138 THE FARMER AND THE NEW DAY 



greatly, the presence of competing needs is so diverse, 

 that an organization that would actually enlist in its 

 active membership a large majority of our seven mil- 

 lion farmers is practically out of the question. 



SHOULD WE HAVE AN AGRARIAN ORGANIZATION? 



By agrarian organization is meant a farmers' asso- 

 ciation designed to look after the special interests of 

 farmers, possibly to resist the demand of other classes. 

 In this sense, of course it is unfortunate that farmers 

 have to organize. Such procedure incites class con- 

 sciousness, develops a struggle for class interests. 

 Nevertheless, if a great group of industrial workers 

 like the farmers does not guard its own interests 

 through organization, it is likely to suffer. It is pos- 

 sible, therefore, that there ought to be in America what 

 might be called a fighting farmers' organization. But 

 we are inclined to believe that the most effective fight- 

 ing organization of farmers will be a federation of pro- 

 ducers' organizations, for the reason that the producers 

 will have very definite problems and difficulties. Each 

 group, it is true, has its special interests to look after. 

 Nearly all efforts on the part of farmers to influence 

 legislation arise out of some economic need. There- 

 fore, it would seem as if the organization which deals 

 with the business of the great sub-industries would be 

 the one best adapted to secure legislation. If questions 

 arise that interest a large number of producing groups, 

 the various producers' associations can act together. 



CERTAIN PROPOSITIONS CONCERNING RURAL ORGAN- 

 IZATION 



i. Organization is the only way to full efficiency. 

 We have had a planless agriculture. We find serious 



