The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1929-09-05
BIG AND LITTLE FARMS


of combinations of business in the
distributing as we'll as in the produc-
ing of commodities. We have chain
stores of all descriptions, chain news
papers and chain utilities OF late
we have heard the prediction that
pretty soon we would have chain
farms and that then the farm problem
would be solved. The idea of the cor
porate farm may sound alluring to
the theoretical economist, but great
many people believe that the disad-
vantages would greatly outweigh the
advantage.
Since the founding of the republic
the agricultural population of Ameri-
sturdiest and our most independent
group. 1t has stood, more than any
other class, for the rights of the in
dividual, and for the American form
of government.
In view of all the talk we have
heard about chain farms and large
scale farming it is interesting to
note, from the report of the Agricul-
tural Service Department of the
United States Chamber of Commerce,
that big scale farming has already
been tried out in various parts of the
country, and has up to this time
proved no more profitable than small,
independent farming. While it may
have some advantages over the time
honored American system it also has
its disadvantages.
The survey of the farming indus
try, recently completed, shows that
small and big farms show profits,
while at the same time other big and
small farms show losses, with the
same variations as discernible in the
farming industry as whole.
The report states that large scale
farming is an established industry
with over 5000 corporations engaged
in it as far back as 1926. Continuing
the report says
Taken as a group, the large scale
farms apparently have been no more,
nor any less, successful than the aver
age of the family-size farms.
Furthermore, there are fully as great
variations in efficiency among the
large farms as has been found in
numerous surveys of family farms.
1t appears, then, that mere incorpOra-
ton or organization of farming enter
prises on a large scale will not auto
matically solve the problems of the
agricultural industry.
"In order to obtain greater net re-
turns than are obtained from the
family type of farming, large scale
farms must achieve an efficiency con-
siderably greater than the average
of such farms now in operation.
There is however, a large enough
number of scale farms which have
reached a high state of efficiency and
which are making incomes to refute
the arguments often advanced that
farms organized on an industrial
scale cannot succeed in competing
with family farm enterprises.
From this study it appears that
large scale farms may have advanta-
ges over family farms in superior
management, organization, more eff
cient utilization of machinery, specia-
lization of labor, buying and selling
in wholesale quantities and, in some
instances, reduction of overhead ex-
pense.
"The large farms also have certain
disadvantages. They experienced
difficulty in securing efficient labor
and in obtaining the degree of inter
est of the laborers in the success of
the business which is found on family
farms. The seasonal character of
farm work and uncertainties in
weather conditions prevent an effec-
tive use of machinery and as COM
plete division of labor as is achieved
in some other industries"
The report continues that the de-
velopment of large scale farming ir
the near future in the United States
is still a matter of conjecture and il
concludes with the statement that
"Fears as to the probable disastrous
effects of an extensive development
of large scale farming upon the soc
ial life of the rural population are at
least premature, since this type Of
farming still is relatively unimport-
ant factor in agricultural industry