Jasper Weekly Courier, Volume 64, Number 38, Jasper, Dubois County, 27 January 1922 — Page 1

r , o) Cr Lo) FAI3, F ANK, FEARLESS AND FREE. PRICE-TWO "DOLLARS PER Mil i.. . -MM.,. . , - Vol. 64. Jaspeh, Indiana, Friday, JANUARY 27, 19?2. v. No. 38. X

Some -Aspects of the Farmers' Problems

By BERNARD (Reprinted from The whol rural world is In a ferment of unrest, and there Is an unparalleled volume nnd Intensity of determined, if not angTy, protest, and an ominous swarming of occupational conferences, Interest groupings, political movements and propaganda. Such a turmoil cannot but arrest our attention. Indeed, it. demands our careful study nnd examination. It is not likely that six million aloof and ruggedly Independent men have come together and banded .themselves Into active unions, societies, farm bureaus, and so forth, for no sufficient cause. Investigation of the subject conclusively proves that, while there Is much overstatement of grievances and misconception of remedies, the farmers are right in complaining o(v wrongs long endured, and right in holding that It is feasible tQ "relieve their ills with' benefit to the rest of the community. This being the case of an Industry that contributes, in the raw material form alone, about one-third of the na- ; . . . . ... . ... " tinnni annnn iiraoirn nriiiriwin nn i ii the means of livelihood of about 49 par cent of the population, it is onvlous that the subject Is one of rave ... : . - r concern, isot only üo tne iarmers make up one-half of the nation, but the well-being of the other half de- , J v pends upon them. So lo as we bar nation a wis. polltcial economy will aim C . Urge degree of natloaHclf-sufflcleno, and

V ae f-conta omeot. Kome fell when IU ., ' , ;rS.'j:. P toi uppty wü tob far remoVeJ 'to)m"V'. 'c ""T ,f 'i16'' pro(luc"

the belly. Like her. we shall destroy our own agriculture and extend our sources of food distantly and precaricusly, if we do not see to it that our farmers are well and fairly paid for their services. The farm gives tha nation men as well as food, cities derive their vitality and are forever- . . . , . renewed from the country, but an Impoverished countryside exports intelllgence and retains unlntelllgence. Only the lower grades of mentality and character will remain' on, or seek, the farm, unless agriculture Is capable Of being pursued with contentment and adequate compensation. Hence, to eia bitter and Impoverish the farmer is to dry up nnd contaminate the vital SOU1YP3 of the nnlion. The war -showeil convlnrlnply how dependent the- nation is on the full yrodmtivlty of the farms. Desplt herculean efforts, agricultural production kept only a few weeks or montha ahead of consumption, and that only , by Increasing the acreage of certain staple crops at the cost of reducing that of others. We ought not to forItet that lesson when we ponder on the farmer's problems. They are truly common problems, and there should be no attempt to deal with them as If they were purely selfish demands of a clear-cut groi; antagonistic to the rest of the community. Rather should we consider agriculture In the light of broad national policy. Just as we consider " oil, coal, steel, dyetuffi, and so forth, as sinews of national strength. Our growing population and a higher standard of living demand Increasing fod supplies, and more wool, cotton, hides, and the rest. With the disappearance of free or cheap fertile land, additional acreage and Increased yield can come only froea costly eiTort. This we need not expect from an impoverished or "unhappy rural population. It will not do to take a narrow view of the rural discontent, or to appraise it from the standpoint of yesterday. This is peculiarly an age of flux and change and new deals. llecause a thing always has been so no longer nttni that it Is righteous, or always hall be . More, perhaps, than ever beftre, there U a widespread feeling täat all human relations can be Improved by taking thought, und that It Is mot becoming for th reasoning animal to leave his destlnj largely to chance and natural incidence. Prudent and orderly adjustment of production and distribution in accordance with consumption Is recognized as wise management In every business but that of farming. Yet, I venture to aay, there Is no other Industry In which It Is so Important to the public to the city-dweller that production should be sure, steady, and Increasing, and that distribution should be In proportion to the need. The unorgsnlzed farmers natura'Iy act blindly and Impulsively and, In consequence, surfeit and dearth, accompanied by disconcerting price-variations, harass the consumer. One year potatoea rot in the fields because of excess production, ißd there U scaeifv; ot

M..BARUCH

Atlantic Monthly) the fhTrigs" that have been displaced to make way for the expansion of the potato ncreage; next year the punished farmers mass their fields on gome other crop, and potatoes enter the class of luxuries; and so on. Agriculture Is the greatest and fundamentally the most Important of our American Industries. The cities are but the branches of the tree of national life, the roots of which go deeply Into the land. We all flourish or decline with the farmer. So, when we uf the cities read of the present universal distress of the farmers, of a slump of six billion dollars in the farm value of their crops In a slnirle vear, of their inability to meet mortgages or to pay current bills, and how, seeking relief from their Ills, they are planning to form pools. Inaugurate farmers' strikes, nnd demand legislation abolishing grain exchanges, private rattle markets, and the like, we ought not hastily, to brand them as economic heretics and highwaymen, and hurl at them the charge of being seekers of special privilege. Rather, we should nsk If their trouble Is not ours, and what nn Ip rlnno tn Imnmvfl the ' " -- - ?iJ m self-interest If for no higher motive, we should A" - f1 ffaf hnrlf i- -" - ; neritianent v to "normalrv :" but is It . , - . ,t,nn , t V , "ss our peatf and mx bnHslc ?: di9try can be put on a sound and solid ... . , Pnent- foundation? The farmers " not ,s',';c,,al Prtv"f?i '"e ,hKeJ T m ' de"T, ? ,,. ( ' ' I II Let cs, then, consider some of the farmer's grievances, and 6ee how far ' twy are reai In dolng. SOt we should eäoniber that, while there have been, . .... . . 9 , . and still are, Instances of purposeful - . , v ' , . , , !'abuse - ' LLe J?!S? should 50t be ap rroached with any general Imputation t0 existing distributive agencies of dellberately Intentional oppression, but rather with the conception that the . marketing of farm products has not been modernl7el An ancient evil, and a persistent one, is the undergradlng of farm products, with the result that what the farmers sell as of one quality Is resold as of a hiRher. That this sort of chicanery should persist on any Important scale In these days of buslm?a integrity would seera almost Incredible, but there is much evidence that it does so persist. Even as I suspension of several firms from the New York Produce Exchange for exporting to Germany as No. 1! wheat a whole shipload of grossly Inferior wheat mixed with oats, chaff and the like. Another evil Is that of Inaccurate weighing of farm products, which, it Is charged. Is sometimes a matter' of dishonest Intention and sometimes of protective policy on the part of the local buyer, who fears that he may "weigh out" more than he "weighs In." A greater grievance Is that at pres ent the field farmer has little or no control over the time and conditions of marketing his products, with the result that he is often underpaid for his products and usually overcharged for marketing service. The difference between what the farmer receives and what the consumer pays often exceeds all possibility of Justification. To cite a single illustration Last year, according to figures attested by the railways and the growers. IZknTtra u-qtarfnolnn.fNileaiia am paH oa the average 7.5 cents for a melon, the rallrotds got 12.7 cents for carrying it to Haltlmore and the consumer paid one dollar, leaving 70.8 cents for the service of marketing and Its risks, as against 20.2 cents for growing and transporting. The hard annals of farm-life are replete with such commentaries on the crudeness of present practices. Nature prescribes that the farmer's "roods" must be finished within two p Ciree months of the year, while financial and storage limitations gen erally compel him to s. ll them at the fame time. As a rule, other industries' are In a continuous process of finish ing foods for the markets; they dis J tribute as the produce, and they can curtail production without too great Injury to themselves or the commnnity; bul If tharmerrestricti hli

Oh, foi the Life of a Jolly Chauffeur.

CLYDE COOIC "VVILUAM FOX It's some life fcr Clyde Cook especially when he carries such fascinating "fareF," The W .II- ; p comedy sar jg g n J - w-v. CI TTI . QJÜJJO J? I UJLLL Clil fwwa-w v r ' OC-T Fa L Li '" William -Foo lalLV is the title to a Fox special production that is C V b f 1 t fa Vlli Ctl UliV'.tIVIUIIi It was adapted from the 1920 prize story ot the 0 Henry m output, it is with disastrous conseQuenres. both to himself and to the coraun.vThe average former Is busy with production for the major part of the year, nnd ha. ruthln-: to sell. The bulk of his output comes on the market at once. Itecnuso of lack of storage facilities and of anam ial support, the farmer cannot carry his goods through the year an,l dispose of them as they are currently needed. In the great majority of cao. tanners have to entrust storage In waiehoiise and elevators nnd the financial ciirryinz of their products to others. Farm products ,ire generally marketed at a time when there Is a con estlon of both transportation and finance when cars and money are scarce. Tlir outcome. In many In stances. Is that the Turniers not onlv I sell under pressure, nnd therefore at I 1 luctlons in net returns, In order t meet the charges for the service of storing, transporting, financing, and ultimate marketing which charges they claim, are often execs sie. bear heavily on both consumer and producer, nnd are under the con irol of those performing the services It Is true that they an relieved of the risks 'f a changing market by selling - nco : but thev are piitp will ;ng to take the unfavorable ctnnce, if the favorable one alsu is theirs and they can retain for themselves a part of the service charges that are uniform, In good years anil bad, with hluh prices and low. While, in the main, the farmer must eil, regardless of market conditions, at the time of the maturity of crops, he cannot suspend production In toto. He must go on producing if he Is to go on living, and If the world is to cxUL Th, most he cun do Is to curtail dt

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TT 7 i ft SM i "THE CHAUFFEURT SPECIAL COM EDy iwe in "The ChaufTu r," hi latest picture -which is said t eine for mental depre?sioi and warranted to producea laug frcm eveiyj cot of film. TT,,1 04. UJLLUÖUCll ÜbUl V. w rw w w f ' - -r to iiV - Till tvW FCa SlCAw v,'.00wCTlOM, Committee and is absolute ly diff' en.uT In development, fyron Power hasche leading role and five's a remarkable portrayal d a blind cobbler . duetion a little or niter Its Torra, ami , that because he Is in the dark as to the probable demand for his goodsmay be only to jump from the frying pan Into the tire, taking the consumer with him. Even the dairy farmers, whose out put Is not seasonal, complain that they find themselves nt a disadvantage In the marketing of their productions especially raw milk, because of the h!h costs of distribution, which they must ultimately bear. III Now that the farmers are stirring, thinking, nnd uniting as never before to eradicate these inequalities, they are subjected to stern economic lectures, and are met with the accusation that they are demanding, and are the recipients f , s;" lal privileges. Let i us see what privileges the government has conferred on the farmers. Much has been made of Section ß of the Clayton Anti-Trust Act, which purported to permit them to combine with Immunity, under certain conditions. Admitting that, nominally, this er emptlon was In the nature of a special privilege, though I think It was so In appearance rather than In fart. we find that the courts have nullified Ii by Judicial Interpretation. Why should not the farmers be permitted to accomplish by co-operative methods what other businesses are already doing by co-oreration In the form of incorpora tlon? If it be proper for men to form, by fusion of existing corporations or otherwise, a corporation that controls the entire production of a commodity or a large part of .It, why Is it nut proper for a group of farmers to unite for the marketing of 'their common products, either In one or in several j f'"n8 Sencli-jt- Why .honM It b I -for.'- hundred thousand corporate

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shareholders to Girect :Si or or 40 per cent of an Industry. nnd wront for

a hundred thousand w-operatlv farmers txronrQl a jio bvrser pntortlon of the wheat crop, at cotton, T any ther'product? The Department of Agriculture Is often spo'jen of as a special concession to the farmers but. In its commercial results, it Us of H3.fcuch benefit to the buyers' a nil. consOgJra of agricultural products as to the juroducers, or even more i'flo not Oppose that anyone opposes thebeMpts that the farmer derive frm Hla educational and research wrk of.) lie department, or the help that'Ucfca thm Irl working out improved cultural methods and practlces In developlirFoVtter yielding t;: rietles through brenne, and selection, In Introducing newivarjotles from remnf nnr't of the eld fand adapting

them to ofcr cllmataud economic con- , thereof, to be done by Impartial and dltlon anvi In devising practical mens disinterested public inspectors (this Is ures for the elimination or control of already accomplished to some extent dangerous, and destructive animal aod by the federal licensing; of weighers plant disease, insect pe,sts. and the and graders), to eliminate underpaylike All these thing 'manifestly tend tng, overcharging, and unfair grading, to stimulate and enlarge production. 1 and to facilitate the utilization of the and their general beneficial effects are i stored products as the basis of credit, obvious I Third: a certainty of credit sufficient It Is Umpired that, whereas the e the marketing of products . law restricts "vderal. Reserve hanks In an orderly manner, te three months' time fur commercial ' Fourth: the Department of Agrlculpaper, the fanner Is nll.iwed six ture should c,olIect tabulate, summa, months on' his note" This Is not a rlze. and regularly and frequently puln special privilege, hut merely such a d distribute to the farmers, full recognition of business conditions as Information from all the markets of makes Impossible for cduutrv banks the world, so that they shall be as well to do business with country people. f;ed of their selling position as The crop farther' haVorJy one turn-; now their buying posi. over a year, while' the .merchant nr.d tio"' , , manufacturer .have many. Incidental- FIftV eedon to Integrate the bus!. Iv I note ttmt the Federal Reserve ness ot agriculture by means of conBoard has. lost authorized the Fed- solidated selling agencies, co-ordlnat-eral Reserve banks to -discount export i In an co-operating in such way as to paper for a period of six months, to ! Put tnd farmer on an W tooUng conform to the nature. ,of the bus!-j with the large buyers of Ms products, ftC , ,'. and with commercial relations in other nesi. v ....

rru rm rvm haril-e n ru rrfTitfl to as an distance of special govern ment favpr for farmers. Are fhey not rather 'the outcome of laudable effortsto equalize rural and urban coudlHon? And about all the government doe ihere U to help sei up an admlnlsn atlve- crgcnkatlon and lend a little credit at the st'urt. Eventually die farmers will provide alt the capitel nd carry all .th liabilities tbeuv ae'TOs jt U true, that Farm Loan, bond?'1 a re exempt : - but" so are onds of municipal light and traction iilants and new housing Is to be exrmpt from taxation. In New York, for ten venrs ' Om the'etherhiand. the farmer reads .,f plana' for municipal' h.msing projects that run Into the; billions, of bundreds of millions annually spent on the merchant' marine; he reads that. the railways :are l.elns favored with Increased rates and virtual Garantie, of earnln-s bv the ovorn:r-nt, with the nsiilt to hl:n of an 'nciviyvd lull on 11 that he sells and all that he huvs He Hears of many manifestolions of governmental tt-ncerr, for parllcular industries and interests. lies -uln" the raihvävs frön.Inso!vencv is -mdibtedlv for the -benerit of "the ountrv asa wlude. but .what can be f more general benefit . than eucourtsiMiient of ample production of the principal nexessarics of life r.nd their vci; flow from contented producers t" satisfied consumers? While It--may be concealed that .Tnr.'i1 rvivprnmentnl nld nuiv ! nev- 1

-arv In the general Interest, we must , Ä uins world tnat h" been all agree that It Is difficult to see why ! '-dernized to the last minute and is ,-riculture and the production an 1 d!s- j tirelessly strhlng for efficiency. Tlds tHbutinn of farm products are not c ' .-"iclencj li due In large measure to corded the rame opportunities that are ?S business, to united business, to inprovided for other businesses; espe- . twated business. The farmers now rlallv as the enjovmont bv the farmer seek tne benefits such largeness, unof such opportunities wuid apicar to ; lön and Integration. h contrtitrr to the en- I The American farmer Is a modern of

era! good than in the case of other . democracy I. unalterably opp-ysed, alike to enneted special privilege and ro the special 'privilege of unequal op.oortunity that arises automatically from the failure to correct glaring eccMomic inequalities, I-am opposed to the Injectb-n of government Into !)U-ines5, but I do believe that It Is an essential function of democrat!? government to equalize opportunity so far as It Is within its power to do so, whether by the repeal of archaic statutes or the enactment of modern ones. If the anti-trust law keep the farmers from endeavoring scientifically to Integrate their Industry while other Industries find a way to meet modern conditions without violating such statutes, then it would seem reasonable to find a way for the farmers to meet theiu under the same conditions. The taw should operate equally In fact. .wiring the economic structure on cue dde is no Injustice to the other sid vvhlch Is In good repair. We have traveled a long way from the old conception of government as neroly t. defensive and policing agency ; ind regulative, corrective, or equalling legfahitjw, which apparently is i,f t ;ocfyl nature, Is often ' th m ! nnorai ienficl:tl cot. sequences. Kven rhe Hrs; ,Cwii?rcs pas-d a tarliT act hat was avowedly for the protection .f manufacturers: but a protective ariff alwavs has been defended as a moans of froro,Llri the general j;uod through a particular approach; and rhe st;Ante boks are filled with acts for the benefit of shipping, coxmerce, and labor.

IV

Now, what is the fanner askir? Without trying to catalogue the rv medial measures that hare W-n ncjested In nl bet.ilf, the principal proPals that bear directly or, the Im provement of his distributing anil n;rtetin relations may be aumtrarlifil n follows: H": storage warehouses for rotton. wool, and tobacco, and elevator for grain, ef aufhelft capacity to inert tl'e maximum demand on them at the Pk of the marketing period. The . farmer thinks that either private cap!tal must furnish these facilities, or the state must erect and own the elrators and warehouses. j Second: weighing and gtadlng of agricultural products, and certification i inaUSiries. . When a business requires speclillzed talent. It has to buy it. So will the perhaps the best way for ihem to get it would be ro utilize some of preset machinery of the largestablished agencies dealing in ' farm products. Of course, if he wishes, the farmer may -go further and engage In flour-rallllng and other manufactures f0'1 products. 'In my opinion, however. he -would be wise to stop 'rt of ,that. r Puhl Interest, may. be opposed to all great Integrations; but. " ju, wu wiumUCU iu "e farmer ana permitiexi to otftera? The corporate form of association can. 't novv D wholly adapted to his obJects and conditions. The looser cooperative form seems aiore generally suable. Therefore, he wishes to be frce. If ho finds it desirable and feasiMe. u resort to co-operation with his fellows- and aelghbors, without runriing afoul of the law. To urge that farmers sl,ould have the Mme lIf)to consolidate and co-ordlnute Pillar economic funcl'ons. which other Industries In their fields '. Is not. hoWevtr, to concede that business Integration should have legislative sanction to exercise monop. 1Lät'c Power- The American people a5 firmly PPosed to Industrial as 1 y Political autocracy, whether atlen.rw lf) w. u, uiu.u ror lack oi uuueu euon me iarmers is a whole are still marketing their crops by antiquated methods, or by no methods at all, but they are surrounded 1 we noderns in me use or lanor savinz a - . i n orr ntul na u Q mona rn wt and he has made vast strides In recent years In scientific tillage and efficient farm management, hut as a business in contact with other businesses agirculture Is a "one horse ! shay" in competition with high power automobiles. The American farmer is tne greatest nnu n;oi uurucTauie oi

Individualists. Wldle Industrial prodt:tlon and all phases of the huge cornuiereial mechanlsn nnd Its myriad accessories l ave articulated and co-ordinated themselves nil the way from natural raw materials to retail .ales, the business of agriculture has gone on In ro'-h the eiie man fashion of the hacksrood of the firt part -f the nine. teLfh century, when tt'e fiirr.icr w elf suffleletit nnd did not depend upon, or care very much, what the great w.jrld was doing. The result Is that the agricultural croup 1 almost a much at a disadvantage In dealing with other economic group as the Jay farmer of the funny pages In the hantVi of '."ek v 'nn confidence men. who sell U:n acreage In Central Park or the llilcag.) city hall. The leader of the farmers thoroughly understand this, and they are intelligently striving to Integrate their Industry so that It will be on an epjal footing with other businesses. As an example of Integration, take the steel Industry. In wtich the model Is the United .States Steel Corporation, with Its Iron mines. Its coal mlne3, ita lake and rail transportation. Its ocean vessels. Its by-product coke ovens Irs blast furnaces. Its pen hearth and Bessemer furnaces. Its rolling mills, Its tube rollls end other niayufarturln(tinned oa p

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