Norwich bulletin. [volume] (Norwich, Conn.) 1895-2011, 1911-12-16

NOT SO DIFFICULT TO COLLECT FACTS
TO FARMERS


IE-ritten Specially for The Bulletin.)
Slowly the evidence accumulates.
One after another even the big men
the ~rnighty muck Reconnaissance Civ
ing testimony. It would really seem as
If, after while, the jury of consumers
would wake up and take an interest IN
the case before Them The last wit
ness TO take the stand IS Secretary
Wilson of the department. of agricul-
ture. in his latest annual report. He
says:
The consumer pays dollar for food;
the farmer gets less than fifty cents
OF It. Who gets the rest?
/. isn't difficult to find out. 1T
wouldn't cost very much TO learn every
step OF the way that farm produce
taxes from the field 10 the kitchen.
Any detective whom any consumers
league or producers organization
might hire for eight dollars day
could trace any particular shipment OF
any particular producer from the farm
straight TO the final buyer He could
mo out just exactly how much the
railroads charged for carrying IT. and
how much each pair charged for toll,
much the consignee sold 1t for; now
many hands it passed through and
how much each pair charged for toll,
TIL II dropped in scattered lots, on
the kitchen tables of the ultimate con-
sumers-
That little preliminary working hav-
tel GO the traction of a mill just how
much the farmer gets and who gets
the rest" The department of agri-
culture has at its command trained
servants in great numbers; every state
board Of agriculture has some 1t
wouidn-t take long nor would it cali
Tor any great expense to have a few
--Sleuths" trail down this question and
settle il for practically all the crops
which farmers produce and consumers
consume
Not 50 long ago one individual
had become suspicious of the man in
the big city TO whom he sent his prod
uce- did this very thing for himself.
Re gent q carload OF a certain form of
proapce. Shipping il in the usual way
ana by the usual route, but giving 1t
personal oversight in every detail, so
that he knew 1t was in prime condi-
ton. Then he had an agent in Gotham
watch for the arrival of that car,
watch IL opened, watch the sale OF the
contents, spot the buyers, and note the
prices received When the formal re-
turns from the regular consigned
reached the prod.rcer, they told the too
usual story. Shipment arrived in very
bad condition; impossible to sell any OF
it except at great reduction; much SO
bad that we had to hire garbage carts
to haul IL to the Dumps" etc, ETC.
Altne ether The consignee RENTED TO
the shipper about one-tenth OF the
fair value of the goods Thereupon
the shipper WEo meantime mad recelV-
ed the confidential report Of his agent
that the goods arrived IN fine condi-
tIon. were sold promptly and at good
prices-then the shipper bought tick
ct Tor the metropolis, took his agent 5
report and the agent also to law
yer-s Office, and submitted what the
detective had found and what the con-
signee had falsely reported, to legal
consideration.
They all three of them, with their
papers, saunte-ed into the consignee's
office and the lawyer very briefly stat
ed abe case 70 that eminent apostle of
business" He was given his choice:
He might either pay the farmer the
highest market price for the consign-
Inent and all the expenses of tracing
Tor the lawyer himself, or he could
stand suit
He paid
And he was mighty glad to have fhe
chance of getting off so easy.
Now, few of US ship in carload lots
and few of US are situated so we can,
individually, afford to trail big BUSH
long been a wonder to me that the
governmental departments devoted to
tho interests of agriculture didn't do
this very thing. I'm 2, firm believer in
the efficacy of publicity. Nobody ever
burgIes in the presence of a watching
crow d Nobody commits arson before
\ circle Of spectators Crime seeks the
dark and wants to be let alone; works !
in the dark and hides its deeds: lives
IN the dark and hates the light Steaks
pick Pockets when they think no one |
sees them; boys steal jam when they
think they won't be found out: big
business" underpays the producer and
overcharges the consumer when it has
first taken precautions to make sure |
that neither viii be able TO prove it. |
One way 70 fight this sort of thing