Wausau pilot. [volume] (Wausau, Wis.) 1896-1940, 1913-05-20
SHOW FARMERS HOW
BETTER METHODS OF MARKET
ING TO BE TAUGHT BY THE
GOVERNMENT.
NEW BUREAU is PROPOSED
Cooperative Selling by Farmers VIII
Result in Great Benefits Not Only
to the Producer but to the Con-
sumner as Well.
EIy GEORGE CLINTON.

Ely GEORGE CLINTON.
Wasnlngton.-There Is now in the
Agricultural department d new divi-
sion known as the rural organization
service It's chief. T. N. Carver. who
mas just been appointed, was until re-
Gently a professor at Harvard univer-
sity. II Secretary of Agriculture
Houston has his way, Professor Car
yer probably will be made the chief
OF another new bureau to be known as
the bureau of markets" There is al
ready a bureau Of markets organiza-
ton, but it is unofficial. and Mr.. Hous-
ton Will ask congress to give definite
approval with definite appropriation
for bureau of this kind.
Just what the new service will do In
detail has not yet been determined,
but 1t Is well known that a primary
duty will be to study the economics
OF the marketing of products. 1t is
known that Secretary of Agriculture
Houston, with the complete sympathy
OF President Wilson, will interest him
self particularly in an attempt to cut
down the cost of living by cutting out
inefficient and unbusinesslike methods
In marketing the products of the farm.
| DR.. George K. Holmes, who is the
statistician of the division of produc-
| ton and distribution, has found out
that the consumer pays for his vege-
tables, fruit poultry and dairy prod
ucts about twice as much as the farm
er receives for them.
What Farmer Should Do.
DR.. Holmes has said on this matter:
"A survey of the systems of market
Ing farm products clearly discovers
what the farmers can best do to their
advantage. They must associate them
selves together for the purpose of as
sembling their individual contributions
of products, to consider means of
shipping in carload lots, of obtaining
market news at places to which it is
practicable to send their products, to
sell in considerable number of mar
kets if not in many markets, and to
secure the various other economic
gains of associative selling. But
farmers need some help in establish
ing associations. They always need a
may be no leader.
"A division of markets could per-
form excellent service in helping farm
ers to help themselves to organize
marketing associations. These asso-
Citations could either handle their
products until sold in various markets
or could ship their products to a non
cooperative marketing agency, which
would take charge of the entire bust
ness of distributing from a central re-
ceiving point.
1T seems not always feasible to
market products comparatively, or, at
any rate, the producers are not always
disposed to do so. However. that may
be, there are many homeopathic
marketing agencies in this country
that are performing excellent service
for farmers, and some of them are do
Ing business of immense proportions.
A division of markets, equipped with
a corps of competent field agents,
could get into touch with farmers for
the purpose of promoting the organi-
cation Of marketing associations
wherever the farmers request assist
ance or information; the agent could
meet the assembled farmers and prac-
tically organize them If they desired.
1t can hardly be doubted that this
and, eventually, with results greatly
beneficial to farmers The travelling
field agents also could perform good
service in examining into the affairs
of weak and unsuccessful marketing
associations and advise changes for
their improvement
To Probe Civil Service.
1t is virtually settled that there
is to be sweeping investiga-
ton of the civil service law under
which thousands upon thousands of
Americans hold their places. OF
course there will be a feeling that
the investigation is prompted by the
desire Of the dominant party to create
vacancies for party workers, but it
seems likely that any such investiga-
ton would affect comparatively few of
the holders of minor positions under
the civil service, and would strike only
a few of the heads, and it would
strike nobody il an inquiry should
divulge that there is nothing wrong
with the system as it stands.
AS matters are 1t seems that nearly
everybody in congress, irrespective of
party, wants to see the civil service
law revised. This is plain because
every once In a while criticism is
heard of the civil service system from
the mouths of Democrats, Republicans
and Progressives, while debates are
on in either house. The civil service
commission always has insisted that
non partisanship methods have been
adhered to absolutely in the giving of
appointments to men who apply under
the civil service law, and the prob
ability is, everybody says. that an
investigation win show this to be the
fact The trouble, members say, with
the civil service system is not so
much that incompetent men get into
office, or that favoritism is shown in
marking exa limitations, as that many
employees take advantage of the fact
that they are under civil service and
think they are there for life, to loaf
on their jobs, that is, to give Just as
much working service as they think it
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