The Palatka news and advertiser. [volume] (Palatka, Fla.) 1908-19??, 1913-05-30
MR.. Won ENGELKEN
is HEARD FROM

In letter to Secretary Royster,
written at sea within a days travel
of Madeira, F. j. H. Won Engelken
writes:
The trip so far has been very in
ter sting. Not in the sense of an
ocean voyage, as that has been en-
5irely uneventful, but in the sense of
much doing along the lines of organ
zation, ETC., of the American Com
mission; also along the lines of a
better mutual acquaintance and un-
lerstanding of each others ideas and
accomplishments in the lines we are
20 investigate. In fact, we have got
ten so much that is good out of our
Two weeks discussion with each other,
that some of us think our greatest
benefit will be derived in this way.
At the very outset there have been
some of us who have had the un-
pleasant task of quarrelling and oh
iecting to the manner in which af-
fairs have been conducted. To begin
with, a board of directors was ar
1itrarily selected by some one and
.hen railroaded over our heads at the
New York meeting. | was the only
one who seemed to have courage
enough to get up at that meeting and
protest against the needless haste;
out they rolled the steam roller over
ne. Very few of the working mem
)ers of the commission were on this
BOARD of directors, and it was a Vly
OuTpoSeleSs selection of prominent
men-men without any weight with
.he farming communities at large.
After leaving New York | marshall
ed the insurgents, and we
succeeded in having that list Of di-
tectiors thrown out and a new list
selected, with one representative
from each state and province repre-
sented on this commission. That's
now | came to be a director.
Yesterday they tried t) put an
other one over, and announced that
they had decided to make each mem
Der of the commission who had paiC
his own expenses, a life member il
the permanent organization. Once
more it was up to me to object, anC
suggested that, in addition to Crea.
ing life memberships among the in
lividuals who had paid heir Sl2GC
out of their own pockets, they alsc
create life memberships 1Cr the
States which had sent representatives
md | succeeded in putting this over
therefore, Florida is emitted TO {
life membership on the permanent
commission, or the permanent organi
lation to be formed 10 carry on tn.
work upon our return. And 50 he
lance goes merily on.
The work of the commission has
Up to date, been divided into fou
groups, and four committees have
)een formed to investigate Rural FL
nance, Marketing and Dstrlhution
Production, and Country life enc
Betterment of Social Conditions. ]
lave affiliated myself with tha FIRST
wo, and am secretary Of the last
lamed committee. My idea. as you
NOW, is that if some method can be
levised whereby the farmer can get
or his product price at all in keep
ng with that the ultimate consumer
lays for that same product, the Il
nance question will, in n large meas
ire, solve itself; and am, there
FORE taking most interest in The
question of marketing and distribp
lion. In this connection ! have de-
,ided to take the southern trip il
italy, which will take me through
Sicily and through the citrus frui;
sections and those sections where
growers are confronted with the
same problems of rapid disposition
Of perishable products
We are holding meetings daily anC
are quizzing such of our member,
as have information which will be OF
value to us. The personnel of the
commission, while not containing as
many farmers as | would like to see
IS good, with the possible exception
that it contains too many professors
and students, men who are apt to be
theorists and who are riding hob
bies. There is a small conservative
element, however, which will, be-
lieve, be able to hold the exuberents
down and will be able, also, to work