Fitzgerald leader enterprise and press. (Fitzgerald, Ben Hill County, Ga.) 1921-1964, 1924-04-03
PRODUCERS MUST STAND TOGETHER

The fight OF the producers of farm crops for a
share of what the consumers pay is on in earnest
The middeman is a necessity, but there have been
too many of them and their methods have been
inefficient. They have consequently had to take
too large toll for the services rendered A small
Ter number could have rendered the same service
even a better service, and would have had to take
less total toll for their support.
The best thought of the world today is seeking
method of getting the products of the farms to
the consumers at less cost. The efforts thus far
begun seek more direct road from the producer
to the consumer; the lessening of the number OF
mddlemen and their profits and more efficient
marketing, thereby reducing the costs and ncreas-
ing returns to the producer, while essening the
costs to the consumer
In the South most attention has been given to
the better marketing of cotton because it is our
most important sales crop. The progress made in
organizing better method of selling the produc-
ers cotton has been rapid and it has now develop
cd to such dimensions that it is attracting the at
tention Of cotton brokers and spectators, of the
vast numbers of cotton middlemen.
Naturally, but unwisely, these middlemcn have
become alarmed at the dangers of losing some of
their past privileges and profits, and have begun
concerted, unfair campaign to block and destroy
the farmers cooperative marketing OF cotton. They
overlook the fact that economic laws are forcing
better marketing OF cotton and foolishly think
they can scotch the wheels of progress for their
own selfish gain. Fair business competition is the
only method they effectively use to check the
growth and success of the cooperative marketing
OF cotton. If the present cooperative method of
marketing cotton are economically sound they
will succeed in spite of the effort of SPECTATORS
and mlddemen If they are not sound they will
fail withaut the unfair fight which is being waged
against them.
No combination of selfish interests. no amount
OF falsehood and Misrepresentation or manipula-
ton OF the markets can kill the cooperative mar
ketlng OF cotton II the principles are sound and
are followed with ordinary business Judgment In
fact, the sort Of fight the cotton middlemen are
now waging against the cooperatives can and will
serve no purpose than to stimulate farmers to
greater effort to unite them in purpose and effort
and to arouse in them all the fight of which honest
free men are capable. If there ever was time
when farmers should Join in solid body to fight
tor their economic rights it is now If there ever
""' campaign against lhtu HlIc1cSCS put on ana
conducted by unfair methods it is the campaign of
abuse and misrepresentation now being put on by
the cotton middlemen to smash the farmers coop
erative marketing of cotton.
The policy of the cooperative marketing associa-
tons has been to attack no one to engage in no
thing except clean high class business competition
and to recognize the right of the middleman to
tair pay for a service rendered But this does not
SUIT the cotton spectators and brokers' The sue
cess OF the cooperative shows plainly that the cot
ton mlddeman has been taking a toll too large
Tor the service rendered and the mddlemen al.
ready see the handwriting on the wall But unfair
tactics and misrepresentation never permanently
won any fight for special privileges
We miss guess very much if the sort Of
hight the cotton middlemen are putting on does
not arouse the farmers of the South 70 ,o;rt
where they will unite in one solid BODY TO fioht
and fight hard and efficiently for the right to mar
ket their own cotton. Only lack of KNOWLEDGE
oil facts prevents 20 percent of the farmers of the
south putting their cotton in the hands of their
cooperative marketing associations Such action
would prevent manipulation of the markets bv
spectators and stabilize the market under the law
OF supply and demand to the benefit of the nroduc
ers and splnners and consumers The wonder ;e
hat at least the producers and spinners do not see
this and realize that no power on earth can DESTROY
the cooperatives, because they are Fundamentally
sound in economics
The time has come for every farmer to show on
which side he stands. If under present conditions
ne Will no Join the fight for his economic RIGHTS he
Goes not deserve economic Observation-Disclosures
(Ala) Daily Citizen.
The Michigan Supreme Court did well to up-