98 THE THIRD POWER 



so I let it go." That is, they do not sell because they 

 have to, but because they are disgusted with former 

 attempts to hold and the results. They exercise a 

 free choice, and they choose to sell because they think 

 they can make as much money by selling as by hold- 

 ing. Undoubtedly this is the true reason in the ma- 

 jority of cases for their haste to get rid of their crops. 

 The farmers think that the price, though not good, 

 is as good as they can hope to get, and they fear that 

 they may get caught in a decline. So they let go 

 and then complain that farming does not pay. But 

 do you stop to consider that somebody holds these 

 crops — your wheat, oats, corn, potatoes, poultry, but- 

 ter, eggs, fruit, tobacco, cotton, meat, etc. The 

 world don't consume them — gulp them down — as 

 soon as you let go of them. They go into elevators, 

 cold storage houses, packing houses, etc. There 

 they are held by comparatively few individuals until 

 the hungry consumer wants them, when they come 

 forth with profits added. The present system of 

 marketing by farmers is similar to that of throwing 

 bankrupt stocks on the market. And the farmers 

 adhere to it, not because they like it, but because they 

 have no better way. The purpose of the American 

 Society of Equity is to point to and provide a better 

 way. And as the farmers are free agents, they can 

 tread that way if they choose to do so. 



The other question is as to the ability of the farm- 

 ers to hold their crops. This, too, is answered by 

 the American Society of Equity. For another of its 



