Bonners Ferry herald. [volume] (Bonners Ferry, Idaho) 1904-current, 1913-04-11
MARKET
THE FOLLOWING ARTICLE is
PRINTED TO AID IN UPBUlLD-
ING OF OUR TOWN.
There ARE TOO MANY MIDDLE men
More Economical Marketing Of Farm
Products Is Receiving Greater At
tention-Home Folks Should
Buy Home Products.

ing to realize more and more that the
problems of getting farm produce to
the consumer at the least cost and OF
securing for the farmer working cap
tal at a low rate of interest and
prices for his produce that will ade-
quately recompense him for his labor
and his investment, are Of vital inn
portance.
There is undoubtedly too much
waste between the farmer and the
consumer This is not the fault of any
one factor in the game but rather OF
all Not only are the transportation
interests and the various middlemen
partly to blame, but even the produc-
ers and the consumers are also to
blame.
In many instances transportation
charges on perishable produce amount
to as much as the producer receives
therefor.
The complexity and inter-depend-
ence of the modern business world
has necessitated a large number of So
called "middlemen" who perform the
necessary work incident to distribu-
ton. These middlemen generally OPP
crate on a percentage that is reason
ably small according to the volume OF
business done. 1t is not reasonable to
assume that the middleman can be
eliminated. Those who attempt to do
this invariably find that they have
merely taken over the work he has
been doing succeeding him and be-
coming middlemen themselves) and
that it costs them just as much to per
form the required services as it did
him. 1t is very likely, however, that
in many lines of distributive work
there are too many engaged and that
a smaller number might perform all
the work satisfactorily and by reason
of larger volume of business on a
smaller percentage.
The consumers are partly to blame
because of the increased demand for
high quality in goods and more elab-
crate service from tradesmen.
And the producers are partly to
blame because as a rule they are not
we'll organized and are not shipping in
the right quantities, in the right quail
tiles and to the right markets. The
producers must come to a keener real
ization of the fact that raising the
stock or growing the produce is not
all there is to farming. OF equal i'm
portance is the finding of economical
and profitable markets for the output
The citrus fruit growers OF California
growers of deciduous fruits in some
sections of the northwest and the
? Rocky mountain states, growers Of
: vegetables in the southwest and pro
ducers of canteloupes in the middle
west and Rocky mountain section
have accomplished much, but there re
mains much to be done, generally, il
the improvement of farmers selling
> organizations.
: Here is a recent statement by f
Baackes, vice president of the Amer
n lean Steel & Wire Co.: ut strikes
me most forcibly that the time hai
|, selves into selling associations. Thes'
/ associations should have in the prin
e cipal cities representatives in con
slant and intimate touch with tn
market so that when a center is glut
ted. or threatens to become so, shiI
e ments can be diverted to other points
a The secret of selling is equilibrium 0
! distribution. But this sounds simple
y than it really is. Business-like distr
d button requires a high stage of deve
1t opment and the closest kind of co-oI
erative systems"
&c The more economical marketing {
g farm products is receiving greater a
o tention all over the country and it
up to us" in this community to "gC
'e busy" But instead of embracing vi
,s ionary schemes for the elimination {
h any of the established and legitimat
Ia factors in the business world, let's a
e. work together for mutual benefit an
n the up-building of the communit
al The merchant, banker, lawyer al
doctor should be concerned just {
much as the farmer in the workir
a out of better methods of marketir
ed farm produce. Whether it is war
80 house, elevator, cannery, creamery
os something else that is needed, let l
ad all cooperate to secure its establis
or ment and operation on right lines.
ed
Cultivate the Local Market.
Much has been said about the nee
less handling of goods and the amou
on it adds to the cost of products of Il
lip farm and orchard. Another fact
I'M that influences the increased cost
So products is the lack of appreciate
rs among home folks of the resources
III their own doors. This lack of app
d" citation is due in a large measure
the neglect of local manufacture
and growers of fruit or vegetables
cater m the home market rather tn