Montgomery County sentinel. [volume] (Rockville, Md.) 1855-1974, 1930-01-24
Marylsnd Faces Future With
Unlted Forces.

Maryland Faces Future With
Unlted Forces.
From The Maryland Farmer. ..
Again Maryland farmers, In their mid.
winter meetings. demonstrated that they
are undoubtedly the best organized farmers
in the country. This Is the observation
from the annual meetings Of the Maryland
Agricultural Society. Maryland Farm Blu
reau Federation and their nine affiliate
technical organizations.
Beginning with the meeting of the Hor-
ticulturists Tuesday. January z. and ending
Friday morning, January 10, the Lord Bal
timore Hotel was a beehive Of industry.
Splendid speeches by c. B. Denman,
member, Federal Farm Board. and William
H. Settle. president, Indiana Farm Bureau
Federation, featured the second general
meeting Thursday. January 8. During this
session, J. w. Jones, president, Montgom-
cry County Farm Bureau, presided, and
there were the usual songs. Mr.. Settle Is
| q member Of the Board Of Directors and
Executive Committee. Farmers National
Grain Corporation. that has been organ
lied as a farmer effort to influence the
marketing of grain. The Maryland Agri-
cultural Corporation, as an fundamentally
locally for this national endeavor, has
joined forces in a manner explained by
Mr.. Settle. That the local entry into this
national venture meets approval was evil
dent from the applause that followed Me.
Settles announcement to that effect. In
an impassiOned manner, Mr.. Settle re-
viewed the whole agricultural situation.
| Ro aff OlVlo he
| to the present Farm Marketing Act.
The American housewife Is expected to
share In benefits the farmer derives from
the Agricultural Marketing Act, Mr.. Dem
man said.
Mr.. Denman made this statement in
discussing the provision Of the Agricul-
tural Marketing Act directing the Board.
so far as possible. to prevent inefficient
and wasteful methods in distribution of
farm products. He sought to demonstrate
that the consumer has a real interest in
the success Of the cooperative marketing
program for agriculture which the Farm
Board Is fostering.
ut would not matter how economically
we produced our products nor how eff
GENTLY we operated our cooperative mar
keting machinery, we still could not find a
profit from our operations unless there was
someone to furnish US a market and with
the ability to buy at a price that would
provide that profit" Mr. Denman said.
Therefore. the main consideration that
we must give is that we will be able to
produce and offer to the housewives Of
this country product which will meet
their present-day demands and be attrac
tive enough In package form and price
that they will want to buy it.
II think can talk with you abou: spe.
cific things now as regards livestock and
livestock products, because I am supposed
to more particularly repT esent these or
the Federal Farm Board. Since early II
September have personal y shipped from
my own feed lots twenty-siV carload ship
ments of cattle, hogs and sheep, totalinl
more than 1900 animals. On three
, consecutive weeks sold fat sheep on the
St. Louis market and in every instance a
the top Of the market. and on parallel days
bought mutton chops paying more thai
seven times the price for mutton chop
that received for fat sheep. Despite tn
fact of efficient handling. the sheep los
money. Undoubtedly there is some waste
full and in efficient distribution on betwee
my sale as feeder and my purchase as
consumer. On another day when toppe
the St. Louis hog market at $9.40 per cwt
bought pork chops the same day an
;, made this interesting test The price {
the pork chop cut before ii was sliced wa
IS cents per pound for the slicing alor
d ] paid 10 cents a pound or go cents p'
a cwt more than got for a live hog thu
!, day.
II do not believe until we have an o
ganizatiQn which takes in the produc
y with his money invested in his farm an
Q feeding plant and the professor and tn
h packer who has his money invested
= converting that which is a finished produ,
u to US but raw material to him. and pc
e mits US to stabilize the price all along Il
: line in such a way that that price will
l. rather well understood. so that we CO
:, offer TO the housewives packages of mea
' with Grade and price stamped thereon. n
only in an attractive package but at
Y price which they can afford to pay an
will be glad to pay. will we have carrie
y !, cies Of the Agricultural Marketing Ac
Thus it is quite apparent that the cor
: sumer's interest is manifest in this leel
: lation. | do not mean to leave the in
, preston that the retailer is dishonest
. his profits are excessive. but | do belle,
u that a more economical system can be d.
y veloped whereby the producer can obta
i. a more stable price and the consumer haS
better article for less money"
Discussing the prevention of surplus,
Q Of any agricultural commodity. Mr.. De-
! man said in part Il do not believe thi
any industry can determine a profit fror
' its operations unless it does control bot
the production and the marketing of /
, product. We cannot know what consumI
v tive demand Is. where II is located nor whe
1t wants our products until we do contro
: our marketing. and when we do know tn
we can use that information to tell OF
7 farmers what sort of an intelligent produ,
j. ton program they should embark upo
Certainly there Is something wrong wit
our production program when we hay
= such an experience as we had in 1922
when we sold 40 million hogs for Sl4O
: 100000 less than we received for Al mi
lion hogs In 1925. We have too often b,
lieved that abundance of production wa
efficient production. but in the markt
e place we come to a full realization the
1 that theory Is wrong. Yet I believe ths
through control Of marketing machiner
. and in possession of all the facts we ca
Z base cur production upon consumptiv
Q needs In our domestic market and effe,
tually meet that demand with what
vents. and no more. at a price that wi
be profitable enough to keep the averae
! farmer in business"