The weekly chieftain. [volume] (Vinita, Craig County, Okla.) 1905-1913, 1910-05-06

B. r Yoakum, chairman of the Fris.
co System, in an address which he
made this afternoon before the Ma.
tionai Convention of the Farmers Ed.
ucation and Cooperative Union, now
in conference in this city. He declar.
ed that the heavy reductions in
freight rates OF the past few years
had been absorbed by the dealers and
not shared In by the farmers or con-
sumers. Better marketing methods
were advanced as means by which
farmers would get better prices for
the food they raise and at the same
time lower figures would be given to
those who buy the stun for use In the
kitchen. This railroad man descrlb-
ed the demagogie politician as dis
tributlng and expensive middle agent
and urged that he be cut out in the
dealings which the railroads and the
farmers should have with each other.
THE most important force for the
welfare OF the nation will come when
the land owners OF America are organ. |
lied" said Mr.. Yoakum. "This or.
ganiZation is important not only for
the benefits which will come to the
farmers but on account OF money
which will be saved by the consumers.
II is not prices received by farmers
which make living expenses high, but
the profits Of the dealers handling the
foods between the farmer and con-
sumer.
"The Florida farmer receives $2.25 /
for a bushel of green beans, the rail.
road gets so cents for the 500 mile
haul to New York and the consumer
pays s64O for this same bushel of
beans There is 35 per cent for the
grower. per cent for the carrier and
81 per cent for the dealer. This Is
not fair division.
Thirty cents dozen was the aver
age price Of eggs in New York last
year. while the farmers of Arkansas
and Missouri received Is cents The
freight was two cents dozen. The
men who receive the eggs at freight
station in New York and deliver them
to the consumer take 13 cents dozen
profit.
'The rice farmer OF Texas, Louisi-
ana and Arkansas gets two and one
half cents pound for this rice. The :
freight Is one-half cent a pound. II
the rice farmer were paid and one.
half cents Zone cent more than he Is
now getting) and the dealer took one
cent profit (Which is 25 percent) the :
New York consumer would get 20 .
pounds OF rice for a dollar instead OF
10 pounds as now.
Every member of every community
Is interested In aiding the farmers to
organize system of doing business
direct from the field to the table.
Effective organization cannot be had :
by creating prejudice through politi.
clans who have no relief to offer. The (
cotton growers are not organized and =
they are losing money today. The :
railroad takes $3.50 for hauling a bale =
Df cotton from gin to spinner, but the :
speculator must have $3.50 per bale :
The time will come when states viii =
construct warehouses 10 aid farmers "
n marketing their cotton. under =
stand that Louisiana is to be the first !"
ltate TO take this important step Un-
Ter this proposed Louisiana ware
house system every farmer, individual
y or through his organization can 81
hip his cotton to New Orleans and th
lold It until he is ready to sell. His re
warehouse receipt Is better In the nc
lands Of a New England OF Manches. ca
er spinner than the contract OF Dc
peculator to deliver the cotton. N
"One OF the things advocated by le
he Farmers Union is a greater pro. er
'ortion Of federal appropriations for e
grieulture IN A recent speech IN af
he lower house Of the congress-, Chair q
nan Tawney, Of the committee on ap- IN
roprlatlons, said that n per cent Of
he revenues Of the government went tn
Or military expenses. which amount as
d to s43OOO0.OO0 for that period.
his Is S3 times as much as appro- IN
rated for agricultural purposes This It
ession the senate has passed a bin OF
rovidlng for $500 to pay for few as
cres Of land in Washington to give ap
better view Of the capital This is tai
he kind Of reclamation which Wash II
lgton understands and to improve OF
iese few acres the Legislators are foi
sady to give one.quarter as much as Il
Iven for agriculture on
IF the government would spend one be
nd a half million dollars a year for
years for drainage surveys and IN
)enlng waterways to the Gulf. It will II
axe available 2500O.O 900 acres Of Mis-
ssippi Valley land for cultivation
I'd this would be at a cost Of rs cents ]
acre This average would provide Vip