New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1910-12-08
M|DDLEMEN BLAMED
FOR HIGH PRICES
Secretary Wilson Says They
Nearly Double the Cost OF
Farm Products.
CONSUMERS HAVE REMEDY
Organize Cooperative Associa-
tions and Buy Direct from
Producers-It Works Well
in England.
From The Tribune Bureau. !

From The Tribune Bureau
washington. Dec. THE Secretary OF
Agriculture places the responsibility for
ne high cost Of living squarely on the
r73iddlenen. whose operations dis
-ributers he finds add approximately 100
per cent 10 the price Of farm products
before they pass into the hands Of the
ultimate consumer. Following the Con
sressionaI inquiry Of last year into the
high cost of living. Secretary Wilson
caused an investigation to be made with
. view To determining how far the
farmer profted from the enhanced cost
70 the consumer Of his products, and,
laving completed his inquiry, he now
asks. why do not consumers buy direct
from the farmers?''
To snow the advisa bility Of direct trade
between the farmer and the consumer
-le Secretary cites the farm price and
ire retail price Of g variety OF COM
-rodities. one OF the most striking Of
which is potatoes. He asserts that city
consumers paid last year from 20 10 %
cents z bllshel. and often more. for pota-
roes. while the farmer sometimes re-
s=ived only ~ cents. and in many local
5ries where there was an oyerproducuon
IS little as cents a busheI- Mr. Wilson
savs 1he method he proposes has al
ready made considerable headway IN
Great Britain. where II has proved en-
tlreIy practicable.
Organize cooperative purchasing as
socfsrions buy your farm products direct
from the farmer. and in carload lots, and
-
the admoniti0n of Secretary Wilson TO
those 10 whom the increased cost OF HT-
5-Z IS proving a hardship. Whether or
not q feasible method OF obtaining milk
direct from the farmer can be devised
the Secretary does not say, but he does
point ont that the farmer rarely receives
more than half the price the consumer
paws for that coulmodity-which. by the
way. Is also true Of eggs and number
Of other things.
The apple grower receives % per
cent of the consumers price when the
purchase is by the bushel and Sc per
cent when by the barrel" says the Sec
retary. The strawberry grower gets -
per cent Of the consumers price in pur-
chases by the quart and - per cent
1.hzu by the crate when the consumer
buys Z peck Of orioRs at . tlI-1e the
farmer. receives 2S per cent Of the retail
price. when he buys a barrel the farmer
receives - per cent So N the case Of
oranges when the purchase is by the
dozen the grower receives % per cent OF
The consuu er's price, whereas when the
purchase IS by the box the grower gets
- 9se~ cent The rule seems TO be, the
smaller the retail quantity the smaller
1r- farmers share Of the consumers
prICe.
Farmers Not Getting Too Much.
t. the farmers price must be added
The freight charges. thes middlenlen's
profits and finally the retailers profits
The consumer pays for il all The cost
Of rlbutIon. in The opinion Of the Sec
reta-y. is one Of the principal causes Of
The hlgh prices. He says.
II is plain that tie farmer Is not get
Ulg an e&Crblcant prlce for his prOCucts,
and Ilat the cost Of distribution from
he time Of delivery at destination by the
railroad To delIverE 10 the consumer Is
7qe feature of th. problem Of high prices
which must present Itself 10 the consumer
Lf-r,- 90 re4 consumers huy directly from
ucts in this simple way has already begun
1- England. where co-operat tive orSanlza-
lions OF farmers are selling by direct con-
S'2IuleTt rc c0-oI'eTa tive orsaIlza tlohs o.
consumers IN cities Farmers co-opera i've
selling associations are numerous IN TINS
,-r1-lT,-- but Operative buying asscel--
tons among people Of cities and towns aTe
rev side from huring associations main
1zlned ly farmers. hardly any exist In TINS
r.rIv-~- II Is z,usrenr. therefore. that
ne consumer has much 20 10 to work
out ms own salvation with regard To the
prices he pays for farm products.
Secretary Wilson does not hold the
farmer responsible for the high prices
which have prevailed. and calls atten-
-Ien 70 the odds against the farmer in
growing MS crops He says
The farmer supplies the capital for pro-
C-c-Iau and takes the rlSh OI MS losses;
e -.- crops are d the mercy Of orouth ana
food and heat and frost. 10 say nothing
a HoEleus insects ana Dll7IlllilE '!s5a,;Ts -
.abor . degree and range Of lntoTT1ia-
1lon and Intelligence are DEMANDED py az
TlcllrG~e which are hardly e4idlieu III @iiS
ttrer grr7guatiou Then there Is the RISK
gz o--rsrod tlction ana oiSaSfrOuSlY 40"
prices From beginning TO end the farmer
-.H-r steer sfeN-r4usiN 10 escape pefIiS
-e H.s pronts ard, indeed 10 his capital
Oh every hand
Al last the products are started on tAelf
~aE iv the consumer The railroad gen
erlllv sreafirE- adds q percentage Of IN
crease - tEe farmers prices That y hoL
-ar-e zfrsr delivery hy the railroad the
products are stored short time. al g
measured into various retail quantities.
more or Jess small and the dealers arr
nd Cf rlem ss soon as possible The deal
have risks that are practically small
e2rel- credit sales. ard such risks aS grow
cu5 0f heir trying 80 do an amount OF
business which is small as compared Win
-rei~ Der
Tre evidence is very plain that the Yields
neF acre Of our crops are noH increasing
and II the facts we're assembled IN detail
frr the states it would be found that the
-erraHra1e of increase IN NieiG OF many
Or them ~ greater than the percentage o.
-.arrf7-1 i.7,rease Of topulat tion. that is. the
trerease Z births over deaths IN The ola
native element
LAUGHED AT JOKE, BROKE JAW