The Harrison times., 1911-10-21
BIG GRATING OF MiDDLEMEN
Farmer Could Increase Profits 80 to
60 Per Cent by Selling Produce
Direct to Consumer.

Graft-pay for work not done or
service not performed, also anything
thus gained, "A soft thing" or easy
thing" "a snap. p."-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 d.
rect to the consumer, his profits would
be increased from so to 60 per cent.
If the present method Of distribution
could be changed to rational sys'
ten, farmers profits would be in
creased from 25 to 35 per cent.
II, B. Fullerton, Long Island farm
er followed a shipment Of potatoes
which he sold for 28 cents a bushel,
at Medford, to Philadelphia, where
they were delivered by the retail gro
Ger to the consumer at $1.O5 per bush
el, 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 stuff
along from one to the other, each man
scalping off the farmers profits as
much as he could, the total amounting
to loss Of go cents per bushel.
A Michigan farmer tells The Farm
World that he could not get % cents
per bushel for potatoes at his farm
station, 100 miles from Chicago, but
on visiting friend In the latter city
the next day, found he was paying 60
cents per busAel for potatoes which,
by the way, were shipped from a sta
tion 10 miles nearer Chicago than tho
Michigan farmers home.
The consumer pays for beef about
3S per cent. above the wholesale
price of the slaughtering houses.
This does not take into consideration
the profit made by the packer, which
is at least 12 per cent more. Dairy
men everywhere receive only 30 to
60 per cent. Of the retail price, Poul'
try returns to the farmers wife only
from 55 to 60 per cent. Of the price
paid by the consumer, and vegetables
and fruit net the farmer less than 30
per cent,
The farmer sells corn at 35 cents
per bushel In his home market, After
Il has run tho gauntlet Of commission
men It is sold to the consumer In the
form Of Chickenfeed at the rate Of
81 q bushe.
On the other hand; A farmer buys
suit Of clothes for $40 which cost the
manufacturer 50. Coffee, which costs
the wholesaler 70 cents a pound is re-
tailed at from 25 to 30 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.
celyIng an excessive price for his prod
uots and the consumer is paying high
or prices than he should,
The middloman Is the product Of an
evil system Of distribution which has
grown slowly but steadily until II ia
now Il grievous burden upon the farm.
or and the consumer, In the large
cities the cost OF distribution Of pro
visions consumes a large part Of the
expense which bridges the gGp be.
tween the farmer and the consumer
aud much Of which is absolute waste
Tho question Is one Of great eco
nomc importance, and will 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 tho con
sumer, thus adding vastly to their
profits, and reducing tho cost to the
householder
Organizations are being formed
slowly In this country, and as the suo.
cess Of the plan OF direct selling be,
comes moro apparent its scope will bo
broadened and farmers may hope IN
time to bring tho products OF tho farm
by short cuts nearer the consumer,
and obtain much higher percentage
Of profit, while benofitting their Gus.
toners In tho zane degree, Farm
NynrId