Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1913-02-23

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4 picture of what reductions might
be made is to be gathered from a state
ment with ref
Some One Made erence to mar
Big Cabbage Profits. in New york
Farmers sold S17,OOO,OOO worth of eggs
in that city last year. When they
reached the consumer he paid $2s, 900, 900
for them. The farmers received 81 So. 600
for the cabbage they sold in Gotham; the
consumers bought it for So, 125,OOO. The
price of milk was magnified until the
So:', 100000 the farmers got for 1t amount
ed to S49.OUO,OO0 when the consumers
paid for it.. Potatoes which netted the
farmers $SOO0,GOO cost the consumer $50
0O.0OO, and onions jumped from less than
S1GOo,o0O to more than $S,OOOOOO while
going from producer to consumer.
The estimate of the actual saving to
the producers and consumers of the
United States by the institution of
proper system of marketing and the
elimination of unnecessary charges by
middlemen is placed at $2,0tD.OOV.OOO a
year. Assuming that this would be d.
vided equally between the producer and
consumer, the farmers of the country
would average 500 a year each in added
profits, while the consumers would get.
not as much per capita in savings, but
as much in the aggregate. 1t is the pur-
pose of Congress, in providing for a di-
vision of markets in the Department of
Agriculture, to make this saving, or at
least as much of it as possible, an
coInplished fact.
The work of the division will be in
measure along new lines. While, in
part there will be incorporated into it's
activities some of the duties that have
been performed by other divisions of
the Department of Agriculture. its in
vestigations into systems Of marketing
Will be nation wide, and even the sys-
TENS Of foreign countries will be
studied carefully with a view to bring
ing their lessons to America and apply
data collected will be distributed to
farmers, farmers organizations and So
cietes of consumers. through bulletins.
kilograms and personal information.
Investigations to the demands for
farm products in various trade centers
will be made, and specific data will
be given as to the supply. normal de-
mand and prices of the several kinds
of farm produce in these trade centers.
x x
1t is provided in the amendment to
the agricultural appropriation bill es-
tablishing the
WILSON oeeS AlAlIt uiVis'oh VI
to Government Aid. the bureau Of
statistics is to collect for the division
Of markets all kinds Of data that will
enable farmers, farmers organizations
and societies OF consumers to adopt
plans of marketing that will facilitate
the handling Of farm products at
minimum cost If the information is
o,>l, nr folnnhnnn n
may be had by depositing the cost of
the messages with the chlei OIL the
division Of markets.
While it is expected that the division
of markets will, in the course of years,
find many opportunities of bringing the
producer and the consumer into closer
touch with one another. at the same
time the Department OF Agriculture
realizes that there are many limitations
to the services that may be performer.
Secretary Wilson remarks that II the de-
partment were to undertake any feature
of the marketing Of farm produce, TO
find customer or market, TO hVeslSdte
market conditions and prices every Gay
and to report the results to all farmers
desiring the service. the cost ~ouio De
prohibitive. To keep in telesraphic touch
with all the trade centers and there 10
maintain representatives would cost an
enormous amount. Attention ls caIIeo 10
the fact that one farmers cooperative
association on the eastern shore OF VIZ
ginia, covering only two counties of ordi-
nary size. spends $4,000 a year Tor
telcgra phing alone, and that tne Saii.
fornia citrus fruit growers spend $4,000
a year on kilograms in connection with
the marketing Of their oranges ana
lemons.
The danger that would always con-
front the division of markets under such
conditions would be that the moment
lot of farmers got word that eggs were
selling ut "A very high rate in a given
city they would rush their eggs mere
and a slut of the market would follow
that would make the last condition worse
than the first. The farmer who had act.
ed on this information. only to ma ina.
before his eggs got there the bottom had
dropped out, would probably forever
after ''cuss OUT the division of markets.
But there are helpful activities that
may be followed without the danger OF
such unfavorable