hand, he continued,
Government statistics proved that
agriculture depressions brought con-
current business depressions. From
1866 to 1922 the records showed each
wave of farm depression was accom-
panied by an increase in commercial
failures.
Cites Past Experience.
"Our experience. of the last two
years demonstrates this principle"
Meredith said I'm 1921 business ex-
perienced the most serious depres-
sion in years, but in December of
that year farm prices began to re-
cover. BY March, 1922, 1t was OBJ
vious the farmers were in for good
year and business in general imme-
diately responded. At the end CT
1922 a review showed the farmers
income had increased almost $1,000
600 600 and business in general had
correspondingly benefited.
THE American people should be
vitality interested in the farmers
situation, because the farmer gets
the income first and the prosperity
Of business, in most cases, really
comes second-handed from him. If
the farmer gets a fair return, busi-
ness Immediately is doomed. In most
cases the farmers battles should he
our battles and we should take a
greater interest in this meal.ticket
of ours.
I'VE should see he gets a square
deal, because he hasn't gotten 1T,
and he knows 1t, but with it all, he
is not radical. We should realize
that helpful activity on our part to-
ward the farmer is rendering the
nation and ourselves real service.
"It will mean more satisfied homes
and a solid founda ation under the ma
tion with no BOlsheVism, no an
archists and no radicals"
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