New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1855-12-04
MIDDLEMEy.

In taking the ground that, as trade is now organ.
lied, middlemen are inimcal to the interest of
society, and thence deducng a system of inter-
changes which shall exclude their intermediary
participation, we know that We run counter to the
arguments of most political economists. But it is
not well to be blinded by the mere force of
frequently overtum the most Ingenious deductions
of ratiocination. When We see one half Of our in.
du,trisl community suffering privations from their
insufficient earnings, and know that this insuffic
ency is principally caused by an arbitrary enhance.
ment in the cost of their daily food, We naturally
inquire if there 10 no remedy for this evil.
Our Western producers of food are willing to
sell their commodities to US at certain price, and
yet before they reach the hand Of the consumer
the price paid to the Western grower is almost
doubled. Can this evil find no remedy Can we
not devise plan whereby the commodity of the
grower can be retailed to the consumer with the
mere addition of the cost Of transport, and the
pense of the labor employed upon it' We think so:
in fact in other cases less importance to the needy
consumer we see more simple, and therefore
an improved plan in successful operation. In
former article we dwelt upon the immense loss of
time and consequent cost to the consumer in
volved in our present retail system-when
each butcher spends half day in buy
ing two or three head of cattle while
he could at ar equal expense of time purchase
whole drove. This misapplicstion of industry is
avoided by our western packers. The amount Of
provisions exported from this country bears no
appreciable proportion to the amount consumed
at home it is the mere overfOwing of the cup.
Still, to supply this foreign demand, which is of
such comparative insigni6cance, we see the die
tates of common sense carried out, the interchange
of commodities facilitated and the ultimate cost to
the consumer greatly mitigated. The packers Of
provisions for the foreign market content them.
selves with no such primitive arrangement as we
see practiced here among our retail dealers they
estimate the amount they have to supply, and they
get themselves like intelligent commercial men
about the performance of the duty. These two
principles, which We neglect, they consistently
carry out, namely, the facilitation Of exchanges,
and the aggregation Of labor.
Then why cannot we adopt the same perfected
system, and supply provisions to the community
IN the 0lrectfst mduner, anu WIN tuc icoes PVssf
bic intermediate cost Why not estimate the
amount required, engage upon the task Of purvey-
ing that amount just the number Of hands tho
labor requires, and the cost to the community
Of the misspplied industry Of two-thirds of those
at present thus employedi Such chaos as now
perysdes our distribution of the neceaaries OF
Life must fall heavily upon every consumer.
Our provisions come to US arbitrarily taxed be-
yond al patient endurance. Capital il abundant,
and combinations Of individuals operating by means
Of it buy up everything; nonopoizing in fact, not
only TIE medium through which the necessaries OF
man are supplied, but the very necessaries OF Life
themselves. We have no need TO enlarge upon the
extent to which this sbuae Is carried; our readers
whose walks ever extend to our country markets
and bost-landings, must have remarked the
swarm of jobbers ready to pounce upoa every
thing that arrives, and, like tho Mormon locusts,
devour every green thing in the land. An in
stance Of this intermediate meddling came to
our knowledge short time since, which sets in