Pullman herald. [volume] (Pullman, W.T. [Wash.]) 1888-1989, 1913-02-28

ships out of the state one-fourth of
what she produces and buys back
several times this amount.
The farmers of the south ship live
cattle from 300 to 5UO miles to ST.
Louis, and buy back beef sides ship
ped In refrigerator cars with icing
charges added.
The farmer has lost whatever in
terest he had in the town and the
city man his interest in the
country. There is nothing truer than
that the country and the town are
Independent while they should be in
ter-dependent. The man in the town
should be as much interested in the
development OF the country, and IN
providing good market for what is
produced locally, as he is in develop
ing the streets, parks and schools OF
his town, and as he Is in establishing
new industries in the town.
In Kansas City they are conducting
a campaign to educate the people of
that city and of the regions round
about TO use Kansas Clty-made pro-
ducts. Do you suppose they have
thought the proposition through far
enough to include in that campaign a
suggestion that their own people give
preference to those things that are
grown in these regions? In short, are
they willing to meet us half way, by
buying our products if we buy
theirs?
How much of the yearly business
of the local grocer originates in the
locality in which he does business?
How much of it comes from a hun
dred miles away, and how much
from five hundred miles away? 1t
would surprise you to know how
small part of what is consumed in
your town is produced in your
county, and l know you do not re-
allZe how much of what is locally
grown is shipped out of the COM
munity; and of similar material
grown elsewhere is shipped in. This
is not wholly and perhaps not chief
ly the fault of the merchant, but it Is
really the fault of the producer and
the consumer quite as much as of
the merchant.
We are all creatures of habit Con-
venience weighs heavily with us. The
local merchant or the local consumer
has no inherited objection to patron
lzing the local producer. In fact, if
his attention were called to it, he
really would prefer to do so, all
things being equal But the local
producer cannot expect the merchant
or the consumer to put himself to
too great inconvenience, merely to
discharge what he may clearly rec
ognize in the abstract as his duty
to the local producer. The farmer
must plan to have his supply come
as regularly as possible, and, above
all things, to keep it up to the stand
ard in quality and to have it so
packed and handled that it is at
tractive to the eye and easy to sell.
In short, the farmer must cater to
his market just as the merchant
does. Unless he will do this much,
he cannot get the business and does
not deserve to have it.
Burdens of the Consumer Lay Upon
the Merchant and Farmer
AS stated before, the consumer is
as much in need of education as is
the producer. We give little thought
to the effect our purchase may have
upon the development of local or
state industries. We are Just as
happy with broom made in Michi-
gan, the brush for which perhaps
was grown in our own state and ship
ped six hundred miles to have a
handle attached, as We would be with
one made in our own community. We
buy western apples by the peck and
let better apples rot In the neighbor-
hood for want of a market A neigh
Dor kills beef or a few hogs and
part of the meat wastes because he
cannot use it all in his own family.
In the meantime we have patronized
the butcher shop, the meats of which
come from the city.
The consumer buys in small lots
usually over the telephone and in
sists upon immediate delivery. He
has gotten out of the habit of buying
in quantity. Formerly the winter
supply of apples, potatoes, onions,
ETC., were laid in in the fall. Now
they are purchased as needed from