286 FARMERS' ORGANIZATIONS 



merchants theirs; the credit men theirs; the bankers theirs; and 

 so on, and that these various interests in any one city are united 

 into a local Chamber of Commerce, and these local chambers 

 are federated into one grand central organization at Washington 

 known as the Chamber of Commerce of the United States. Simi- 

 larly, the comment is heard that various trades or crafts of laboring 

 men are organized into unions, and that these large unions are 

 federated into one grand central organization, the American 

 Federation of Labor, also with headquarters at Washington. The 

 farmer is commonly spoken of as individualistic, as inarticulate as a 

 class, without voice and without protection. In a superficial sense 

 of the word these comments are all true. The farmers are slow 

 in forming any one great national federation of farmers' organ- 

 izations comparable with those of labor or capital. But neither 

 does the American Federation of Labor comprise all the great 

 labor unions of the country. Neither do all so-called " capitalist" 

 enterprises come within the purview of the Chamber of Commerce 

 of the United States. At the present stage of economic develop- 

 ment, organized capital and organized labor are able to mobilize 

 their forces quickly and effectively, while the farmers can mobilize 

 themselves but slowly and with indifferent success. 1 



Difficulty of Classifying Farmers* Organizations. A logical 

 classification of farmers' organizations is desirable, but difficult to 

 make. This is true, whether the discussion be of the living organ- 

 izations or the dead ones of the past. Among living organizations 

 which ones, for instance, are doing most for their communities? 

 Two representative farm papers, one in the Pacific Northwest, 



1 As a typical example of strong organization and effective mobilization, 

 take the following case of the National Association of Credit Men, an Asso- 

 ciation of 25,000 members: 



"The Association Acts in an Emergency. The adaptability and facility with which the 

 National Association of Credit Men, because of its peculiar composition, can act in a threat- 

 ening situation was well illustrated during the last fortnight. A strike of the fire fighting 

 forces of the city of Cleveland had lett it with practically no fire department protection. 

 The National office was seen by leading insurance interests in New York, and their position 

 explained that, of course, a seriously increased hazard not contemplated in the policies 

 covering property in Cleveland had been injected by the strike, that it was not a matter 

 of rates, but that the companies were in no position to risk the chance of a small fire starting 

 in the congested district of the city becoming a conflagration. Hence they would have 

 to withdraw. 



"The National office asked if time could be had to communicate with the Cleveland 

 Association of Credit Men. This was readily granted, and President Klingman fully in- 

 formed by wire. In a few hours the National office was informed that the officers and 

 directors of the Cleveland Association had met certain city officials, and it was felt that 

 within seventy-two hours conditions would be righted. 



"This reply was communicated to the insurance interests, which said that no adverse 

 action would be taken pending deliberations. 



"Within forty-eight hours President Klingman had wired that the mayor had arranged 

 for the return of the fire department force, and that the city at that moment had had restored 

 the normal fire protection. The insurance companies were immediately notified and ex- 

 pressed their sincere appreciation." From General Letter No. 8, Feb. 1, 1919, National 

 Association of Credit Men, to Members. 



