The mirror. (Stillwater, Minn.) 1894-1925, 1913-12-18

this time two years ago.
This governmental statement coming
in the face of horizontal tariff reduction is sufcl-
ent to the average citizen and home provder
to do little thinking for himself. About ten days
ago. vessel entered the port of New York with
cargo of fresh foreign laid eggs-they admit
ted free from duty and sold to the manipulators
greatly less than American laid eggs could be
bought for. There were thousands of cases of eggs
in the cargo but next day the price of eggs in New
York went up five cents dozen higher.
A Chicago packing concern has taken advantage
of the adjustment of the tariff from dressed
and is bringing in train load after train load of the
Canadian product which they buy dressed ready
for market and delivered to Chicago at less price
than they can buy the beef the hoof in Texas
still the retail prices keep soaring to the skies, and
the only difference it makes is to the packer who
reaps the benefit of increased profits and to the
Chicago meat cutters who have lost their jobs as a
result of the introduction of the foreign product
So then, it was not after all the tariff which kept
prices up. as many of us imagined. We turn to
find the real cause and discover that manipulation
of market products, made possible through the
agency of beautifully perfected cold storage facilities
is the real dark complicated gentleman in the wood
pile. The government, after careful survey, has
announced that nation wide or general combine
of cold storage manipulators exists. and this is prob
ably true but the report also indicates although it
does say so specifically that combines and agree
ments do. or may exist certain cities; and it is
these combines and these cities which make the
price that rules generally all over the country.
No one will dispute tie fact that when eggs are
selling at 48 cents dozen in Chicago that the
price is little if any less in St. Paul. or if beef is
selling at % in New York that Pittsburg will
be able to buy it for less. So that New York and
Chicago really control the market. and in these two
cities combines do exist and production is controlled
and prices fixed
The question then arises what resort has the
people to protect them from the gut and greed of
these criminal manpulators? Is there logical
way, an effective way under the law to disarm them
and destroy their power? We think there is. Our
plan may not be new-we don't know. Perhaps it
has occurred to else; if so it has our en-
dorsement; but give it for what it's worth.
Suppose the legislature of the state of Minnesota
should enact law establishing a cold storage com
mission and appropriate sufficient funds to enable
this commission to erect modernly equipped storage
houses at various points in the state each located
IN the most productive ceners from which come
the perishabe food stuffs upon which the city mar
kets are dependent To these storage houses the
farmer would be invited to bring his goods, store
them under state supervision, and at nominal cost
based upon the percentage plan Upon being
placed in storage the goods would by specified
agreement pass to the control of the cold storage
commission to dispose of at such time as that
body might elect. The farmer however would still
be owner of the merchandise and receive the money
for which his property finally sold, minus the per-
centage for storage and the mere cost of handling
The storage commission in selling the products
could by reason of it's control, regulate the price
selling exclusively to retail Dealers STIMULATING in.
their bill Of sale tina, such goods should be sold to
the consumer at stated price, leaving, of course,
reasonable margin of profit to the retailer-iust as
the Board Of Control sells the product of the prison
twlne factory to dealers
This plan put into effect would benefit the farm
greatly, inasmuch as he would profit by the in
crease in price at the time his goods were solo,
whereas he has to part with his April eggs at
April prices, his October apples at October prices
and permit the manipulation to reap the rich profit
his product is to bring during the winter
months
An argument against this plan might be that the
farmer would prefer to sell his product outright and
receive his thOuuh he had 70