The Madison journal. (Tallulah, Madison Parish, La.) 1888-current, 1913-11-15
CONSUMERS MONEY WANTED
Cooperative Selling Is Live and Burn
ing Question-Many Such Organ
izations Are Expected.


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 larger share OF what the con-
sumner pays. even though the consum-
er should pay less than what he Is
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 it must be
| remembered that labor costs more
| than 1t did formerly on the farm.
| Other things which the farmer needs
in order to enable him to produce
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.
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 live ana
burning question and we expect to see
such organizations established in
every community. The government at
Washington has seen the necessity Tor
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
I associations when it can be shown
that the methods upon which they
d are to be operated are business-like
n and practical. In this connection We
5. copy some sound logic upon this sub
g iect by Mr.. b. F. Yoakum from the
d Dry Farming and Rural Homes, a:
II follows:
y Mr. Yoakum has figured that thu
l. mechanic who makes plows, hoes, har
IS vesters and reapers works three hour
f. to earn one dollar; wagon and haI
ness makers, three and one-half hours
and railroad employees engaged L
Al hauling farm products to market, tw
~ and a half hours. The farmer, base
on last years value of all farm proc
" ucts, works ten hours to earn that do
lar.
Is such a division Of the prduct
labor fair? asks Mr.. Yoakum. Hav
the men whom these six and one-ha
o. million farm owners elected to repr
4" sent them in congress given them du
e consideration?
W A farmer when he has raised h
y crop has performed only half his duty
the other half is selling, which dete
III mines his profit for the years wor
iis 1t is Just as important for the agricr
tural producer to know what the ma
au kets are as it Is for the lumberma
II the coal and ore producers, or Il
W manufacturer to know what his goo
IL are worth in the market and VIII
;" competition he must meet in his sc
~ ing.
III 1t would be possible to organize q
entire truck growing territory OF {
southwest into zones of DISTRIBUTE
VI and to control the output in such
~ way as to prevent congestion
ao wasteful prices by overcrowding t
-. markets.
,at In reducing the high cost of selli
o. we have one of the biggest questio
that must be answered in formulate
!, -. a constructive program for the bett
aoi, ment of agricultural citizenship in Il
20 nation 1t is a good basis upon VIII
,ob to proceed to save as far as posi-
aT. the so cents on the dollar, as sho
oct by the department of agriculture
tho an unnecessary wasteful expense
passing products from the producer
nv the consumer.