The independent-reporter. [volume] (Skowhegan, Me.) 1909-1955, 1912-01-25

market with an upward tendency no
dealer will refuse to take up the
drafts. But if, on the other hand,
potatoes arrive on a weak market
with downward tendencies a large
number of dealers will refuse to take
up the drafts. Consequently these
potatoes are thrown on the hands of
the shippers with disastrous financial
familiar, involving a shipment of ff-
teen cars, the shipper, because of the
draft not being honored, suffered
loss of $1,000
1T is no use to complain of methods
without suggesting a remedy 1t is
planned to first agitate the question
at the Farmers Institutes, as is al
ready being done in this state in the
hope that it will be taken up by the
farmers themselves and worked out
to practical results.
1t is first proposed that the farm
ing communities in the states of
Maine and New York are to be or
gained in what is called locals, then
representatives from each local will
organize a State or central body with
headquarters to be located at Bangor
or Portland and any other commercial
center in the state that may be Sc
lected. Then there will be another
central body at Boston and still an
other at New York These central
bodies will necessarily control the
action of the locals, but they will
rather act as a guiding and a direct
ing influence. When the market CEN
tiers are overstocked, while the organ
ization does not propose to control
prices, it does propose to notify the
central body in Maine of the condi-
lions and that in turn will notify the
locals and shippers, trusting to their
intelligence to feed the market as the
farmer feeds his COW.
This farmers movement does not
propose to eliminate the shipper but
on the other hand it seeks to have the
shipper work with the farmers, be-
lieving that the interests of the grow
err the shipper, and the reputable
dealer are identical. The slow prog
ress of the movement in the past has
been caused by lack of funds but now
that the department at Washington
has taken hold of the question it is
hoped that this feature of the ques-
ton will be overcome and that some
plan will be devised whereby the farm
ers may come together in such a way
that no honest business will be inter
fered with and the whole country be
benefited thereby, for it is true now
more than ever before that if farmer
is prosperous the whole country is
and should he become
bankruptcy would prevail
throughout the country"
Mr.. Embree before leaving Maine
will return again to Pressure Isle /
where another meeting will be held /
and some more definite steps likely to /
be taken toward a general organiza-
ton. "Presque Isle in a way is a
pioneer in Maine in this movement" /
said Mr.. Embree. THE Aroostook I
Potato Growers association having |
been organized there more than a
year and half ago. The president of
this organization is L. E. futile of
Caribou. The organization started
June 8, 1910, but with very small
capital. $4,000 only being paid in. 1t
has, however, made some progress
since organization shipping to Massa-
chusetts in the neighborhood of 300
carloads of potatoes. 1t also sells
fertilizer to the stock holders thereby
reducing the price of that important