The representative. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1893-1901, 1900-02-22
DEATH OF THE SILK HAT.

The East seems to be waking up while
the West is sleeping. Read this:
NEW YORK, Feb. 1.-THE farmers OF
Salem county, N. j., are fighting the middle
men to standstill. They are selling car
rots and turnips directly to consumers. They
are winning out. Last week they held q
jolliflcation over it, and, dancing around a
barrel of potatoes, gave sundry loud and
emphatic cheers for themselves.
Down with the silk hat men who sell
on commission and never pay you!" is their
motto They call themselves the Farmers
chants from Philadelphia are in despair.
They predict that if the movement spreads
not only will they be unable to wear silk
hats, but they doubt if they will be in a
position to wear very many changes OF
clothes.
The dairymen were the pioneers. Until
they organized they were receiving ~ cents
and 2 cents per quart for milk, which the
commission merchants made into two quarts
by the use of pump and sold for 16 cents.
Then the cow propretors built ice houses,
and now they are getting two or three times
as much for their product as they did when
the ''silk hat" men handled it.
At the jolliication last week bowls of
rage were emitted when prominent Salem
county tomato farmer told his experience
with Philadelphia commission merchant.
Il sent 40 baskets of tomatoes last year
to the Quaker city, he said, land received
81 cents for the consignment Formerly I
would have taken the money and felt CRATE
full. But membership in this organization has
stiffened my backbone. (Cheers)
ION receipt of the check 1 at once went
to Philadelphia and hired a detective, who
traced up the matter and found that on the
day when my tomatoes were received they
were selling for not less than 81 go per bas-
ket. I went back to my farm with $500
which got out of that silk hat commits
sion merchant in settlement Of the case"
wild and continuous applause)
Other farmers declared that willy COM
mission merchants start in business with a
capital consisting almost entirely Of at
tractive stationary, and solicit consignments,
Offering a fraction above the general market
rate. The farmer. always ready, sends on
his produce by the car load. Statements
are mailed to him showing the commission
merchant has large sums to the farmer 8
credit, and the latter works harder and
harder. The farmer presses for settle
ment. A check arrives beautifully engraved
and punched with perforator. Encour-
aged, the farmer sends to the merchant all
the vegetables he can scare up.
A few days elapse and the paying teller
Of some city bank allows a look Of fatigue
to steal over his classic face as he reaches
foI the IN. G." stamp and prints things
all over the charming check. Then the
commission merchant, who has done the
same thing to all the clients he could OBJ
tain, changes his name and stationery, and
goes into the business at some other address
1t is this sort of thing that the Farmers
Protective Association of Salem county
means to head of. The New York State
Farmers Association is doing the same
thing. 1t has arranged to ship all its pro-
duce to one commission house in this city
The movement to stamp all union grown
vegetables with the union label is pro-
crossing in New Jersey. Organized labor
men in Philadelphia will not buy carrot
or a cabbage unless 1t is tagged with the
indication that it is the production Of well
paid effort.
There is just as much necessity for
the Farmers Alliance In the Northwest
as there ever was; but the people do
not seem capable Of self-defense, and