Atlanta tri-weekly journal. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1920-19??, 1924-11-20
.LOWDEN DISCUSSES
MARKET PROBLEMS
BEFORE ATLANT|ANS

business men the country over
must realize that stabilized aSricul
ture is the fundamental basis of our
national life" former Governor
Frank O. Lowden, of Illinois, said
Monday morning at the state capitol
while speaking on the purposes, de-
velopment and results of coopera-
tive marketing of farm products.
"rhe nation that permits its agr1-
culture to decay is itself decadent,
and unless the farmers of America
are enabled to regain their rishtul
share of prosperity, our agricultural
foundation will crumble and our
place among the nations of the earth
will be shaken"
Governor Lowden, himself "dilt
farmer" with extensive cotton plan
tations in Arkansas and large dairy
interests in Illinois, is deeply in
terested in cooperative marketing,
disposing of his farm products
through such organizations and aid
ing the development of the coopera-
tive movement. He spoke here under
the auspices and at the invitation of
the Georgia Cotton Growers Coop
erative Marketing association. j. n.
ConWell president of the assocla-
ton, presided, and the former gov
ernor's address was followed by brief
talks by Eugene r. Black, president
of the Atlanta Trust company, and
Clark Howell, ST., editor of The At
lanta Constitution.
The hall of the house of repre-
sentatives was crowded by farmers,
bankers and business men and the
spacious galleries were we'll filled
by the overflow.
Recalls Post War Crash
Governor Lowden showed how dur
ing the postwar period, when it was
expected that prices Of all commodl-
ties would decline to something ap-
preaching the pre-war basis, only
the prices of farm products were de-
creased, while practically all other
commodities remained ct high
figures. This situation brought about
disastrous conditions in agriculture,
he explained, and was due in large
measure to the fact that producers
of all commodities except those from
agriculture organized to protect their
interests, leaving the farmers "out
in the cold' so to speak, and with
out resources to prevent their ruin.
Had the farmers been organized,
their products would have been stabi-
lized, as were the products of other
industries" Governor LOWden said,
land agriculture would not have
suffered the disasters that have over
taken it in the past four years"
Farmers are the last to realize
the need for organization, but If
every farmer in America could see
what maryels have been wrought Ny
organization in Holland, they would
hesitate no longer"
He told of the organized dairy
interests among the Dutch where
remarkable development has result
ed, fair and reasonable prices have
been ablished, and the prosperity
of the farmers is the wonder of tho
world.
You hear the argument that the
law of supply and demand regulates
prices regardless of all other influ-
ences and considerations" he said,
'but this theory does not take into
account the fact that the time, place
and amount of the commodity has
a tremendous influence on prices.
Competition is play ing less and less
part in fixing prices. The control
of the time of selling, the place of
selling and the amount of the COM
modify sold, almost entirely fixes TIE
price. The farmer alone is powerless
to exercise this control, but with or
ganiZation he is able to protect his
interests.
Other Opposition Exploded
Another argument used against
cooperative marketing is that it en-
tails loss of liberty of action on the
part of the farmer. About the only
liberty of action he has now is that
of saying Yes when somebody else
fixes the price for his product and
says will you take it or leave it?'
AT one time last year the govern
ment cotton crop estimate was for
II 400, 900 bales, and the price stood
at 80 cents pound. A few days
later a new estimate came out for
100000 bales; and the price drop
ped to "a cents. That was an in
crease of about per cent in es-
timated production and a drop of 20
per cent in price. In no other in
dustry could such a thing have hap
pened, and it would no. have hap
pened, and it would not have hap
ton farmers been organized and in
a position to control the larger por-
ton of the crop.
"An enrolment of 80 per cent of
the cotton farmers of the south in
cooperative marketing associations
could stop such wild market fluctua-
tions, stabilize the industry and put
an end to the uncertainty that now
prevails"
Governor Lowden pointed out that
the consumer is vitality interested in
the welfare Of the farmer, for #. the
farmers of the country get discour-
aged and quit, the prices of all COM
moditieS must soar, thus resulting
disastrously for the buying public.
He showed how it is to the vast ad
vantage Of ever phase of business
activity to keep the farmer pros
porous, for without a sound agriCul-
tural basis. business cannot hope to
succeed.
Nation Founded ON Farms
Every great nation of history has
had its foundation in the soil, and
when its agriculture waned, it fell
into decadence.' he declared. Rome
allowed its agriculture to decay, and
the fall of that great empire was
fastened. Our own country is fac
ing the question of whether the farm
ers, he great bulwark of our ma
tional life and prosperity, shall De
aided and encoura eed, or whether
they shall continue to struggle hope
lessIy against overwhelming odds