Farmers' champion. (Elgin, Okla.) 1912-1922, 1913-05-22
OGTTGR METHODS or MARKET.
ina TO % TAUGHT ~ the
GOVERNMENT.
NEW BUREAU is PROPOSED
Cooperative Selling by Farmers VIII
Result In Great Benefits Not Only
70 the Producer but to ths Con-
Gunner 40 Well.
BY GEORGE CLINTON,

agricultural department a new divi.
sion known as the rural organization
service" Its chief, 7. N. Carver, who
has just been appointed. was until re-
Gently q 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.
tion. but 1t ie unofficial, and Mr. Hous-
ton viii ask congress to give definite
approval with a definite appropriation
for bureau OF this kind.
Just what the new service will do In
detail has not yet been determined,
but 1t Is we'll known that q primary
duty Will be to study the economics
Of the marketing Of products. II 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
inemcient and unbusinesslike methods
In marketing the products of the farm.
Dr. George X. Holmes. who IL the
statistician of the division Of produc-
tfOn 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.
y 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 a. places to which It 10
practicable to seud their products, to
sell In considerable number of mar
kets II 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
leader for such purposes. and there
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 nom
cooperative marketing agency. which
would take charge Of the entire busi-
ness Of distributing from 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 30. 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-
zation Of marketing associations
wherever the farmers request assist
ance or information: the agent could
meet the assembled farmers and prac.
tically organize them II they desired.
It can hardly be doubted that this
service can be successfully performed
and. eventually, with results greatly
beneficial to farmers.
To Probe Civil Service.
II is virtually settled that there
10 to be sweeping investiga-
tion Of the civil service law under
which thousands upon thousands OF
Americana hold their places. OF
course there will be a feeling that
the Investigation 10 prompted by the
desire Of the dominant party to create
vacancies for party workers, but II
seems likely that any such investiga.
tion would AFFECT comparatively few Of
the holders Of minor positions under
the civil service. and would strike only
few Of the heads. and It would
strike nobody II an inquiry should
divulge that there is nothing wrong
with the system a. II stands.
AZ matters are It seems that nearly
everybody in congress. Irrespective OF
party. wants to see the civil service
law revised. This IL plain because
every once IN q while criticism ID
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 tina,
n-partisanship methods have been
adhered to absolutely in the giving ol
appointments to men who apply under
the civil service law. and the prob