The Omaha morning bee., 1925-04-12

uation. in varying degree. and in
differing conditions is true all through
the farming industry. The cure-all
advocates make their mistake be
cause they fail TO realize that farm
ing. or agriculture is an industry. 1t
must be considered as an industry.
As an industry it must work out Its
problems. Diversified farming Is the
answer in thousands of cases. More
and better farm credits solves many
vexing difficulties. Cooperative mar
keting will solve others. Neither of
them will solve all the problems and
there are many other problems that
all of them together will not solve.
The farmers who have built CO
operative elevators for handling wheat
and corn may have saved themselves
some OF the spread between producer
and consumer. That is not eo-opera-
tive marketing. however. 1t assures
the farmers who use these elevators
that they will get the full market
value for their product, with mini
mum charge for handling. They are
still victims of the great drift in mar
ket levels. however, due TO supply
and demand.
Denmark Not All Example.
We have held up to us as an ex-
ample the cooperative marketing
plans in operation in other countries.
Particularly Denmark is cited. There
are counties in some of the western
states that are bigger than all of
Denmark.
Besides. the chief efforts of agricul-
tural in Denmark are directed toward
dairying. What general farming Is
done is as a support to dairying. In
q county where the farms can be
counted in a weeks time, where all
Of the farm owners could be gath
cred together in a comparatively few
meetings. where farm processes can
be readjusted TO suit a given pur-
pose, cooperative marketing becomes
not only possible but practical.
Then, with all their success in CO.
operation. would the Danish farmers
standard of living be considered as
applicable to American experience?
No. American farm problems must be
solved with an American plan. The
American farm producer is the most
efficient producer in the world. In
this country we have less than 4 per
cent of the farmers of the world.
This 4 per cent, however, produce
nearly 70 per cent. of the worlds
corn; 60 per cent OF the worlds cot
ton; 80 per cent OF the worlds
tobacco; 25 per cent of the worlds
oats and hay; 20 per cent of the
wheat and flax seed OF the world: 13
per cent OF the barley and per cent
of the potatoes of the world.
Americans Most Efficient.
These figures stated in a different
way, mean that the American farmer
raises more per unit of man power
than the farmers of all the rest of
the world. The American farms
raise in cereals II tons per man en-
gagged in farm work. The farmers
of the rest of the world raise only
IA tons per man.
Cooperation should not be thought
OF as applying to any particular class
of business or individuals. 1t covers
multitude of activities, In fact, any
association OF persons for their com
mon benefit in any pursuit of life.
1t is not newt has been used for
centuries among industrial workers,
producers, consumers, distributors.
insurers, borrowers and lenders of
capital
Another thing to be borne in mind
Is that the term cooperation as
applied TO selling organizations, Is
sharing Cooperative selling can
mean only one thing, and that is,
the association of a definite list of
individuals for the marketing of
their own products only. The profits
OF such cooperation less any neees-
sary expense, TO be distributed pro
rata among the members. II the
matter OF barter .and sale of their
own products where different mem
bers receive different prices for their
product according to the market at
the time of sale, or where products
Of others not members OF the associa-
tion, are dealt in, It Is not ''co-opera-
ton" The proper term Is such cases
Is that of "profit-sharing. In other
words. the association instead of be-
ing a cooperative marketing assoeia-
tion, becomes an ordinary business
venture with the members as share
holders. subject TO all the rules of
trade.
Figures Arc Big Need.
However. let US go ahead with our
diversified farming plans. our farm
credit plans and our plans for co
operative keting-recognizing all
the time, that they will be effective
only In certain instances-and then
place more reliance upon the intelli
gence of the individual farmer.
Teach him the truth of the law of
supply and demand. lie knows IT
now, to greater extent than some
are willing to agree. Supply him
through the Department of Agrieul-
ture. and state agricultural colleges,
with the figures of past years-fig-
urcs showing the relation of farm
production and farm prices. Give
him regularly charts showing produc-
tion curves and price curves for all
the principal farm products. then rely
upon his common sense as a bust
ness man to cut his cloth accord
ingly.
Cure-AIIs Are Worthless.
The manufacturing industry OF the
country is built moro upon the uses
to which individual manufacturers