THE ORGANIZATION OF RURAL INTERESTS 511 



like to abolish the middleman's profits. The farmer rather ex- 

 pects to get most of the profits which the middleman has made, 

 and the consumer, oddly enough, has the same ambition. Both 

 cannot succeed. This tendency shows itself in a public market 

 where householders buy of farmers. Each wants to get the 

 best bargain possible. What eventually happens is probably 

 a pretty fair trade, both getting some advantage in this matter. 

 This principle holds in the whole field of soil distribution. If 

 economies of distribution are effected, who is to get the benefit 

 consumer or producer? Both! It is a matter of adjust- 

 ment. The answer lies in establishing fair trade. 



Agriculture and Other Business. Agriculture is our great- 

 est business and yet it is often left out of account in plans 

 for possible development. But its relation to manufactur- 

 ing, to transportation, to commerce and even to finance is very 

 close and even vital. Imagine if you can the farm lands of 

 America lying unproductive for a single year. Moreover, it 

 is clear that if these relationships of agriculture to other in- 

 dustries are so close, competing interests will show themselves. 

 Inasmuch as these industries are well organized and agriculture 

 is poorly organized, the farmers are apt to be the losers. How 

 can we adjust these big interests of these big industries so that 

 all shall have the square deal? 



Agrarian Legislation. The farmer has an interest in taxa- 

 tion, in the tariff, in currency legislation. It is believed that 

 legislators have a tendency to ignore this interest, but it can- 

 not safely be ignored. If it results in too great injustice, then 

 we have a radical movement which smashes its way through, 

 perhaps to undesirable ends for all concerned. What we need, 

 then, is an attempt to adjust, in all legislative matters, the fair 

 interests of farmers to the fair interests of other people. 



The Farmer in Politics. I low can the farmers make them- 

 selves felt in our political life? As a parly, shall they have rep- 

 resentation in legislative business, somewhat equivalent to Iheir 

 numerical strength? Neither of these things seems very prac- 

 ticable, perhaps not even desirable. On the other hand, are the 

 farmers to be left out of account and have nothing to say? 

 Are. they to have no unified opinion or desire that finds ex- 

 pression through the political party or the government? How 



