The Jones County news., 1911-10-05
BIG GRATING OF MlDDL EMEN
Farmer Could increase Profits SO to
90 Per Cent. by Selling Produce
Direct to Consumer.


Graft-pay for work not done OF
service not performed, also anything
thus gained A soft thing, OF easy
thing. a snap. Webster
The above definition exactly fits the
middleman system. If the middleman
could be eliminated entirely, and the
farmer could sell all of his produce di-
rect to the consumer, his protits would
be increased from 90 to so per cent.
Ii the present method Of distribution
could be changed to rational sys-
TEN, farmers profits would be in
creased from rs TO SO per cent.
ii b Fullerton, Long Island farm
er followed shipment Of potatoes
which he sold for 2s cents a bushel,
at Medford, to Philadelphia. where
they we're delivered by the retail gro
ell These potatoes passed through
the hands OF FIVE different commits
sion men, only two OF whom had a
dollar invested In the business They
were all scalpers. passing the stun
along from one to the other, each man
sealping OFF the farmers profits as
much as he could the total amounting
to a loss Of 90 cents per busbel
A Michigan farmer tells The Farm
World that he could not get 20 cents
per bushel for potatoes at his farm
station. 100 miles from Chicago, but
vrtA tn th.. lar fftV
the next day, found he was paying 80
cents per bushel for potatoes which,
by the way. we're shipped from sta
ton l5 miles nearer Chicago than the
Michigan farmers home.
The consumer pays for beef about
price OF the slaughtering houses,
This does not take into consideration
the profit made by the packer, which
is at least IL per cent more. Dairy
men everywhere receive only 30 to
so per cent of the retail price. Poui
try returns to the farmers wife onl,
from So to So per cent. OF the price
paid by the consumer. and vegetables
and fruit net the farmer less than 3t
per cent.
The farmer sells corn at IS cents
per bushel In his home market. After
1t has run the gauntlet of commission
men II is sold to the consumer Ia the
form of chicken-feed at the rate OF
81 bushel.
On the other hand: farmer buys
a suit OF clothes for $50 which cost the
manufacturer 50. Coffee, which costs
the wholesaler IL cents pound Is re-
tailed at from rs to 80 cents. These
prices could be multiplied indefinitely,
but the samples given are sufficient to
show that the middlemAn catches the
farmer both going and coming. They
also prove that the farmer is not re-
ceiving an excessive price for his prod
ucts and the consumer Ia paying high
er prices than he should.
The middleman Ia the product OF An
evil system OF distribution which has
grown slowly but steadily until 1t IL
now a grieyous burden upon the farm.
er and the consumer. In the large
cities the cost OF distribution OF pro
visions consumes large part OF the
expense which bridges the gap be
tween the farmer and the consumer
and much Of which is absolute waste
The question is one OF great eco
nomic Importance, and win have to be
met as the farmers OF Europe have
met it. over there, farmers have
formed great organizations through
which they deal direct with the con
sumer, thus adding vastly to theil
profits. aud reducing the cost to ths
/ householder.
Organizations are being formed
slowly In this country. and as the sue
cess OF the plan OF direct selling be
comes more apparent. its scope will bs
! broadened and farmers may hope IL
time to bring the products OF the farm
by short cuts nearer the consumer
and obtain much higher percentage
OF profit, while bensfitting thsir Gus
| toners In the same degree Farm