Norwich bulletin., 1911-04-15
FANCY PRICES ARE SELDOM FARM PRICES

have known the names and addresses of individual consumers. In fact. he doesn't know the name of a single New York city consumer who wants this sort of thing at the prices mem tioned as ruling among retailers. Nor has he any means of finding out such people, except by accident. And it is no way to do business,-"by accident" In the third place, if he had gone to the city himself, with his few pars- nips and his crate of white Leghorn eggs" and t 'ed to sell them from door to door, he, sls stranger. strangely offering strange eggs, would probably have had his experience and his lunch bill and his eggs all on his hands at the .,f,d of the day,--with the privilege of paying railroad fare out of his profits in selling something else in some other place.
 It is not to be presumed that all the buyers of white Leghorn eggs" in New York city are anxious to waste money. Some, doubtless, don't care what they pay so long as they get what they want, Some, doubtless, would think it beneath them to con- slider prices. But not all. There are people in New York city who know the value of their own money.-as we'll as that of the other fellow. There are egg-eaters there who would be glad to save ten cents a dozen on their break fast food. Just as there are farmers here in Podunk Hollow and elsewhere
 who would be glad to get ten cents a dozen more. If we farmers had a CO., operative selling club or league, to gather up our eggs and other stun and send it forward with strict guar antees as to freshness and quality; and if in the city there was a club of consumers to meet our stuff when it
 was sent to them and distribute it among the members, why, then, you'll observe that we farmers could get ten cents a dozen more than we do now for our eggs. which would be 8 very good thing for us, and the consumers could still get the eggs for ten cents a dozen less than they now pay, which
 would be just good a thing for them. But it can't all be done from this end. It takes two to make a bar gain. One man can't do business with
 he finds it profitable to wear out his pennies shifting them from one pocket to the other. As in the old saying Two are company, three are a crowd" In business, as in love. the elimination of that third par ty is highly desirable. But it can't be accomplished without mutual co-op- eration end agreement. Producer and consumer must meet on even ground
 and the one must come as far as ht asks the other to go.
 In spite of all that has been justly said about the unwillingness of farm CTS to act together for their mutual profit, the present day fact is that they are taking more interest and showing a better spirit in this matter than city consumers. For there are cooperative farmers associations working in the country, more than we New England "shut-ins" are apt to think. There are several hundred in successful operation at this very minute. But where is there a Consumers league" in any city to meet them half way and protect the consumers interests, as they are seeking to protect the producers :? There is need of some missionary work in the towns along this line Further more, In the nature of things it is from the city consumers that the movement ought to start. It is the buyer who pays the last bill-and all the inter mediate bills. They all come out of his pocket, eventually. His money in terest is the largest; his business in terest ought to be the keenest. His position, moreover enables him to act more effectively and with better econ omy.
 In this matter, as in many others, the question finally simmers down to just this: Which does the consumer most want to save, money or trouble i? He can't save both, as things now are. He can't eat his cake and keep it, too. If man and women in the cities are too careless, or too lazy to take trouble to save money for themselves. they are not likely to take trouble to pay the producers better prices. If the Zorys mistress prefers to dawdle through the morning and send down word by the maid to tell the delivery clerk to tell the grocer to send her up dozen white Leghorn eggs at 40 cents-if she prefers this to putting on her rubbers and going round the corner to buy bet ter and fresher eggs at 30 cents, why, she has the priviiege-so long as she is supplied with the money to do it with The same way with parsnips and potatoes and cabbages and apples and a score of other country things
 If she wants to save trouble-and durp the expensel-why, there arg plenty of people to save her the trouble flor consideration. They'll relieve her of her trouble and her money very willingly. But if she wants to save her money, she's got to take her own trouble herself. and tend to it.
 Really, think it is about time that city buyers had little of the responsi- bility for things lifted on their own shoulders. They can save from 10 tG 60 per cent. on their present bills fol country produce if they care enough about saving it to take some trouble But one can't do anything much alone Nor can we farmers make them dc anything at all, unless they choose Wed be glad to have them for direct