Democratic messenger. [volume] (Snow Hill, Md.) 1869-1973, 1905-03-11
An ADDRESS TO FARMERS
What Mr.. William {. Thomas
Said In Snow Hill.


remarks of Mr.. William 4. Thomas on
growing potatoes. made at the meeting
of the Peninsula Produce Exchange
here last week.
| VI. Chairman and Gentlemen:
Ii is with pleasure that am with you
to-day to tell you of the success Of the
Eastern Shore of Virginia Produce Ex-
change of the Counties of Accomac and
Northampton.
/ am not here to talk to YOU in a
visionary sense of what can be done. but
to tell you what has been done, and to
talk to you as practical farmer. aud
tell you of an up-to-date method of
marketing your crop The keynote of
to-day is combination for protection and
the elimination of uncalled for factions
from your business, The farmers of
this county have arrived at point when
the local BUYERS and solicitors must be
eliminated from handling their produce
81 az TO enable them TO get closer to the
consumer and dispose of their products
npon a business basis.
The local BUYERS and solicitors have
an eye single to their own interest. but
not to yours From business stand
point it is TO their interest to keep you
in the dark as To the market value of
your products so as TO buy from you at
the lowest cent. You farmers that have
to work in your fields cannot and do not
know prices prevailing in the various
| markets. To see farmer arrive at the
| depot with his products without any
protection, is "a deplorable condition.
| The buyers have all the data of the
market. while the farmers know nothing
of the market value of his products, and
are ready to take from them the support
that should go TO the children of his
loins and the wife of his bosom. ]
appeal To Won as free American farmers
to come to the lowering wings of the
Maryland Exchange. 1t will be your
financial haven, and your protection
from the wolves and teaches that are af-
ter your financial blood.
am well aware of your position aud
the argument used by the local dealers
for their own selfish interest.
The farmers of Accomac and North
amption have been through the same
experience, but | am proud to say that
we have withstood the test. aud have
succeeded in establishing one of the
grandest institutions of its kind in
America to day.
Well do | remember few years ago
when we were in deplorable financial
condition. farmers in poverty, business
men bankrupt we called meeting Of
the local buyers to devise some means to
dispose of our products TO "A better ad-
vantage. We were held up in derision
and laughed to scorn At that time our
potatoes were selling at 25 cents per
barrel, our real estate selling under the
taxable valuation. but in our deplorable
condition some of our Local Buyers
We're making money, buying land and
building houses. am sure tn question
drifts across your mind how could set
of men increase in wealth while the pro-
ducers were in poverty? We had local
buyers at every shipping point, and it
was who could get orders at 10 cents
per barrel brokerage. The potatoes were
started. say at $500 per barrel One
dealer would continue to underquote
another until have known the market
to be reduced from 800 to 25c in thirty
days. These conditions continued for
several years. At % cents per barrel
the local dealers could make more
money, as the price had reached bottom
the farmers would not dig for less
and they got the same brokerage, and
could handle more cars for the same
capital. l have in my mind one local
dealer who handled several car loads
per day-say l0-which, with a profit
of 10 cents per barrel brokerage, would
net him $4,000 per day profit.
When we were in the most deplorable
condition IL farmers met. organized,
made bylaws, and procured charter for
the Eastern Shore of Virginia Produce
Exchange.
You have no idea what fun there was
made of us. The farmers were told that
a few men had started an Exchange for
their own financial benefit.
The year 1900, the first year of our
organization, there was no record kept
by which could give you the number
of packages that we consigned or sold
We came out about even. and were un-
able 10 declare any dividend, and only
had about $4,000, which was placed to
our surplus account. The year 1901 the
business increased to nearly three.
quarters of u million dollars, and that
year we paid 100 per cent i'll stock
dividends and 80 per cent in cash divi-
dends. We then had capital of Sc, 900.
But during that year we paid for the
building of offices and platforms at
thirty shipping points. The year 1902,
we paid 80 per cent in stock bonds. and
20 per cent in cash dividends, and the
capital stock had in the meantime in
creased, and was the cause of the re.
duction in the dividends. The years
1898 and 1904. we paid 10 per cent divi-
dends and placed Is per cent each year
| to the surplus fund. rhe capital stock
on the first day of January, 1905. had
accumulated to the amount of $3l, 100,
and the surplus had accumulated to the
sum of Sl4 22S. rs, which made total
sum OF si5. 1888 IS.
| We had an increase of 1914 pack
ages over that of 1908 Estimating 1870
barrels 10 the car, we sold during the
year 1904. 10I0 and consigned PSF car
loads of Irish potatoes. making a total of
1897. There was sold for the year 1904,
2219 car loads of sweet potatoes, and
consigned 429 car loads or total num-
ber of 270S Car loads of sweet potatoes
In the most instances the car loads that
Were c.nsigned were potatoes that were
off in size aud not the class that could
be sold To advantage to the trade. and
therefore had to be shipped on the
market But l am Informed by the
I. .f h.e