The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1911-09-16
KANSAS cOMMEWT

/ COOPERATION BY FARMERS
A comprehensive plan for getting
rid of that much berated creature. the
'niddleman," has been announced by
the promoters of a movement embrace
ing $4,000 farmers in Pennsylvania,
and New York. They supply the New
York market. Plans for a central
receiving station and cold storage, etc.
are carefully outlined. A convention
just held at NeWburgh, N Y, consid-
cred throwing out the middleman from
the dairy trade, the producers to sell
directly through cooperative asso-
1t is more than strange that the
American farmer has been so slow to
adopt cooperative methods. A re-
cent magazine article tells how the
eastern counties association of Eng
iaLd sells for 5 5 pounds seed mixtures
that the farmers had to pay 10
pounds for outside. A farmer walked
into the office OF the Hereford society
one day. He was afraid that they
had made q mistake in their remit
lance to him for pears. They had CIV
en- him 2S shiiIings per 100 weight,
where previously he had sold them
for three shillings.
In the Teme valley in England, CO.
operative associations took up the
matter of transportation, and got
wagons started that hauled freight for
three shillings a ton that previously
had cost the farmers five shillings:
France is a great country for CO.
operative work among farmers.
There are 10000 members of these So
cieties in the province of Brittany
alone They buy fertilizers. tools. and
seed at low rates, sell all products, |
secure low rates of insurance, get !
more favorable freight rates. etc.
The Anglo-Saxon temperament has |
a certain indep that does not |
take kindly to cooperation, particular
" among class of people having |
tendencies of isolation like farmers. |
Our English cousins have similar
tendencies, although cooperative I
movements have made far greater adj /
vance there than here. But English |
experts feel that British agriculture /
IS railing behind the continent, because
the farmers don't cooperate.
The consumer of course looks
at any movement to enable |
the producer to get higher prices. He
need never fear, No co-operative farm
competition with the independent pro-
Queer until it beats out the indepen-
dent producer on prices and quality
Courier.
LAW NIGHT BE BETTER.
The wife abandonment law enacted
by the last legislature is good, very
good, but it is inadequate. Suppose
that a derelict husband in Lawrence
should be brought before the court
and sentenced to the penitentiary. Tha
appeal to the court is made by the
neglected wife who has two small chill
1ren to support. All well and good.
The man is known to be no account.
Neighbors corroborate the wife's testi-
nony, the man is sent to the peniten-
-iary. In order to relieve the situation
ne is sent to the house of correction,
where he win be kept at work. That
ne is not able to send his pay envelope
nome to his family every Saturday
light-because there is no pay envelope
n such cases-is, in the eye of the law,
minor circumstance. The main thing {
seems to be that the man has been ! J
guilty of an offense and that he is pun
shed for it. He is punished. but it is 8
lis wife and his two helpless children '
Who pay the penalty. The law may be q
ronical, but it has no sense of humor.
You have been found guilty of not IS
Importing your children it siys, land ]
therefore, I will send you where you /
annot support them. Lawrence Jour (
ial-World. L