The Nevada County picayune. (Prescott, Ark.) 190?-current, 1910-08-05
B. r. YOAKUM ON ORGANIZING
President of the Frisco System While
in New York Tells of Ad-
vantages to Farmers.

| Frisco system of railroads, while in
! New York recently spoke at some
! length on the advantages of organiza-
ton among farmers. lie said among
other things:
The east does not understand or
I appreciate what the farmers of the
west and middle west are doing to-
ward organization the better to protect
their interests in handling their prod
ucts | saw enough at the farmers
convention held in St Louis the first
week of this month to convince me
| that the farmers as producers are
more enterprising than the consumers
in our large cities whom their products
must feed.
There were present at this confer
eHc0 farmers from 40 different states.
Their business talks dealt mainly with
commercial and agricultural questions
and not politics Formerly politicians
had a good deal to say at such agri-
cultural meetings and took up much
Of the time and attention of the mem
bars of such conventions discussing
politics rather than the Improvement
of their own industry.
The farmers are doing two things
of Importance for themselves and the
| whole country: They are increasing
their production per acre and they are
developing better methods of market
ing their crops.
THE agricultural awakening over
the country Is general and genuine
New methods, both for producing and
marketing, are being studied by the
farmers and the results are better pro-
duction and prices with less labor. The
farmers chief difficulty is the adoption
of better business methods in market
ing their crops. This is now being
overcome through organization. In
this they are working under disad-
vantages, some cases are crude and
awkward, but they are much in earn
est and are making Roadway.
The farmers have in the different
states over $500 selling and buying
organizations. Some of these agencies
are handling large business. Some
have just organized and are small, but
all are working with businesslike d.
rectness In the interest of the pro-
ducers.
"In some Of the western states they
are storing their grains and other non-
perishabe products in their Jointly.
owned elevators, warehouses and
granar!es. They do their own banking
I vol hn hof hor
/ before they sell.
New methods are being adopted.
In the next few years much improve
ment will be made. These organiza-
lions are working with a view OF cut
ting out waste between the grower
and the user. They are endeavoring
to keep their products out of the hands
. of needless profit takers.
The farmers organization is help
/ Ing the farmers, but the consumers
will continue to pay large tribute to
tie army Of profit takers which stand
between the farms and the consumers
tables so long as present conditions
make it possible for middlemen to
take SO many unnecessary profits be
fore the products reach the consumers.
New York is in no position to call
the farmers slow and behind the times.
The people of the greatest city OF
America are the ones who are not ia
king advantage Of their opportunities
and are paying enormously for such
neglect
while the farmers OF the west
and middle west are busy organizing
they are yet often forced to sell their
potatoes at 10 to 20 cents a bushel or
let them rot on their hands There
fore TO make this system success for
both the producer and the consumer
the movement from the field to the
table must be as near direct as pos
sible
The farmers have learned that they
cannot sell to advantage through agen-
ces too far from their homes and re-
ceive proper protection. and to over
come this they are establishing nearby
selling agencies. These agencies are
run with as good business sense as
any New York business may be run,
yet New York has done almost moth
ing in the way of establishing cheap
and convenient buying places for that
unorganized class which cannot pro-
teet itself"
r