Rogue River courier. (Grants Pass, Or.) 1886-1927, 1909-08-06
The Farmer and Merchant Again.

ing the treatment of farmers, beg
to give you few thoughts OF the ex-
isting conditions from the standpoint
of merchant who, by the way, was
raised on farm in this county. AS
to a rest place for ladies | heartily
agree with Mr.. Lucke that it Is one
of the most essential necessities and
for which made ample calculations
when | opened my business house
by giving the most prominent part
Of my store room and fitting up
same with suitable furniture 50 it
would be comfortable for any one,
and advertised It very extensively in
all the local papers. This alone cost
something like $4j, and, figuring
on rental Of place, as one should,
would cost 800 per year for main
tenance, and then to have it ignored
by some of the people as they seem
to be doing, does not cause one to be
in any too good way for lending
helping hand But that is all right,
for | am aware that some do appre-
ciate it and / am sure there Is pen-
ty Of room and a cordial welcome
to any others who might wish to
come. AS to handling your produce,
1t might be well to go into details a
little, so as to make it palmer for
the farmer, who possibly does not
take into consideration the cost Of
doing business We all have to pay
for rentals, insurance, clerkship and
miscellaneous expenses such as light,
water, etc, which amounts to about
II per cent OF the average grocery
mans business. Now any ore can
get per cent for his money loaned
on good gilt edge security, and the
IL per cent Of the cost of doing
business, the amount you have to
dig up every 30 days or be closed
out, and per cent which you are
Justly entitled to for accommodating
the poor man, who is being robbed
by us, would necessarily cause us to
have to get 20 per cent for doing
business, and there isn't a grocery
man in the city of Grants Pass made
that in the past five years.
Now as to the price paid for your
produce, 1t has been the custom in
this city to pay the farmer in mer-
chandise the same for his produce
as it was sold for and up to this sum
mor ! have done the same, but II
isn't right For instance the heayi-
est demand for groceries from the
farmers is sugar and flour A sack
Of sugar today sells for $6.75 sack;
a sack Of the best flour sells for
SlSj The flour costs SIG. Now
then we may say YOU brought us but
ter and eggs and traded for sack
of sugar or flour, as the case may be.
We pay You whatever the butter and
eggs are selling for and keep your
butter ON Ice until sold and send
| your eggs ont over town in wagons
land take the risk Of broakago for the
small sum of II cents ON SG.31 I'm.
vested, or couts ON $l.7G invested
as the case may be. who Is getting
robbed. on wcll you may say that
1--we don't trade butter and eggs all
the time. Quite true Take for In.
stance, ON berries that We buy from
YOU tried to sell at retail for %,
Ipor crate advance this summers that
Is, we made a difference Of % cent.
|por crate solliug them ont at few
boxes at time; otherwise we sold
them by the crate for the same as ",
paid for them, and If any were left
over night they were closed out fot
about ono-half price or cartcd out tc
the garbage Who makes the profit
on them? On your bunch vegetables
we pay YOU 40 and 80 cents peI
dozen lunches. Same are retailed
out at 8 cents per bunch, punches
for 25 cents or 80 tents per dozen
We all lose from one TO three OF
four bunches OF some varieties every
day, depending, of course, on the
season and supply and demand for
different kinds of vegetables. Where
Is our profit? On potatoes, onions
cabbage or such varieties that come
In quantity we figure from quarter
to half q cent advance In selling al
retail depending, of course. on the
supply and price, SO that II will cover
shrinkage, as all that class of pro-
duce necessarily has considerable
loss. Now as to the farmer not get
ting cash for his produce. | am
proud to be able to dispute this arti.
.cle, When first started In business
| always quoted u cash and trade
price ON all commodities brought to
me, hut It appears that all or most