Lamoille newsdealer. [volume] (Hyde Park, Vt.) 1860-1877, 1873-03-12
Correrpondence-


liberal space in your paper.
In your issue Of the 18th ul,.. ns,ic'
that you correspondent. Leroy S. Girls
sold. tuBder the head OF "Cs-oPeratiOE
among Farners'1 made some declarations
which il tensble, ought to be duly regard
ed. aud at once encouraged by every
fsisnd Of agriculture and justice; and Al
| have the right to be rckoned amsng tho
class called farmers, hope the suggest
iOus Of your correspondent will not be per,
mitied tc sluniber and pass without iDves
tigaiion. lie FIRST named the disadvan'
tages to which farmers have to submit,
then suggested a remedy. His assertion
that farmers as a class are hard working
people. and that many with the striciesI
economy with difficulty make ends meet
from year to year think will be admit.
ted without debate +; yet all Of his propo.
sitiops may not be universally conceded
without farther discussion. The principal
causes be named for the pitiful condition
Of the farmers are as follows That the
lawyers, merchants and spectators are in
many cases becoming wealthy by appro-
prIating to their own use an unjust pro-
portion OF the farmers hard earnings, also,
the farmers have been in bondage TO spec
ulators, middle-men and transportation
monOpolies, aud that competition has been
avoided and fees increased aEong The
learned professions; aud that the farmers
alone are uuorganized and delenccless,
having little or nothing to say as TO the
price Of anything they produce or con.
sumo and it they have produce to sell
they are at the mercy of the SPECTATOR !;
and il they must buy, they have to pay
the price asked, which is often 25 to 40
per cent. above wholesale prices. Now.
MIR. Editor, whether his said allegations
are well founded or not, | believe there is
among them. many apparent iucongrulties
| don't believe the farmers as elias, are
such say.nothing, coun.-uothing, weigh.
moth ug kuou.noth ng LET OF men as repre-
sentcd. In the first place, quite as good
talent may be found among the farmers
as any other class of men, aud with their
city papers and other facilities, they are
not necessarily ignorant in regard to the
Wholesale market prices of their own pro-
ducts, nor Of most kinds Of articles that
they consume; and with but few except
lens they can raise iiom their lalms all
the substantial comforts of life; and at
present there is so much competition
among business men, (who have n great
anxiety TO be called men of superior bust
ness capacities that often the margin be-
tween the prices paid the farmer aud the
wholesale market prices of such produce,
affords but very scant or POOR remuner-
alton to the Spectator or middlemen for
their labor, which same competition re-
suits in frequent failures or necessity to
sell goods at or below cost, hence there is
continual na'ket IN almost every
town where goods may be bought far
below priccs that they can be afforded at.
And now ask, which is the most depend
eat and at the mercy Of others: the mcr-
chant in debt fer his goods, surrounded
BY formidable competitors; or the farmer,
with his well filled barns, cellars and gra.
naries, pursued by numerous spectators 7
among whom may be found honorable men
who will gladly engage to market such
produce for a commission Of 3 per cent,
and very often much less.
vii next week, if allowed. give my
opinion through yous paper, of the pro.
posed remedy of your correspondent fol
the wrongs and grievances of the farmer,
and mechanics, and will suggest substi.
tute remedy for some Of the hiudrances te
the success of farmers. r. p.
| Hyde Park, March 10, '73.