AGRICULTURAL RELIEF 
399 
(ished in box form a display article telling members of several slick and 
deceptive ways to evade their contracts and why they should. Such procedure 
is almost continuous and is destructive of organization. It fools people. It 
explains why the farmer will not organize himself, as is often proposed. 
A second ditliculty is the expense required to get personal contact with every 
grower. The solicitor’'s job is one of education, explaining the plan, its opera- 
tion elsewhere, and the contract the farmer is called upon to sign. Manifestly 
the signing of a written contract calls for its thorough understanding, the 
meeting of the minds of the parties and general conformity to the law of 
rontracts. This work is necessarily slow and expensive. 
Third. Nebraska has approximately 60,000 wheat farmers; Kansas probably 
cwice as many ; there are 15 States of wheat raising consequence. The organiza- 
con of but a single State has small influence. The organiaztion in all States 
of any commodity to the highest possible degree is necessary in order to get the 
cooperation of all in the adjustment of production and to affect the market, 
otherwise the unorganized States constantly counteract the efforts of the 
organized. In adjusting production, the maximum of the benefit of organization 
will not be available to any great extent until all major commodities are highly 
organized. 
Fourth. If the farmer would pay a cash membership fee, the problem would 
be solved; but sometimes he will not and sometimes can not. Congressman 
Purnell spoke before the House committee of the farmer's broken morale. 
We are satisfied with statisti, but Congressman Norton, of Nebraska, has 
handed me an up-to-date report from an astract company in two counties 
of his district, showing a total increase in 1927 over 1926 in farm, town, and 
chattel morfgages of—in Jefferson County, $1,087,774; in Thayer County, 
$608,078. The vast majority of farmers insist on giving a note for member- 
ship fee, and the organizing body has to advance to its solicitor the cost of 
getting it. 
Again, the farmer has been a “ joiner,” Everything he joined promised relief 
and failed to bring it. He has grown skeptical and solicitors and membership 
fees. The Republican Party made a campaign on the slogan “ Confidence.” The 
farmer lacks confidence now. Even congressional opinion is divided as to the 
better course. Is it surprising the farmer is in doubt, his mind befuddled by 
misleading propaganda and knowledge of the frailties of judgment? A real 
participation of Government by the loan of funds for organization work will 
zo far in restoring confidence to the farmer's mind. And why should govern- 
ment not do this? It took, through the War Finance Corporation, $50.000.000 
of wheat profits from the farmer during the war. 
Our farmers believe large volume of necessary to successful cooperative 
marketing. In my own county, four out of eight farmers’ elevators failed; the 
four that are left are the four with large volume. Farmers told our solicitors 
they approved of cooperative marketing, but did not want to join until we had 
35 to 50 per cent of the Nebraska acreage. That presented a serious question so 
long as we had to accept notes for membership fees and pay solicitors in cash. 
Still we were anxious to test this challenge and see if we could discover a way to 
write members easily and rapidly. We launched a campaign, contracts not to be 
enforceable until we received 50 per cent of the wheat acreage of the State. 
Solicitors were sent in three counties, widely separated and differing in nation- 
ality and conditions. They signed up rapidly 80 to 90 per cent of the farmers 
canvassed ; and secured, without covering the entire county, 50 per cent of the 
wheat acreage in three counties. We demonstrated that wheat can be organized 
far beyond the 50 per cent limit if there were funds to carry on the work 
throughout the States. 
Such a loan by the Government is no more hazardous or likely to abuse than 
loans for the purchase of facilities. The same people, the same securities are 
back of both. The Federal Farm Board should carefully scrutinize and super- 
vise both, should call for the aid of the advisory council, should know the men 
and keep track of their operations. Canadian cooperators repaid every dollar 
they borrowed for organization. The cooperatives doing business can give 
security of such loans: 1, by the pledge of the membership note: 2, by the 
agreement of the signer in his contract that payment may be taken out of the 
proceeds of the sale of his product; 3, by the pledge of the association to pay the 
debt from its reserves and the 2 per cent gross resale proceeds; 4, by the security 
of the product itself. 
There is a compelling reason why all major commodities must be strongly 
organized at the earliest possible date. namely, the relation they bear one to an-