Catoctin clarion. [volume] (Mechanicstown, Md.) 1871-1940, 1912-02-01
FARMERS BECOMING ..ROUSED
Recent Significant Movement In Penn
syIvania Closely Identified With
the Grange institution.

A significant movement In Pennsyl
vania showed the temper of the farm
ers in that state and is also closely
identified with the Grange institution
of the state as we'll. Realizing that
distribution of farm products is form
ing larger part of the cost to the
consumer than the producer himself
receives, these farmers have organized
war on the middlemen and propose to
devise some plan that shall put their
products into the consumers homes
direct
A delegation of these Pennsylvania
farmers waited on Mayor Gaynor OF
New York city and invited his CO
operation in their plans, while further
dencuncing the middleman and his
exorbitant profits. Mayor GaynoI
could of course promise no definite as
sistance, but the farmers went away
still firm in the belief that their
scheme for the elimination Of the
middleman is wholly practical and
worth the trying.
This movement reflects the Grange
position, long maintained, that exorbi'
tant profits on distribution should not
be tolerated and are burden alike
upon producer and consumer. The
Grange attitude, however, does not 60
SO far as to wipe out the middleman
altogether, realizing some well-admin'
istered system of distribution as es.
sential to the welfare of all concerned.
1t is question, therefore, how far the
Grange Endorsement of the Pennsyl.
vania movement will be forthcoming;
although the principle involvel Is dis.
tinctly along Grange lines, If not
pressed to excess.
This Pennsylvania undertaking is
traceable largely to recent address
by B f Yoakum. the wellknown rail.
road man. in which he declared that
while the consumers of the United
States pay $4,000 100000 year for
the farm products they use, the farm.
er gets only $4,000. 100000, leaving 1t
striking.y revealed that the American
middleman was receiving even more
than the producer Farmers all over
the country have been greatly aroused
by Mr. Yoakum's figures and are Civ
ing the subject of cooperative selling
more attention than they ever did be-
fore; even more than cooperative
buying, which has long been one of the
fundamental principles of the Grange
movement.
In view of the fact that this farm.
ers uprising Is likely to extend to
other states and may involve the
Grange as well. it is proper to state
the exact Grange pocition, as relating
to middlemen, in the language of the
Declaration of Purposes, which con.
stitutes the foundation of the order. as
established nearly a half-century ago.
1t is this:
I'VE desire to bring producers and
consumers, farmers and manufactur.
ers into the most direct and friendly
relations possible. Hence we must
dispense with a surplus of middlemen,
not that we are unfriendly to them,
but We do not need them. Their sur.
plus and their eXactions diminish our
profits. We wage no aggressive war.
fare against any Other interests what.
ever On the contrary all our acts
and all our efforts, so far as business
is concerned, are not only for the
benefit of the producer and the con.
sumer but also for all other interests
that tend to bring these two parties
into speedy and economical contact.
Hence we hold that transportation
com mpanes of every kind are necessary
to our success, that their interests are
intimately connected with our inter.
ests and that harmonious action Is
mutually advantageous, keeping in
view the first sentence in our declara-
tion of purposes of action that Hndi-
vidual happiness depends upon gen.
eral prosperity We desire only self.
protection and the protection of every
true interest of our land, by legitimate
transactions, legitimate trade and
legitimate profits"