242 THE FARMER AND THE NEW DAY 



government itself. The individual farmer is well-nigh 

 helpless in dealing with a world-market. But the col- 

 lective business power of seven million farmers, intel- 

 ligently and fairly applied, is almost irresistible. 



The independent farmer has preferred to bargain 

 for himself. In the old days, and in some cases even 

 now, this was advantageous. But as a rule the farmer 

 has no chance to make a good bargain. It is only as 

 he shares with a group of fellow farmers the responsi- 

 bilities of proper preparation of products for market, 

 and participates in the pooling of sufficient quantities to 

 constitute a unit of product large enough to attract at- 

 tention on the market, that he becomes relatively inde- 

 pendent. Only then has he any chance to make a real 

 bargain, a fair trade. No legislation designed to con- 

 trol corporations dealing in farm products, no aid, sub- 

 sidy or other form of governmental enterprise, how- 

 ever necessary and useful, can take the place of the es- 

 tablishment of a wide-spread organization of producing 

 farmers into groups fitted to buy, sell and otherwise to 

 do business cooperatively. 



It becomes necessary then for the American farmer 

 to move rapidly toward such a form of effort as will 

 enable him to join hands with his fellows in all legiti- 

 mate and reasonable methods of collective bargaining. 

 National and state legislation should not only fully rec- 

 ognize but frankly encourage this method of associa- 

 tion. Agricultural colleges and schools should inves- 

 tigate and teach the best methods of business coopera- 

 tion in agriculture. Government agencies should be 

 provided to assist by advice, information, law enforce- 

 ment and, if necessary, by advances on stored products. 

 Government should ensure a free field for cooperative 



