The Republican journal. [volume] (Belfast, Me.) 1829-current, 1914-09-17
GOVERNMENT DISAPPOINTED WITH THE
FARMERS.

GOVERNMENT DlSAPfOlNlEp WAN LIE
FARMERS.
lINew England Grocer and Tradesman.]
One of our contemporaries has fire.
uuently intimated that the New Englan
Grocer and Tradesman" is rather nard
on the farmers. According to the Farm
ers' Bulletin just issued by the Depart
ment of Agriculture the farmers in this
country are living IN the Dark Ages, so
far as their ideas of doing business are
concerned. The Department of Agrl-
culture has co-operated with the post
Office department in investigating the
disappointingly small expansion which
has taken place in the parcel post ser
vice, so far as taking produce from the
farmer to the town or city is concerned.
The Farmers Bulletin states that the
farmers ask prices higher even than
those exacted by the fancy retail stores
in the city,"
We hope that those who have scoffed
at the New England Grocer and Trades
man. because it made this assertion
several months before the Department
of Agriculture found it out. will take
particular notice of this assertion. By
the Farmers Bulletin the farmers are
warned that las method of marketing,
the parcel post will succeed only in such
measure as it accomplishes more ettlclent-
ly and economically the functions per-
formed by the numerous middle interests
of the present system.
Commenting upon this the New York
Commercial says, "This confirms the
fears expressed months age by the Com
mercial. The farmers have not grasped
their opportunity. The Farmers Bulle-
-. ait, nftan
dissatisfied with the produce sent by the
farmers which they have no chance to
examine and reject when it comes by
post 1t is less trouble to buy in the re-
tail stores where they can see what
they get, and they will continue to do so
as long as the farmers ask fancy retail
prices"
The Commercial might add also that
the people will not put up with the ques-
tionable methods of the farmers, who
cannot be depended upon of their own
volition to deal honestly with their GUS
toners, and they will take advantage
of the fact that their customers are help
less in their inability to inspect the goods
before payu ent in order to still further
successfully pursue the methods in deal
ing for which they are justly famous:
Continuing, the Commercial says, 1.-The
parcel post has done all that is possible
to help the farmers, but the farmers
have not won the confidence of the con-
sumers. As the farmers are the chief
support of the big mail order houses.
they should ask themselves why they
buy from these establishments. If they
did not believe that they would save
money and get the exact goods they
order and pay for in advance, they would
not patronize the people they never see.
They should put their city customers in
the same position and initiate the meth
DDS which have built up the mail order
houses. This failure of the parcel post
to put the farmer in touch with the con-
sumner in the city makes an opening for
the express companies, which can take
advantage of the free advertising the
attempt to do this business by parcel
post has received Express companies
could collect on delivery subject to in
spectlon, which is what city buyers wish,
and they could perhaps teach the farm
ers that they cannot get fancy retail
prices for inferior products and must
make reasonable concessions and be Or
dinarily honest Meanwhile, what about
the much abused middleman? He seems
to be more and more recognized as
necessity, even by those who have urged
his total humiliation.