The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1934-02-02

BY Miles H. Fairbank, sec.-Treas.
Md. Farm Bureau Federation
PART *
What Can The Individual
Farmer Do


country, Of important interest to
agriculture--matter that are def
nite-that are actually taking place
all around us-really parts OF de-
velopment that cannot be ignored.
These are the changes CT produc-
ton, marketing, credits, legislation
and organization.
Some of the movements affecting
agriculture are of the farmers own
making-that is, they are the re-
suits of activity by farm leaders and
represent presumably, the ideals
and wishes of the more progressive
farmers themselves.
Other parts of the program are
not of the farmers making, but are
rather developments of the times
and represent compromises that So
ciety as whole makes in adjusting
ourselves to progress, and the farm
err must take his place and play his
part. 1t has always been like that
as civilization moves forward, we
have to give up some privilege we
have previously enjoyed in order to
help society as a whole.
Abundant evidence of that is the
manner in which we have accepted
rules and regulations that have
grown up with the advent of the
automobile. We all want automo-
biles-we feel that they are an es-
sential part of our present day
standard of living and yet we all
realize that to drive automobiles
with any degree of satisfaction and
safety, every motorist must give up
some of his individualism and sub
| ject himself to certain rules so that
everybody can have square deal.
No one can witness busy man
waiting for red light to change at
an intersection or see him stop at a
boulevard sign to permit more fav-
ored traffic to pass without marvel
ing at the degree of discipline we
have imposed upon ourselves in
order to enjoy mechanical device
that otherwise would become q
Frankenstein and destroy us.
If this inadequate example proves
anything, it proves that men and
women can discipline themselves If
necessary in order to fully enjoy
advantages that might otherwise
prove disasterous without such ad-
justment.
My opinion is that our economic
situation calls for full realization
of just that. Farmers have been
VIGOROUSLY individualists. This is
not due to their ignorance, indiffer-
ence or antagonism to each other,
primarily, but rather to the nature
of their business making it impossi-
BILE for them to get together as Of
ten or in the manner of city business
men. Yet we cannot stop civiliza-
ton from progressing and the adj
vances that have been made in
science both industrial and agricul-
tural, in social and educational pro-
gress and in standards of living have
brought us to a point where our
productivity overwhelm us. Unless
we can so organize ourselves to dis
tribute the products of our efforts,
they will prove our undoing-the
past several years nearly proved
that.
Yet these same factors car be the
means of our enjoying standard of
living far beyond anything we have
ever dreamed of, If we but adjust
and discipline ourselves to utilize
them. This is exactly the process
we are going through in this nation
right now. The individual farmers
part in this lies in his responsibility
10 take his part in the program.
It means giving up his individual
ism "a hard thing for many and
cooperating. This means organiza-
ton and it should. Not only should
every farmer join his organiza-
ton, but he should take an active
part in it. 1t is pathetic fact that
farmers are, for the most part, the
worst critics of their own organiza-
tions, institutions, and leaders.
Farmers in the past have depend
ed on their bulk production TO meet
their needs for more income. 1t
isn't easy to accept the psychology of
less production more profit, yet such
is the case. This means legislative
efort-government control, perhaps
many regulations and laws that
might seem obnoxious. Yet we
have not found anything better and
it is up to the farmer himself to
! U,,ido th;c nr0Cram Alright