The Monte Vista journal., 1914-10-10
RAILROADS WILL
HELP THE FARMER
Common Carriers VIII Cooperate In
Marketing Farm Products-Middle
Men Charge Higher Rates
for Handling Farm Than
Factory Products.
BY Peter Radford
Lecturer National Farmers Union

| The leading railroad systems OF tne
nation will establish market bureaus
to assist the farmers along their
lines in marketing their products.
| Many roads have acceded to the re-
quest of the Farmers Union and an
nounced their willingness to enter
into active cooperation with the far
mers in marketing their products.
The express companies have sur
veyed the field and the Federal Gov
ernment, through the parcel post,
has demonstrated the possibilities OF
the common carrier as useful agency
in marketing farm commodities.
/ consider the action Of these giant
business concerns in determining TO
cooperate VITA the farmers in mar
keting their crops, to be the greatest
product of human thought on the
| Western hemisphere during the past
year, and it demonstrates that the
educational work of the Farmers
clearer understanding of the real
problem of the farmer.
To give information on marketing
is far more valuable than to give
advice on production. There is mu-
tual interest between the railroads
and the farmer which cannot exist
between any other lines of industry.
| The railroads are the teamsters OF
agriculture, and they are employed
only when there is something to haul.
Good prices will do more to increase
tonnage than any other factor, and
railroads want tonnage.
Agriculture has many inherent dis
advantages which require combined
effort to overcome in marketing.
There are millions OF producing units
working Independently and selling
without knowledge OF market condi-
tions. The harvest is once a year,
while consumption is pretty even
ly distributed throughout the entire
year. and most of the farmers,
through custom and necessity, dump
their entire crop on the market as
soon as 1t is gathered The problem
OF organizing and systematizing the
markets is one in which the farmers
invite assistance of all lines of in
dustry friendly to their interests.
Farmers Bear the Burden.
The business of the manufacturer
lends itself more readily to organiza-
tion and the facilities for studying the
markets are more easily available The
result is that the merchants are COM
PEELED to handle most staple manufac-
tured articles at very little profit, and
as consequence the merchan. mus,
look to products which he buys d.
rect from the farm for his profits
The reports of the Federal Depart
ment of Agriculture show some very
interesting information and enable
comparison between the cost OIL
marketing products of the farm and
those OF the factory. A few items
viii serve to illustrate the general
run. The cost OF getting sugar from
the refinery to the consumer is 9
cents on the dollar; the cost of get
ting tobacco from factory to con
sumer is IA cents on the dollar In
selling dollars worth of eggs the
middleman gets a profit of 30 cents
on the dollar. In selling dollars
worth Of potatoes. the middleman
makes 10 cents on the dollar; in sell
ing dollW's worth OF fruit, the
middleman gets "a cents on the dol
lar, and on cantaloupes SO cents.
Farmers Bulletin No. $40. published
by the United States Department o.,
Agriculture. in discussing this subject.
said
'The high price paid by consumers
ranging from 5 to 500 per cent. in
some cases. more than the farmer re-
ceives. indicates that there is plenty
OF room for lowering the cost ~.
farm products to consumers and at
the same time largely Increasing the
cash income per farm. without In
creasing farm production This conai.
tion is undoubtedly marketing prob.
lem which will have to be solved by
better organization OF farmers and
improved methods OF marketing"
Large Shippers Influence Rates.
In railroad rates the Inequalities
are equally as glaring. Rate making
in its primitive stages WAS largely
influenced by demands and arguments
OF large shippers. but the farmers
were unorganized and seldom ap
peared before rate-making bodies, and
the burden OF expense In transporta
tion lies largely against the raw
products OF the farm.