Saint Mary's beacon., 1914-01-08

| CHARLOTTE HALL, Jan. 2, 1914.
Mr.. Editor:-On December 10Th. :
well attended meeting OF the Hughes
vile Farmers Club was held at Hugh
esville, and much pleasure was ex
pressed by she members that the farm
ers OF Leonardtown District had
formed similar association, and con.
gratulations and the promise of co.
operation was extended to them anC
also to the Chaptico Farmers Club.
A vote of thanks was tended Mr..
Davis and has companions for their
visit and for the assistance rendered
by them in enhancing the interests oi
the farmers, by their assistance in the
organization of clubs and the valu.
able information and reforms sug.
gested by them.
j have been asked TO further deyelou
some of the suggestions that pointed
out in recent article, for the benefi,
of riral population. And upon that
suggestion / ask you to allow me a
brief space. It has been asked why
other states have better conditions
than exhist here. and especial stress
has been put upon the fact that the
rural mail delivery should be extended
over wider territory in Charles and
st. Mary's counties.
The reason, l suppose, why we lack
some of these modern facilities. may
be The fact that the citizens have never
asked for them. For example, a leg
islator-elect has no desire to rule the
people; often he does not know their
wants; he, of course, under the dictates
of his own wisdom seeks to have done
for his constituents that which will
secure his reelection. So, in order
to bring about q change of condition
for the bet,erment of the community
the citizens should petition their rep
resentatives, and il is most important
that a large number of signers names
appear. In the case of more ample
fecilities in the postal service the petit
ton should be addressed to the Con-
gresham for the district desiring the
remedy.
AT our last meeting we adopted a
resolution asking that nitrate of am.
monia be placed on the free list. this
would be direct benefit to farmers.
The extension of the seed and food il
spection is another desired movement.
IL the County Commissioners were
authorized to pay half the cost oi
demonstrations and experiments in the
counties, and the State erect and
maintain lime grinding plant where
the farmers could obtain lime at cost.
and If Investigations of gambling and
monopoly in food products he carried
TO the extent OF ending the abuses suf-
fered by the farmers. a step in the
right direction would he inaugurated
that would bring about other reforms.
and by gradual scale the conditions
would become much more favorable.
The organization of farmers selling
association to combat the trusts that
regulate both the buying and selling
of farm Products would cuualiZe
prices, and as an auxiliary to this
association produce exchange could
he profitably conducted. And also
such move would in a measure elm
mate the middIeman, whose commits
sion cuts deep into the net price re-
ccived for farm products.
Something should he done regard
inC the eXistance of colluSion among
the big buyers and sellers To- keep
prices at the lowest level for the farm
er and hold them up to the highest
pitch when sought by the consumer.
1t is fact that the price obtained for
tobacco is way below par. At tpresen,
we sell to the representatives of the
Orient, where the use of opium has
been abandoned, this condition has
created greater demand for tobacco
than ever existed, and yet prices are
kept as low as when competition in
buying was confined to the nearer
markets. There is pending before the
House of Representatives in Washing
ton the Agricultural Extension Bill
and all Maryland farmers should use
their efforts to have it made a law.
This bill will enable the farmers to de-
rive great benefit from the expenditure
of the millions expended in agricul-
tural research, which for a number OF
years has been lying in cold storage
in the Agricultural files at the depart
ment. The bill asks an appropriation
FOR the distribution of this most valu-
able information.
The key note to success for the
farmer is To organize. l note that the
leading people of Washington, on
January 9Th, will meet to form a con-
sumers association to buy direct from
the farmers near them, we should as
soon as possible put ourselves in a po-
sition to join with these people.
On Monday, January II, 1914, at
p. m., there will be Farmers meet
ing at Mechanicsville, for the purpose
CT forming Farmers Club there. All
are invited to attend.
Respectfully yours,
FRED IMHoFF.