Elmore County Republican. [volume] (Mountain Home, Idaho) 1910-1915, 1912-05-25


views" entitled eliminating the Mid
die man by Francis Arnold Collins
of considerable interest to the con-
Stunning public; Mr.. Arnold says:
In the search for some tangible rea
son for the high cost of living the pub
lie, or a vigorous section of it, seems
to agree In condemning the middleman
Other influences are admitted-waste
of natural resources, the new sources
of gold supply, and the arbitrary ac-
tion of trusts or combinations, but
these are less easily reached.
Throughout the country the middiema
finds himself attacked from both be-
fore and behind, the producer and
the ultimate consumer seeking by a
series of experiments to come closer
together.
Mayor Shank's Work at Indianapolis;
The attention OF the country has
recently been attracted by the Wig
orous experiments carried out by
Mayor Shank of Indianapolis. That
energetic executive discovered that
potatoes, for which the farmers re-
ceived sixty cents a bushel, were be-
ing sold for $1.60 bushel in the cit
markets. A carload of potatoes was
therefore purchased in iIichigan,
transported aud sold without loss at
seVenty-fiye cents a bushel-less thar
one half the former retail price.
The market price of potatoes there
upon fluctuated for a tin,e.. finally
coming to rest at about ninety cents
bushel
The Mayor next turns his attention
to selling meats, beef, mutton, pork,
lard, sausage, etc. effecting a substan
tial education in prices. The price
poultry was reduced about eight
cents a pound. Thereupon the MAY
or gave up his active work in the
public markets. but as result of the
campaign no local merchant hal the
courage to return to the old prices
and the public continues to reap the
benefit.
Des Moines' Experience
The same principal has been even
more vigorously applied in Des
Moines, Iowa. The prices of food pro
ducts had reached an alarming rate
While the nearby farmer reaped very
little profit. An urgent demand aro
for direct market, but the influent;
of middlemen rendered it impossible
An ordinance permitting a municipal
market was finally passed by the coun
Gil and the Mayor, James r. Hanna
promptly opened one in the City Hall
A reduction of from 40 to 50 per Gel
| was affected on the general store
prices. In this market to-day spec
ial ordinance forbids all hucksters
from purchasing and selling goods
The fight against the market has
been very bitter.
The Cooperative market clubs ma
also brought relief from high prices
ia several cities. The general plan
is to band together several house.
wives and purchase supplies in o.
large quantities as possible, and as
directly as is practicable from the
original producers. There are sew.
eral Furnishing organizations of this
kind in Brooklin and the plan has beer
widely copied. An interesting devel
opment of this movement has been
vigorous boycott which succeeded
in lowering the price Of butter.
The writer then goes on to show
how the Federal Government sympa
thises with a general cooperative
movement to serve Army and Navy
men, and also how the Railroad men
are helping themselves in the same
fashion.
Semi-nude Children Play in Alpine
Snow, is the caption of a short story
in Popular Mechanics.
Such costuming as shown in the &C
companying illustration would, in an
environment of African sunshine and
foliage, seem perfectly natural, but
is we'll calculated to send shivers to
the mother heart as seen in an en-
vironment of Alpine snow. Yet such
scenes as shown have become COM
monplace near Leysin, where a
French physician has established a
sanitarium for children. His cure for
children who are naturally weak
physically or have become so through
too much coddling during their tend
err years, is miracle of pure air,
snow and sunshine. During the warm
season when the sun is comparative
ly hot, although the mountains remain
snow covered, the children dressed in
the most primitive of costumes, play