St. Landry clarion. (Opelousas, La.) 1890-1921, 1909-07-03
..RobbIng the Hand that Feeds" Exposes 81
Methods Of Commission Ken ID Deal
ing with Farmers.
ORGANIZATION IS NECESSARY
In Order to Obtain Best Prices for Produce.
Magazine AFtlcIs Makes Striking State
menls, said 70 be Verified.

Hand that Feeds Evergbody's Mag
azine has an article contributed by
Forrest Grissy that every farmer
should read and particularly the pro-
ducers of vegetables.
It shows the necessity for the
farmers to organize to protect them
selves from the commissionIhouses.
The fact set forth in this article
will arouse Indignation, resentment,
perhaps incredulity," says the editor
Of The magazine, By way of introduce
ton to the article. rs the grower
Of farm produce so helpless in the
hands Of the average commission
dealer as the author declares? Is it
possible that mean trickery, such as
exposed here, can go on unchecked
and UNPUBLISHED? We can only reply
that MI. Crissey has been at work On
the investigation, of which this is the
result, for seven months past, and
has conseientiousIy verified every
statement Of his charge"
The article is several pages long,
which nvaeludas its publication IN It's
entirety by the Clarion. But il is an
expose of the methods of comission
merchants that chilIs the blood.
Tn its simplest FORM" says the
article, "one Of the favorite schemes
is to refuse a shipment bought at a
stated price on the ground that It IS.
in some particular off quality or de-
fectiye. The more p~erishable the
goods, the more at the mercy Of the
commission man; he feels that he
must act or lose the major part Of
returns
Many examples are given. One is
that of an artist, who acquired a grape
farm il the country. His manager
shipped the grapes to q commission
merchant, advising the owner of the
farm, who lived in The city Of the
fast. The artist went to the mer-
chant on the arrival at the grapes,
and bought several crates at 81 each,
for friends. The merchant told him
that there was not a bad grape in
the whole consignment-th the merchant
Of course did not know he was speak
ing TO the original owner Of the
grapes. A few days after the artist
farmer received . letter from his
manager, telling him that returns
had been made to him that The
grapes lad sold for Is cents 3 crate.
The artist called On The merchant
and asked for an explanation. The
merchant told him that many crates
had TO be thrown out On account Of
being spoiled. When the artist
farmer remined The merchant that
he himself had bought several crates
at ST. each, the merchant told him
that II he didn't like their way Of
business, be could 90 TO h
An instance is given where q be-
reaEed widow had entrusted her en-
tire grape crop to 4 merchant, and
had received q knock down Of two
thirds of what her grapes had
brought, although the merchant had
promised to allow her full price.
Her money is as good as anybody
else's," the heartIess broker replied
to one Of the clerks, when reminded
by him Of the agreement.
It recites instances OF the faVorlte
method Of the commission merchant
in refusing and compelling
consignments TO go to the
forced sale" Railroad companies
are authorized to sell perishable
goods for freight charges, and
the commission merchants, after t.
fusing to take out the the goods, buy
them at half their value.
The commission merchant knows
that the little man can not fight. and
, that ii is only a question of time
when he viii .lie down and eat oui
! Of the hand The destruction Of
} the poor is their poverty
Knocking down on the shipper,
! rejecting his shipments on false
ground Of of quality" forcing sales
at the hands of transportation agents
s these are the f~ayorite practices Of
the commission merchants.
OF course there are honest com.
mission merchants, and the more
they are watched the more honest
!. they are. And that is the the reason
that ii is necessary for the farmers Ii