Brownsville herald. [volume] (Brownsville, Tex.) 1910-current, 1913-04-10
GOVERNMENT
SHOULD HELP
IN MARKETING
IN SPEECH IN CHICAGO B. +.
YOAKUM DECLARES GOVERN
MENT SHOULD HELP IN ECONO-
MICAL FOOD DISTRIBUTION.
TOO MUCH WASTE
GOVERNMENT THROUGH NATION
AL MARKET BUREAU SHOULD EN-
COURAGE CONSTRUCTION OF
STORAGE WAREHOUSES;.

Following is an extract from a speech
delivered in Chicago April 9, by b. T.
YOakum at the National conference on
markets and Farm Credits. Mr.. Yoakum
dealing with selling expenses and loss
by waste, declares the two items amount
to six and a half billion dollars more
than producers receive. He said:
"The government must take a hand in
aiding in the establishing of a system of
economical food distribution if there is
to be a material reduction i'll the cost
Of living said b. f. Yoakum at theFirst
National conference OH Marketing and
Farm Credits at the Sherman Square
hotel in Chicago today.
He said that roughly speaking the pro-
ducts of American farms were purchased
by the housewives of the country for 13
billion dollars and, of this amount, the
first producers received six billion dol
lars or 46 per cent. Five billion dollars
90 for expense of selling and dealers pro
fit, of SO per cent. Waste by decay and
loss in transit and in city markets
amounts to one and a half billion dol
ars or II per cent. OF the 13 billion dol
lars the railroads receive a little less
than a half a billion dollars or less than
four per cent.
"The place to look for a saving" said
Mr.. YOakum, sis in the selling expense
and loss by waste, the two items amount
ing to six and a half billion dollars
more than the producers receive.
owe are now %squarely up against the
s plain question of what is to be done. The
crops of live stock production. 1t is as
complicated as it is immense in volume
and calls for treatment different from
what has ever been given in this cOun-
try. From other countries we get some
good suggestions as to what we should
do, but our country is nearly as large as
all Europe, and conditions are so diff
Crent that we cannot get as much help
from across the sea in the way of busin-
css methods in marketing our crops as
we do about soil. breeding and other
lessons which we are learning from the
older countries.
zone 0 fthe large actual wastes is
caused by decay of fruits and vegetables
in the fields. To prevent this rotting on
the farms when the food is needed in
the cities, the government, through a
national market bureau should encourage
the construction of storage warehouses
for holding periShable fruits and veg
etables and for packing and shipping
farm products.
"The government is now spending 16
million dollars a year, and most of the
states contribute large sums. of public
money in addition for the benefit of ag-
ricuture, to pay for experiment stations,
10 restore the soil, increase the yield, i'm
prove breeding and dairying. reclaim
waste lands, study plant life, protect
trees and many other kinds Of excellent
work. Inadequate marketing facilities
and impOssibility of distribution hurts
every one of the above efforts.
ut is therefore the plain duty of the
government to aid in pioneering work for
better market conditions. Proper packing
and shipping are as necessary as success
full farming.
This winter AabbageS were rOtting in
Texas because farmers could not get $500
a ton for them, and at the same time
hungry people in the cities were willing
TO pay at the rate of $50 per ton. Apple
eating is going out of style because the
OrchardistS can not get fruit to the flat
dwellers and poorer people at the prices
they can afford to pay. The government
pays large sum of money to show how
to spray apple trees. 1t should pay
something to show how to market the
apples.
4 Mr.. YOakum said that the establish
ment of these market cOnvenienceS in
sufficient number to be near farms would
naturally cost a lot of money and in or
der to provide these funds he is in favor
|Of the government giving its sanction to
IAN agricultural credit system not like
|Dut similar to those which have been
found practical in European countries.
ION this point he said:
"An institution in a general wav sim
liar to the Credit FOncier la France
ould be organized in this country under
federal charter. 1t could be made semi
Governmental in character. with the sec
'etary OF the treasury the secretary of
agriculture. and two other government
representatives as members of the board
)f directors. 1t could be made a stock