Brownsville herald. [volume] (Brownsville, Tex.) 1910-current, 1912-08-09
COOPERATION AMONG
THE PRODUCERS
CONTINUED from page two.)


take the punishment until they are
willing to do what is neccs airy to
look out for their own interests. So
far as bringing order on; of con
fusion, the track buyer necessarily
makes the confusion greater. for he
has no power OF d"ivination to know
what glut or famine may exist on
arrival In the market to which he
routes his car. He may assume an
air or being market wise. but nc
more than the grower can be know
what markets are TO he glutted and
what vacant when his ears shall
have arrived. And this knowledge
is fundamental TO any really cafe
price basis.
The present hit and miss custom
OF shipping limits consumption, and
often shows apparent o~ver-produc-
ton. because markets can not de-
pend upon getting regular supplies
and some are quite bare of such pro-
duce. seriously embarrassing the re-
'ail distributor, while the produce
merchant often turns to other
sources of supply. Many retail
grocers handle winter produce very
sparingly, because if they buy, they
are liable to be badly undersold by
a competitor who has bought on a
cheaper market, made by too free ar
rivals. so that to get rid of his goods,
he must lower his prices so that his
losses from this are more than hi
regular margin Of profit. If to
cover this risk he raises his prices,
by agreement with some of his COM
p%etitors in his part. of the city, the
consumption is thereby restricted
After a few such experiences, he
often refuses 10 handle the truck at
all. There are thousands Of such re-
tailers who would sell our fruit and
produce if they could be assured Of
a fairly stable market.
They can not possibly have such
assurance until all competing a
are distributed by a single car dis
patcher. This is SO very self eviden
that | almost feel like a%pologizinr
for having discussed it. 1t is like
discussing the familiar fact that
twice two are four. But there ha
been so general an acquiescence il
this chaotic state Of the market, anC
cooperative marketing which who'll
ignores it, has been regarded wit
so much dissatisfaction, that | have
felt it necessary to draw attention
to it lin this discussion. There ar
many earnest c~ooperators who see tt
it clearly, and deplore the wrecks
strewn along the right of way, but
to whom any adequate remedy SEEM
so difficult that they have not at
tempted it.
1t is not difficult and should be
soon attained. The impression ha'
prevailed that before any proper dis
tribution can be attained, all COM
petitive shippers and shipping or
CARNATIONS must be combined into a
single organization. This would be
difficult, complex and for the present
quite impossible. But can not con
ceive that this is necessary. Each
shipper and each shipping associa-
| ton may continue as now to employ
ltheir own representatives among
brokers, commission merchants, or
salaried agents. They may continue
entirely to control all Of their af-
fairs except that their present func-
ton of destroying markets by ship
ping without knowledge Of each
others car destinations must be sur
rendered.
There must be a car dispatcher to
whom each dealer or association
manager consigns his cars each day.
This man must know the capacity OF
each market. getting therefrom
every morning, a trustworthy tele-
gram stating the amount of stock in
the market, the price ruling the
previous day, the condition of the
previous days arrivals, with any
other information useful to the dis
tributor. Then he diverts to each
market sufficient cars of various pro-
ducts to supply the demand but tc