St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1913-05-07
PRESS COMMENT
Farmers Out After the Middleman
Again


Farmers Out After the Middleman
Again
A long named organization called
the National conference on market
ing and farming credits" which has
lust been meeting at Chicago, has
been studying the everlasting prob
lem of the middleman. Said Ed
ward Kone. commissioner for agrl-
culture of Texas, THE railroads
aren't getting the money the farm
er isn't It's the middleman. were
after him"
President Radford of the Texas
Farmers Union wants to know why
the northern consumer pays one
dollar a bushel for potatoes, whlle
his farmers get but thirty cents.
Yet somehow the farmer prefers
the middleman. A great many
dairymen living near large cities say
they would like to deliver direct 10
the consumer. But they usually
find they would have to advertise
for customers, would have to put
up product in fancy bottles, Lave
no way of getting neceptacles back,
etc.
Yet it seems like national ineth-
cheney to let apples rot on the
ground in the country, while in the
city inferior fruit sells for hVe
cents each.
Politicians and ministers and
women's organizations have tried to
break prices by selling direct to the
consumer. But they get free ad-
vertising, they pay nothing for clerk
hire or rent, they have no taxes and
no bad debts. Goods can be sold
cheap as long as the distributor is
willing to work for nothing.
Our grandfathers used to make
trips through the retail district on
their way home from business. They
would gather in at low prices mar
ket basket of brown paper parcels.
Few business men would do that to-
day. They could not spare the time
and someone might see them carry
ing bundles.
No doubt many farmers could de-
welop profitable direct relations
with in-town customers if they were
not afraid to spend little money
on advertising. 1t would take lit
tie time. But once a few customers
were secured and satisfaction given
to them, the business would spread
of ITSELF Rutland News.
Senator Edmund's Letter
One of the most sagacious and
patriotic counselors the United
States ever had in it's Senate cham
Der is the Hon. George F. Edmunds,
who at the age Of "a years is now
living in retirement in Pasadena.
For many years he honored YER
mont and Vermont honored
him. His letter to the Vermont So
ciety of Southern California, read at
their large gathering on Thursday
evening was a most timely and preg-
nant utterance, coming with all the
force Of a solemn warning from one
who cannot be suspected Of political
or Interior motives. Said the Sena-
tor:
Vermont established her govern
ment upon the principles and with
the framework of the advanced rep
resentative Democracy, and her So
cial order upon the solid and only
sure basis of true progress the unity
of individual and family responsible
lily. They knew that self-restraint
and self-control were fundamental
and perpetual necessities in the in
dividual lives Of men and women
and they knew from the history of
human experience that these vital
in the establishment and conduct of
a government of and by the people
that in any other form of govern
ment known among men. They
have held fast to these principles
and methods believing. as | do, that
EXCITEMENTS AND ENTHUSI-
ASMS ARE NOT THE BEST SOIL
FOR InE GROWTH OF SOBER
AND EQUAL LAWS AND THAT
THE PROGRESS WE HOPE FOR,
MADE UNDER SUCH EMO
TIONS, is LIKELY TO BE FOUND
AFTER TRIAL, TO BE PROGRESS
BACKWARD"
We commend these well-weighed
words to the careful reading and Sc
rious reflection of those whose eyes
may rest upon them.-ILos Angeles
Times.
A Right of Citizenship
In deciding the other day a case
before the Connecticut Supreme
Court Chief Justice Prentice said
There is no more sacred right of
citizenship than the right to pur-
sue unmolested a lawful employ
ment in a lawful manner" The
statement is so obviously true that