The Greeley tribune., 1905-04-27
TOO MANY DEALERS
Claimed as Cause of Low Price
of Potatoes.

Ault, Colo. April "a, 1905,
Editor Greeley Tribune.
Dear Sir: / notice an article in
the last issue of your paper signed by
+. II. Badger Il Son, under tie
heading Where the fault lies"
This reminds me of an article in
your paper some time ago signed by
these same people with others who
withdrew from The Dealers and
Growers Association. AT that time
these men were trying to show us
farmers (who by some people are not
supposed to know great deaD how
it would benefit US to have many
dealers. The time since elapsed has
proven the contrary as we'll as the
article first referred to here signed
by F. II. Badger & Son, where they
publish letter received by them
from wholesale firm in California,
as follows:
Stockton, CAL, April l1-F. H.
Badger e. Son, Greeley, Colo:
Dear Sirs-We have your wire in
reply to ours, quoting white potatoes
SOC, reds 35c cwt, here: quick ship
ment. These prices certainly appear
low enough, and we certainly would
have ordered car or two, had we
not received a letter from Ault,
Colo, quoting strictly fancy white
stock at 2Oc cwt. Indications are
that for the next two months, we
will be obliged to ship all our pota-
toes in here from either Colorado or
Utah, as our local stock is about
exhausted and Oregon appears to be
holding on for higher prices.
Yours truly,
Hobbs Parsons Co."
The writer believes and has rea-
sons to believe that why we have not
received at least 25 and 30 cents per
hundred for our potatoes all this
time is due to an over production of
dealers in place of an over produc-
tion Of potatoes this year. l mean
dealers who have no interest in this
section except certain margin
realized on each car Of potatoes
shipped by them. These dealers
have been anxious to do business
and the poor farmer seemed to be at
their mercy. This has not resulted
in the moving of more potatoes. but
just this. that the most popular
dealer who could quote customers the
lowest price first received orders
ahead Of the other fellow and he was
on top on the contrary l believe it
has resulted in the moving of less
potatoes, because the buyers at the
other end were always afraid to buy
for fear the price would go lower and
they had reasons to be. And, con-
sequently, the price of potatoes drop
ped and dropped till 1t has come to
where farmer who has over two
miles to haul would be money ahead
by letting his potatoes rot, and no.
body, not even the dealers in general
have profited by the result. This 1
think is part of the harvest we reap
by an over production of dealers
when potatoes are plentiful and
must be sold by many farmers at any
price offered them, and the writer
believes that this fact has cost the
potato section of this country thous-
ands Of dollars, as we'll as put many
farmers out of business. | think
most practical farmers agree with
me, that when they have to sell
potatoes at less than 40 cents per
hundred they are going backward
and at a good rate. And just
imagine what effect year like this
just gone will have on the potato
raisers bank account if he has any.
Then, too, we must take into con-
sideration that it takes farmer a
year to turn his investment, and
does he take any risk? Farmers
who have been hailed out, and dried
out, and received low prices can
answer this question. We see that
Messrs. Badger & Son quoted potatoes
into California, f. o. b. here 80
cents per hundred, and at this. their
selling price. they think they should
be bought for Is cents per hundred
from the farmer, and then too we
will consider that this firm can turn
their investment in car of potatoes
In from every two or three weeks.
l ask the farmers do you think that
this is just right? Who can study.
out good remedy? Signed
Jno. G. Newman.