Economic and financial section > Agricultural crisis > Volume 1

FRANCE.
M. Jules GAUTIER,
President of the National Federation of Agriculturist Associations of France.
i. The Agricultural Crisis throughout the World.
The complaints of agriculturists are loud in all countries and have compelled recog-
mtion of the ex^stence of an agricultural crisis. But “ agricultural crisis ” is too general
^ue1+an exPresslon and does not adequately describe the situation. A study of
the difficulties and even severe sufferings of agriculturists shows that certain general
auses have been operative m the majority of countries; but not all of them are in the
same poshion or suffering equally from the same evils. The “ world crisis of agriculture ”
should rather be considered as a phenomenon simultaneously appearing in different
quarters, a concurrence of national crises or crises of particular branches of agriculture
"e ore generalising, it will be well to study the general economic phenomena with which
kemptiCOnf-r°nted ^ a ^he?r C0"1P.lexity- The enquiry which the Economic Committee
geiSralSftions.XPert agrICultural clrcles should Put us on our guard against premature
has “pWalsT^
SitUati- ^ individual
Men have died,in millions and have not been replaced. The requirements of consume-
tion have altered quantitatively and have taken new forms. ^
t7116. fl?W of cornmerce has changed its regular channels. ’ In one direction it has been
accelerated m another retarded. To feed the belligerents, distant lands were induced
!hinpCreaSe+ ^eirEPr0dUCtl0n- ^lth the return of Peace and the repair of the devastations
these countries became competitors, finding themselves face to face with reviving national
agricultural systems on the defensive. g nanonal
Industrial enterprises, stimulated to abnormal activity by war orders have endea-
vourecl to maintain their production on a scale which is no longer in conformity with
the requirements of the market. The old balance between agriculture and indultrv
has been upset Industry has been able to maintain the high level of prices for Tts
products; agriculture has not. 6 p ts
Both wholesale and retail trade have widened the gap between the prices paid to
agriculturists and the prices paid by consumers. The character of trade has, moreover
n modified. Formerly it purchased, it accumulated stocks and distributed in accordance
with current requirements, fulfilling the functions of a regulatT of th^ process
of commercial exchange. The growth of taxation, the increase of transport charges^and of
ents, the abrupt fluctuations of prices and the restriction of credit by the banks have
specXtorferS traderS int° beCOming br0kers’ co“°n agents and above