The Nonpartisan Leader Newspaper, June 16, 1919, Page 5

Y S ARty Aiding Co-Operation How Department of Agriculture ““Encour- aged” Idea Told by Official Washington Bureau, Nonpartisan Leader. ERE is a statement prepared by C. W. Thompson of the rural organizations office, bureau of markets, United States depart- ment of agriculture, answering markets and the department as a whole have not shown suffi- cient interest in the farmers’ great economic problem—the problem of getting rid of the profiteering middleman. Mr. Thompson was recently quoted by the Leader as being in charge of the state agent service in the bureau of markets. He says that he was not in charge of this work at the time, but that he has since been given authority over it, and is anxious to do all within his power to assist the co-oper- ative movement among farmers. “For several years,” says his formal statement, “the department of a®riculture, through various bureaus, has encouraged co-operation among farm- ers for the improvement of farming and farm .con- ditions. In connection with this work it has been necessary to issue warnings against ill-advised and improperly managed forms of co-operative effort which tend to injure the cause of the co-operative movement. In some instances these warnings have been construed as reflecting a lack of interest on the part of the department in the active develop- ment of co-operative en- deavor. Any such views, however, are based on a misconception of the de- partment’s plans and pol- icies. x> “The department is deeply interested in the promotion and develop- ment of every form of co- operation among farm- ers that will increase ef- ficiency in farming, im- prove the methods of marketing, and develop better social and eco- nomic conditions gener- ally in farm life. “The department has issued many bulletins bearing directly on the co-operative movement, and its representatives have frequently deliver- ed addresses for the pur- pose of arousing interest in co-operative endeavor. Active assistance has been given to groups of farmers who have desired to form some particular . type of co-operative organization, and existing as- scciations have been aided in improving their plans - -of organization and methods of operation. = The de- i partment has also prepared model state Jaws for e varanie R © bureaus that render valuable assistance. H . co-operative associations. “The work of the department in matters affect- ing co-operation among farmers is not confined to any single division or bureau. While much of the work is taken up in a special way by various divi- sions of the bureau of markets, there are other The de- velopment of cow-testing associations, breeders’ associations and co-operative creameries has been fostered by the bureau of animal industry for many years. The work of this bureau:for the eradication of the tick in the southern states has involved notable co-operative undertakings. Simi- larly, the bureau of public roads has utilized co- operative effort among farmers on an important scale for the improvement of country highways. “The development of juvenile club organizations, 3, including corn clubs, pig clubs, calf clubs and can- P e e ETCTE ning clubs has been encouraged and actively as- sisted by the states relations service through state extension divisions and county agents. These ex- tension agencies have given much attention to the promotion of organized activities among farmers for general economic and social improvement. They have also taken a leading part.in the development of county farm bureaus through which the farm- ers of each county not only utilize the extension work’to better advantage but also promote the de- b TTIICHMUL T UC T TR UeE the charge that the bureau of. | : DEPARTMENT O These buildings in Washington were designed as the peculiar possession tion,” where their problems were to be taken and considered and their interests protected. How far the department has swerved from that purpose since its inauguratien, and especially since David F. Houston took charge, every reader of the Leader knows. Houston probably will be a suhbject of investigation by the committee on agricultural depart- ment expenditures, of which John M. Baer, League congressman, is chairman. velopment of specialized forms of organization among farmers.” After listing the bulletins which the bureau of markets has issued dealing with co-operative buy- ing and selling (most of which are special plans of accounting) and on farm credits and fire insur- ance, Mr. Thompson mentions the part played by the bureau in the recent national conference on rural social work. “The references given,” he concludes, “while by no means covering all the types of co-operation en- couraged by the department, serve to illustrate the wide range of organized activity in which the de- partment is endeavoring to be of assistance. Plans are under way for the development of further educational effort in co-operation with the various states. In this connection it is realized that while co-operative effort among farmers has already de- veloped to a considerable degree in many sections of the country, there are large numbers of farmers who have not availed themselves of the benefits of co-operation. This is often true among those farm- ers who share the least in the advantages of mod- ern rural life. i “It is easy enough to cater to the needs of a few who have already attained a high degree of self-help. The representatives of the department do not regard their work as successful, however, unless it reaches those members of rural communi- ties who are in greatest need of encouragement and of guidance in the development of self-help through co-operation with their neighbors.” Such is the defense of the department prepared by Mr. Thompson, who is now in charge of the only division which is supposed to assist the real co- operative movement. How directly it touches co- * operative buying and selling—the genuine thing in co-operation as commonly understood—every reader may judge. How much it reflects a new policy rather than a record of performance has al- so to be estimated. Mr. Thompson does not deny the essential facts published by the Nonpartisan Leader with reference to the policy of Secretary Houston, Director Brand of the bureau,of markets, and other men known in the department as the “insiders”—the facts as to the driving of Assist- ant Secretary Vrooman from the department, or the discouragement given the milk producers of Kansas City when they tried to organize; he does deny that the spirit of the bureau and the depart- ment is one which makes real assistance to the co- operative movement almost impossible. At the national conference on rural social work, of which Mr. Thompson was chairman, the plans adopted for a happier social life on the farm was based upon the pre-supposition that the farmers have “the necessary economic basis for their reali- zation.” TItems$ in this economic preparedness in- cluded adequate marketing facilities and purchasing facilities, in cénnection with which was mentioned the proper development of co-operatives; also land legislation, which would “encourage the ownership of the land by those who operate it.” Farm bureaus are also urged in this connection. When Congressman Baer begins his investiga- tion, through the house committee on expenditures in the department of agriculture; into the conduct ’ of the department, the country will learn how much Mr. Thompson’s statement reflects a hope and how much a reality. F AGRICULTURE . —Copyright by Harris & Ewing. of the farmers of the na- The conduct of the department under Mr. New Trade Menace Big Interests Seeking to Control All Busi- : ness of the Nation Washington Bureau, Nonpartisan Leader. TANDARD OIL, the Big Five packing interests and their friends are “framing up” the business and political game in the national capital to abolish the federal trade commission; abolish the United States tariff commission; stop all prosecu- tions of big business for viola- tions of the anti-trust laws and the laws against unfair competition; establish a United States board of trade, composed of nine representatives of the big interests, to hold office for life and ‘to abso- lutely control, through licenses, the further exist- ence and development of every business enterprise in the country; take away from the treasury, com- merce, justice and other departments their power to protect the producer or the consumer against the rapacity of Standard Oil or any other trust or combination and enable the big interest groups to crush out not,merely the growing co-operative movement but the public ownership program of the Nonpartisan league, along with all the middle- size and small business men throughout the United States. This scheme is disclosed by .the Nonpartisan Leader upon authority of some of the men who - have been sitting in the conferences of the inter- departmental liaison committee on foreign trade, which has been organ- ized here by Wesley Frost and Julius Lay of the foreign trades advis-’ ers’ service in the state department. This com- mittee has been in exist- ence about two months. It met in secret and has been bound to secrecy. Some of the plans laid,— it is reported, are as follows: 1. The committee has a subcommittee on raw mineral resources, deal- ing with the oil situation, with E. S. Bastin, geolo- gist of the geological survey, at its head. Mark L. Requa, California oil man and federal oil ad- ministrator, was invited in to give suggestions. He first proposed that Standard Oil be aided by the state department and other departments in its foreign competition with the Royal Dutch Shell oil concern, in which the British government is the majority stockholder. It was shown that Standard Oil has 70 per cent of the world’s output of oil, with 800,000 tons’ of ships in which to transport it; that the Royal Dutch.Shell has the larger part of the remaining business, with 400,000 tons of ships. Z A report on the coal situation, and another on the oil situation, have been promised the public by Bastin and his subcommittee, and these may be given the daily press before this disclosure of the real nature of the game appears in print. This liaison committee, originating in the foreign trade advisers’ office in the state department, rep- resents not only the geological survey, the bureau of mines, the shipping board, the state, commerce and labor departments, but it has representatives from the federal trade commission, the tariff com- mission and the federal reserve board, whose pow- ers would be abolished or greatly restricted and discredited if this second Requa plan for the en- actment of the “Beecher bill” goes through. Beech- " er’s bill provides for the creation of the United States board of trade—a more powerful twin to the United States supreme court. B Following is the text of this special privilege scheme for reorganizing our government, now be- fore the liaison committee, as reported by one of — the men who did not keep quiet: An act to create a United States board of trade, to define its powers, and for other purposes. .Section 1. Be it enacted by the senate and house of representatives. of the United States of Amer-