Evening star., 1925-12-07
PRESIDENT URGES
FARMERS TO STAND
ON OWN RESOURCES
Holds Much Can Be Accom-
pIished by Development
of Co-0peratives.
DECLARES PR!CE-FlXING
WOULD DEFEAT OWN END
Remarks Before Federation Be.
lieved to Express Policy of
Administration.
BY j. RI SSELL NOt NJ
STAN Correspondent OF The star

BY j. RUSSELL YOUNG
STAN Correspondent OF The StaF-
CHICAGO. Ill. December 7.--Presi-
dent Coolidge firmly believes that for
Il more orderly marketing of farm
products calculated to secure better
range of prices. the cooperative move
ment promises the greatest success.
In his opinion, cooperative market
ing. supplemented by more adequate
and better warehouse and storage
facilities, and supplied with necessary
financial credit Will be the means of
solving the present agricultural sur
plus problem and will place agricul
ture upon a sound and independent
basis. He does not think the Federal
Government should undertake to con
troll or direct this form of marketing.
but actively and energetically 1t
should assist all efforts in this direC
ton. and he proposes 10 assist the
farmers to promote their welfare
through cooperative marketing.
The President so expressed himself
here today while addressing the an
nual meeting OF the American Farm
Bureau Federation. His audience on
this occasion was composed almost en-
tlrely Of persons engaged directly in
. agriculture and agriculture develop
ment, and his utterances were con-
sidered all the more significant be
cause they not only candidly expressed
the Executives personal viewpoint,
but very clearly forecasted that the
policy of his administration will be
toward agricultural legislation during
the coming session of Congress.
Tariff and Agriculture.
This address, which is the second
one the President has made out of
Washington during the past two
weeks. and the second one he has
made in Chicago within the year, was
devoted entirely to agriculture. He
touched upon the tariff. but only as
It related to the interest of the farmer
He differed from those who are urging
a revision of the tariff, claiming that
1t is working to the detriment OF the
American farmer. In his opinion the
present tariff Is proving TO be a great
benefit to agriculture as a whole and
he would not care to see any revision.
Neither would he care to see the Gov
ernment fix prices-as possible means
Of bringing relief to the farmer
He was quite uutspeken IN his oppo-
sition to the Government engaging in
buying and selling farm produce
thereby directly or indirectly guaran-
teeing prices to the farmers This he
declared would be a dangerous under
taking, explaining that, no matter how
it Is disguised, the moment the Gov
ernment engages In buying and sell
ing, by that act it is fixing prices Be
sides, price fixing. in his opinion.
would in the end destroy the independ-
ence of the farmer of this country and
would also destroy cooperative asso-
Citations and all other marketing ma
chinery. No one can compete with
the Federal Government. he warned
his audience.
No Fear of Decadence.
Considering the agricultural uues-
ton broadly the President said il is
not only one of production, but a
question of price and distribution as
well. According TO his information.
farm conditions as a whole are en-
couraging and there is no fear that
agriculture. which holds such a domi-
nant position in this country, is be-
coming decadent. He does not want
to see any cessation of effort looking
toward the constant Improvement of
agriculture. OF the various sugges-
tions offered for relief and improve
ment, the cooperative marketing
method is, in his opinion, by far the
best and most practica BILE He realizes
the surplus production when it arises
and If this is to be done. and the
prices for farm products which have
been so greatly reduced compared
with the war era are to be bettered
1t will be through a we'll established
cooperative movement and not by
Government control and price fixing
or by tinkering with the tariff on
goods purchased by the farmer.
Business of Co-operatives.
President Coolidge called attention
to the fact that already cooperative
organizations are handling s2,50O, ,000.-
600 of farm produce, or nearly one
fifth of the annual production. Dis
cuSSing further the question of sur
plus production. he said IF by over
production is meant the constant rails
ing of larger supply than is needed,
1t is difficult to conceive of any rem
edy except reduced production in any
such commodity. But there are, of
course, accidental surpluses due to
more faborable weather conditions.
which ought to be managed so that
they can be spread over a year or two
without depressing prices"
The most sensible way to solve this
problem, according to the Executives
viewpoint, would be the initiative of
the farmers themselves, with such as
sistance as can be given by the Gov
ernment without assuming responsi-
bility for business management.
through financing and by means of
the cooperative movement While he
declared himself to be so whole heart
edly in favor of such a movement he
did say that he would, of course, be
willing to approve any plan that can
be devised in accordance with sound
and economic principles.
Must Have Business Basis.
He warned his audience that to have
agriculture worth anything it must
rest on an independent business ba sis.
contending that it cannot at the same
time be part private business and
part Government business. He be-
lieves the Government should give
every possible assistance, but that it
ought to leave it as the support, the
benefit, and the business of the peo-
pie. He considers the cooperative
movement as the most important de-
velopment of late years. Much can
be done to take care of the ordinary
surplus If the agriculturists make use
of the economic information furnish
ed by the Department Of Agriculture
and the Department of Commerce, and
If money lending institutions would
give business advice to farmers az
well as credit and If better warehouse
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