Tensas gazette. [volume] (St. Joseph, La.) 1886-current, 1913-12-05
CONSUMERS M0NEYwAKrED'
Cooperative Selling 10 LIys. and Burn
Ing ouestlon--Many Such Organ
lxatlons Are Expsoted.

The question Of the hour from the
farmers standpoint seems to be how
to get farm products from the pro
Queer to the consumer with less ex.
pense so that the producer may re-
ceive a larger share of what the con-
sumner pays. even though the consum-
er should pay less than what he IL
now paying. This has been fruitful
theme for discussion at every farm
ers' meeting we have attended this
winter. Furthermore, we note that II
Is an assigned topic at most institute
meetings. In this and other states. The
high cost of living by high priced food
products has not in a general way ad-
vanced the price of farm products
when increased cost of production is
taken into account, because 1t must be
remembered that labor costs more
than It did formerly on the farm.
Other things which the farmer needs
crops and live, costs much more than
formerly, so that even though he does
receive more money now for crops
than he did several years ago, he is
not much better OF. 'Fc
If. then, this tremendous tax OF get
ting his crops to the ultimate consum-
er could be lessened he would realize
more than what now is the case. The
cooperative selling is a live and
burning question and we expect to see
such organizations established in
every community. The government at
Washington has seen the necessity for
action along this line, and are en-
deavoring to formulate plans by which
such organizations can be established
upon uniform plans and working along
the same general lines.
All these efforts are encouraged and
we believe that the farming public
generally are ready to support such
associations when it can be shown
that the methods upon which they
are to be operated are business-like
and practical In this connection we
copy some sound logic upon this sub
ject by Mr.. B. F. Yoakum from the
Dry Farming and Rural Homes. as
follows:
Mr.. Yoakum has figured that the
mechanic who makes plows, hoes, har-
vesters and reapers works three hours
to earn one dollar; wagon and har-
ness makers, three and one-half hours,
and railroad employees engaged in
hauling farm products to market, two
and a half hours. The farmer, based
on last years value Of all farm prod
ucts, works ten hours to earn that dol
lar.
Is such a division of the prduct of
labor fair? asks Mr.. Yoakum Have
the men whom these six and one-half
million farm owners elected to repre-
sent them in congress given them due
consideration?
A farmer when he has raised his
crop has performed only half his duty;
the other half is selling, which deter.
mines his profit for the years work
1t Is just as important for the agricul-
tural producer to know what the mar
kets are as 1t is for the lumberman,
the coal and ore producers. or the
manufacturer to know what his goods
are worth in the market and what
competition he must meet in his sell
ing.
1t would be possible to organize the
entire truck growing territory of the
southwest into zones OF distribution
and to control the output in such
way as to prevent congestion and
wasteful prices by overcrowding the
markets.
In reducing the high cost Of selling
we have one Of the biggest questions
that must be answered in formulating
a constructive program for the better
ment Of agricultural citizenship in this
nation. 1t is good basis upon which
to proceed to save as far as possible
the so cents on the dollar, as shown
by the department of agriculture as
an unnecessary wasteful expense In
passing products from the producer to
the consumer