Bryan daily eagle and pilot. [volume] (Bryan, Tex.) 1909-1918, 1911-07-28
the Arkansas and MISSOURI FARMERS


could furnish.
Every producer OF perishable food.
stuffs who has studied the question OF
cold storage In the interest Of both
the farmer and the public knows that
refrigeration has greatly benefited the
farming communities In better preser.
walton mad prices, enabling them to
sell their perishable products for bet.
ter prices and saving them from de.
cay upon their hands. Cold storage is
becoming matter OF national impor-
lance and one OF the subjects to which
the farming interests OF the country
should give consideration. Cold stor-
age is so essential that all national or
state regulations should be carefully
considered before the enactment OF
such regulative laws as may be neces-
sary to properly protect the public
welfare.
II will be urged by some city people
that the development Of thousands or
hundreds of thousands of these farm
market lpaces to the limit of their USE
fulness will result In damage to exist
ing business. This alarm is not war
ranted. Commerce Is always aided and
not retarded by labor saving machin-
cry and reductions in cost of distribu-
ton. Established commission houses
will then handle and deliver for the
producers on terms to be agreed upon
1t Is not possible to foresee the extent
to which these community marketing
plants will grow and develop. The
Rochdale weavers in 1874 organized
to buy for themselves small packages
OF tea and sides of bacon at lower
cost and the system has extended to
include tea plantations in Ceylon and
vast establishments in other lines now
Going a combined business of half
billion dollars year. In England,
Scotland and Ireland there are 1900
cooperative stores with a membership
more than vice as large as the popu-
lation OF Texas eight million people
receiving the profits. They do a bust
ness Of more than five hundred mill
ion dollars year
American enterprise may be depend
ed upon to see that progress is made
in the right direction. These neigh
borhood marketing establishments will
place every farmer with ten or forty
acres on the same footing as another
with more land and greater harvests.
They will give to each OF these indi-
yiduals greater independence and their
increased share in the proceeds Of
their husbandry will enable them,
through abundant prosperity, to add to
their comfort and contentment.
! have little patience with the work
of those busy people at Washington
who are trying to find out through
commissions and investigations as to
what Is best for the farmer. II the
government will aid In giving the
farmer his proper share of the fruit
of his work, so that he will be able
to buy for himself the things which
vii make his farm home the best for
his family and himself, then Ii will
attempt something worth while. The
farmer Is the best Judge of his own
comforts. He will buy what he wants
II he has the money. He needs no ad.
vice as to how to spend his money.
What he wants Is q systematic plan
and in getting the proper price for his
goods.
The government should assist in
finding a way for better farm market
in. There should be a market bureau
OF the agricultural department de-
voted TO accommodating and distribut-
ing information on best methods and
best markets for selling The govern
ment should spend some money to
demonstrate proper marketing. just as
ii Is doing in the development of good
roads work. The good roads depart
ment has been brought up to such
high state of efficiency by Mr.. Logan
w Page. director in charge, that 1t is
now estimated that there Is being
spent one million dollars day In the
Improvement of our public highways.
This is good work. The government
can demonstrate proper market facil-
tiles Just as ii now demonstrates the
values Of different soils for produc-
ton. The government, which main
tains an expensive and efficient con-
sular service to aid our export trade,
can afford to expend few dollars
to better the marketing of eggs so
that millions will not be destroyed
every year because they arrive at the
city market in bad or half bad condi-
ton. The government watches over
the purity of manufactured food prod
ucts and 1t is just as important to
spend money to find ways and means
of decreasing expense of distribution
of products in order to give the user
better and cheaper food, and the
grower better and safer returns for
his work This market department
should be broad enough to reach all
the farmers of the country. The gov
eminent should Systematically trace
the movement of all farm products to
the place of final use and give the
country the information. 1t should give
the country the benefit of thorough
of improved selling and
marketing systems, including all
means of distribution and handling.
Results will be immediate. The farm
er will reduce his selling cost when
he learns in detail about wagon haul
costs. cold storage charges, distribu-
ton in cities. profits to dealers, losses
through deterioration and all things
which enter into marketing expense.
As the selling expense decreases so
will the returns to the farmer in.
crease and the cost of living decrease.
At present there are between TWEEN
ty-five and thirty investigations going |
on in Washington, but not one of them
has anything to do with the high cost !
of selling table necessities. No one
can foretel what the result of these
may be in regulating |
and cooperation. Business |
r,o.. ba eurroundad nv Such rpStric- !