Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1913-10-09
SECRETARY OF AGRICULTURE
PROPOSES TO BRING ABOUT
REFORMS.
PRODUCER AND CONSUMER
IN CLOSER RELATIONSHIP
Co. Operation in Marketing and Dis
trihution to 30 Encouraged and Con.
sumers Induced to Form Buying Or.
sanizations-Apples Going to Waste,
Prices AbnormalIy High.
Especial Correspondence


tariff bill lowers the cost Of living or
not Secretary of Agriculture Houston
intends TO do something on his own
account in the effort to make life toler-
able for the ultimate consumer.
In pursuance of act of congress, the
office of markets has been established
in the department. The new office had
$4,000 appropriated to it to be used
in obtaining and disseminating in
formation regarding markets, market
ing and the distribution Of farm crops
1t is yet in the organization stage but
its work, if carried out on the lines
laid down. promises. to be Of broad and
useful scope.
On the face of things, the office of
affairs of the man who raises crops
II is yet in the organization stage but
its work. if carried out on the lines
laid down, promises to be of broad and
useful scope.
On the face Of things. the office Of
markets is to concern itself with the
affairs of the man who raises crops
and has them to market. But 1t is
going to be good deal broader than
that. It will also concern itself with
the problem Of markets from the con-
snmer's standpoint.
Better Marketing Methods.
In other words, the purpose is to
bring about better and more economical
methods Of marketing for the farmer
and producer Of crops and also to bring
about better methods of purchasing
food products on the part Of the ulti-
mate consumer.
1t is denied in some quarters that the
office Of markets is going to be in any
way ininlical to the middleman, such
as the commission man and the re-
taller But the fact is that the pur-
pose Of the officials who are most con-
cerned in building up the new bureau
is to bring the producer and consumer
into closer relationship and thus cut
on. much Of the cost that now makes
the complaint about the high cost of
living.
Corporation to Be Encouraged.
Cooperative marketing and distribu-
ton is to be encouraged. But that Is
not all. The cooperative organization
of consumers also is to be encouraged.
Statistics show that the cooperative
movement in this country is rapidly
spreading. Doubtless under encourage
ment from the Office Of markets 1t will
spread more. It is clear that If there
becomes in this country any extensive
organization Of producers on the one
hand and consumers on the other the
thing that Will inevitably happen is to
squeeze lot Of middlemen out Of bus
mess.
Much complaint reaches the office Of
markets today. that while, for instance,
apples are going to waste in western
Maryland. Washington consumers are
paying high prices for them; or, that.
while potatoes are in plenty in the
east, the middle west Is going hungry
for tubers The Office Of markets pur-
poses to do something toward bringing
the folks with the supply and those
with the demand into closer relation
ship. Methods and costs Of distribution
will be studied and transportation
problems, shipping and distributing or
ganizations and market news and in
formation will be given attention. OF
course, 1t will take time to deal with
all these things. But 1t looks as II
the tendency of 1t all would be to give
impetus to the cause Of cooperation.