Evening star., 1927-11-13


that the Government itself enter di-
rectly and actively into the buying of
farm products for this purpose until
| and unless it is conclusively demon
strated by experiment that the result
cannot be accomplished in any other
| way. The commission suggests, there
| fore, that a Federal farm board con-
Sisting of a small number of men ap-
pointed by the President should be
established to aid in the stabilization
Of prices and production in agricul
| ture by advising farmers and farm
organizations fully and promptly re-
garding the planning of production
and the marketing of crops.
Sterilization Agencies.
With the advice and assistance of
| the Federal Farm Board, effort should
be made to organize stabilization cor
porations to engage in the buying and
selling Of farm products for the sta
bilizing of prices. Such organization
should be established through the CO.
operation Of farm organizations, or
private business organizations and of
the Government acting through the
Federal Farm Board, each supplying
part Of the capital necessary. The
Federal Government should at no time
hold controlling interest in such cor
porations, although it would partici-
pate in the management and exercise
supervision, such as it exercises over
national banks and the Federal land
banks and the intermediate credit
system.
(3 In view Of the difficulties stand.
ing in the way of immediate Govern
ment action designed to raise or sta
blliZe farm prices, and to extend the
foreign markets for farm products,
the chief immediate means of improv-
ing the economic position Of the
farmer must be sought in measures to
reduce his costs, of production.
First and foremost, the commission
feels that great emphasis should be
placed upon the things the individual
farmer himself can do to lower his
production costs, the production meth
DDS of many farmers being far below
the best technical and economic stand:
ards. A higher yield per man engaged
must be sought, in part by increasing
the average size of the farm unit, in
part by utilizing labor more fully
throughout the year. Much land now
in crops should be put in grass or re.
forested. Yields per man should be
increased by larger expenditures for
relatively cheap materials, as CONNER
cial fertilizer. and for improved farm
equipment. In such a program power
farming promises the best results and
rotation and diversification of crops
are a fundamental necessity, not only
to maintain soil fertility, reduce crop
pests, increase the period of employ
ment and insure against the hazards |
OF nature and price, but also to in |
crease the self-sufficiency and security |
Of the farmer,
Cooperative Efforts.
tp Important as are the opportuni- |
ties for individual self-help, success of |
farmers in overcoming their own diff !
culties without outside aid depends |
mainly upon organized cooperative
efforts introducing production costs
and market losses. i
Cooperation, in the purchase of
goods for agricultural production, in
securing test seed, in the improvement
Of livestock, in the utilization of ma
chlnery, in harvesting, in the grading,
standardizing and processing farm
products, in providing cheap credit
and developing calamity insurance,
holds great promise of giving the
farmer advantages similar to those
obtained in the manufacturing indus
try through large-scale production and
corporate organization. Cooperative
selling organizations offer the greatest
opportunities in the marketing of
perishable commodities, but in the
marketing Of staple crops like wheat
and cotton the advantages to be
gained are not so great as is generally
assumed and in part are offset by
definite dangers. 1t is unlikely that
great national cooperative marketing
organizations can undertake the
marketing of wheat or cotton more
cheaply than the existing marketing
machinery, or secure better prices by
holding it to the end Of the year. But
often such large co-operatives, subject
to the temptation of securing higher
prices through an unsound control of
the supply, where they apply pressure
on their members to restrict produc-
ton, experience a great deal Of de-
sertion among members, leaving the
remaining members to bear all costs
while non-members secure equal bene-
fits.
(5) A balanced agricultural produc-
ton, the highest efficiency of the agri-
cultural industry, sustained prosperity
Of the farmer and the preservation of
the Nations natural resources can be
dltdIuSu OIly luIOuSH
planned policy Of land utilization.
Forest Problem Viewed.
A large reduction Of crop acreage in
favor of improved pastures as well as
forest land is desirable in the interest
Of agriculture and in keeping with the
requirements of coming generations.
The forest problem especially requires
rapid action on a large scale and we
shall be compelled within few years
to effect a veritable revolution in the
point Of view and the methods in
volved in the utilization of land for
forests.
A national prerequisite to the intro
duction Of comprehensive land utili-
zation policy is the determination of
the present and future requirements
of the population for the several types
of land. Land classification, however,
| the commission believes, can be sue
cessfully undertaken only by an
agency entirely Independent from the
Federal Government, State govern
ments and all business interests of
regional or local character, because Of
the political considerations involved
as well as the vast private business
interests affected.
The commission therefore proposes
| the creation Of an Independent organi.
zation endowed with adequate funds
| to undertake the classification of land
( resources and the development of a
| comprehensive plan for land utiliza-
! ton, which might be called the "Na-
| tional Agricultural Foundation" The
ultimate aim of the foundation would
be gradually to concentrate farmers
on the best land. to cause the poorer
or "submarginal" lands to be evacu-
ated so that they could be turned
! over to grass or forests, either for the
production of lumber or as game and
fish preserves or for general recre-
ational use. Such a foundation could