The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1909-05-17
GOVERNMENT FOR FARMERS.


It may interest American farmers to
know that ID Australia the govern
ment has come to the aid Of agricul
ture In a satisfactory manner. This is
particularly true Of dairy farming.
The provincial government maintains
at Calgary the largest and finest dairy
station and cold storage plant In all
the west. A few years ago the farm.
ers Of southern Alberta became dis
satisfied with the private creameries
then in operation and asked the gov.
eminent to take charge Of the bust
ness. The government is especially
solicitous for the prosperity Of farm
ers. and the public policy has no pur-
pose that precedes their best interest.
Therefore the request was taken up,
and government creameries took the
place Of the old private concerns.
These creameries are equipped upon
the most modern plans. and. being con
Quoted with no thought Of profit. but
solely in the interests Of the farmers,
their operation has been Of enormous
benefit They are called "co-opera.
tive and really are just exactly that.
A chain of them has been established
through the country sufacient and EN-.
Client to serve the whole farming com.
munity. They are subject to the con.
troll Of their patrons, through boards
Of directors. and under government
management
Most Of the patrons separate their
milk at home BY means Of hand sep
arators and take their cream 10 the
government stations, say three or four
times q week. There 1t II carefully
tested. weighed and credited up. At
the end Of each month each patron
gets credit for the equivalent Of his
cream In butter and receives . cash
advance equal to 10 cents q pound.
Thirty or sixty days later a check for
the balance is sent him from the de.
partment Of agriculture direct-that is
to say, the government actually takes
his cream. makes his butter and pays
him the market rate in cash and q gov.
eminent check. This IL neither pa
ternalism nor socialism. It Is q farm
ers' government, doing business with
and for the farmers. In other words
1t is simply business, and good bust
ness at that. for all concerned. The
average price paid at government
creameries in 1908 was 26.43 cents.
OF course these creameries have e
be maintained. and this Is accomplish
ed BY making . charge Of cents q
pound. One cent Of this goes to Z
fund for the purchase Of buildings and
machinery. Of which the farmers BE-
come part owners to the extent Of theil
contributions.
An this would mean little II II DID
not secure the best market advantages
for everybody concerned. but 1t doe.
mean that and In . fuller sense thar
could be secured through any othel
process. The government has consol
dated the market and conducts thu
sales. all in behalf Of the producers
The butter il sold through government
agencies, principally heretofore b
British Columbia and the Yukon dis
trict, but OF late In growing quaint
ties to japan A large export trade IL
butter from southern Alberta In,
sprung up IN the japanese market
Presit In ossss.
There IL no fowl that will respont
to treatment or furnish better result.
than the waterfowl. 1t will matur,
just as rapidly away from streams a.
near them. A generous supply o
drinking water II all that n required
There are many places on . farm tina
are worthless for cultivation tina
could be utilized with excellent result.
for goose raising. Many farmers ar,
pronting BY this and adding to theil
incomes annually. The care and At
tention necessary for raising geese ar'
very small when compared with tn,
returns. and the cost Of food 10 ais
proportionately small In comparison
with the cost Of food used for othe.
birds bred for market A goose OF
range viii gather the largest portion
Of its food, consisting Of grasses, in
sects and other animal and ve9etabl,
matter to be found in the fields and
brooks.
The goose occupies the same plac,
among poultry that sheep do amonl
live stock and II cared for are just n