HAMPSHIRE COUNTY FARMERS' MONTHLY 



SOME ASPECTS OF THE 



FARMERS' PROBLEMS 



"The farmers are right," Mr. Branch 

 assorts at the beginning, "in complaining 

 of wrongs long endured, and right in 

 holding that it is feasible to relieve their 

 ills with benefit to the community." 



"It is no more than policy," he con- 

 tinues, "in consideration of the basic na- 

 ture of agriculture, that the nation see 

 to it that farmers are well and fairly 

 paid." 



"To embitter and impoverish the far- 

 mer is to dry up and contaminate the 

 sources of the nation." 



The farmers' problems are common 

 problems. There should be no attempt 

 to treat them as the selfish demands of 

 a group antagonistic to the rest of the 

 community. 



Oi-ganization of farmers is a necessity 

 to secure orderly adjustment of produc- 

 tion and consumption of food products. 



"Are not the farmers right?" he 

 asks, "in demanding that they be put on 

 an equal footing with buyers of their 

 products?" 



Considering the farmer's grievances in 

 detail, Mr. Baruch feels it necessary to 

 start with the conception that the mar- 

 keting of farm products has not been 

 modernized. He mentions the evils of 

 undergrading of farm products, of inac- 

 curacy in weighing, of the farmers' lack 

 of control over the time or considerations 

 of marketing his products. "Last year," 

 he illustrates, "the farmers of Georgia 

 received 7.5 cents for a melon that re- 

 tailed for $1. The railroad got 12.7 cents, 

 leaving 79.8 cents for the marketing costs. 

 He contends it is too much for marketing, 

 and that if the farmer can do better he 

 may well be given a chance, in the in- 

 terests of all who eat watermelons. 



The bulk of the farmer's output ccmss 

 on the market within two or three 

 months. Because of lack of storage fa- 

 cilities and financial support he cannot 

 carry his goods through the year and dis- 

 pose of them as they are conveniently 

 needed. 



He must entrust these services to 

 others. Farm products are commonly 

 sold under pres.sure of congestion of both 

 transportation and finance. Therefore 

 they are sold at a disadvantage. The 

 farmer ultimately bears the high cost of 

 distribution in reduced prices for his 

 crops. 



Mr. Baruch denies any special privilege 

 either in the right of farmers to co- 

 operate or in the establishment of Farm 

 Loan Banks. They are merely attempts 

 to equalize rural and urban conditions of 

 conducting business essential to the na- 

 tion. 



Pointing to the govei-nment's partial 

 subsidizing of railroads with increased 

 toll to the farmers, and to the manifest 

 governmental concern for particular in- 



NOTE 



The distribution of picric acid, a high 

 explosive used during the war, which the 

 United States Department of Agriculture 

 is making available to farmers at cost, 

 for clearing land, is to be handled in 

 Massachusetts by the State Department 

 of Agriculture. An announcement from 

 Washington that the Massachusetts Agri- 

 cultural College would distribute the 

 picric acid to farmers was an error. 

 The Extension Service of the College has 

 no staff or office force available to handle 

 the oiders, and has been relieved of this 

 service by the State Department. 



Picric acid is being distributed at cost 

 to farmers by the Department of Agri- 

 culture to stimulate interest in clearing 

 land, and 24,000 pounds have been 

 allotted to Massachusetts. The total cost 

 to the farmer is approximately 10?^ cents 

 a pound, including freight which is 

 equivalent to 18* cents worth of dyna- 

 mite, according to the Department of 

 Agriculture. Orders should be sent to 

 the State Department of Agriculture, 

 State House, Boston, Mass. 



dustries, he declares the special privi- 

 lege lies on the other side, in the unequal 

 opportunity arising from the failure to 

 correct glaring economic inequalities. 



"Repairing the economic structure on 

 one side is no injustice to the other side, 

 which is in good repair." 



The farmer is asking, first, storage 

 warehouses to meet his maximum need, 

 to be built by private capital or the State; 

 second, weighing and grading by public 

 inspectors; third, a certainty of credit 

 adequate for orderly marketing of pro- 

 ducts; fourth, marketing information of 

 Agriculture; fifth, freedom to integrate 

 the business of agriculti'.re by co-operat- 

 ing and co-ordinating to put the farmer 

 on a business plane with other business 

 interests. 



Mr. Baruch sees no heresy her;. "The 

 farmer seeks the benefits of a united busi- 

 ness. As an example of integration, 

 take the steel industry." "Some farmers 

 favored by regional compactness, "have 

 already found a way, legally, to merge 

 and sell their products integrally — ren- 

 dering the consumer a reliable service. 

 Without resorting to special privileges 

 they have built up a reliable marketing 

 agency." 



Mr. Baruch has no fears of the abuse 

 of farmers' organizations. A loose or- 

 ganization is a "lumbering democracy" 

 as compared to the "agile autocracy" of 

 a great corporation. Supply and demand 

 will prevent price fixation. 



In conclusion he begs a tolerant view 

 of the farmers' sincere striving to better 

 an admittedly sad plight. He is "far 

 from getting a fair share now." Busi- 

 ness interests have neglected agricultural 

 business. They ought to respond to 

 the farmers' difliculties. 



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