Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1914-11-19

welfare of the rural population should be
enhanced by making 10 blades of grass
grow where only one grew formerly Eut
if we are aiding them in this way, while
others outside of our domains are renping
the benefit of this increased production,
are we contributing anything to the wealth
Of the State? Are we making any sub
stantal progress toward permanent we'll
being?
Let me eXemplify what / mean. Fifteen
years ago and less, representatives came
from both New York and Boston to pur-
chase the produce Of Vermont farms. If
the Now York representative did not offer
a sufficiently high price, the farmers could
Keep their produce until the representa-
tive came from Boston, and by the COM
petit1vc bidding of these two markets for
the produce the highest price was obtain
ed. But the tendency In recent years has
been for those engaged i'm Il particular
Inc OF enterprise to eliminate competition
among themselves This has brought in
the realm of industry, the formation OF
trusts, mergers holding corpora lions, and
other forms of organization, by means of
which competition was Curtailcd or. in
some cases, obltcrated TO one who has
| watched closely the changes going on the
the field of distribution as has been prev
alent in that of production. until now II
is rare thing for New York ana Boston
to send competitors into this territory for
| the purchase of our products Why
should they waste their substance in com
petition when the prices of the great
staples are the Same In the two markets @?
| Why should they compete when they have
everything to gain by adopting the oppo-
site course? Why should not New Yorl,
leave this territory to be worked hv Bos-
ton on consideration that Boston leave
! New York unhampercd by withdrawal
/ from another territory? The Boston trad.
Send their representative here to buy M
| the surplus in that line of goods. The far
mer knows that he must either take the
price thus offered or keep the commodi-
ties, Tor, as rule, no other buyer will
/ appear and IN order to realize something
, from his surplus he takes the price offer.
CO.. What Is the result? The farmer Sc
cures from one-third to one-half of the
price paid by the consumer in Boston.
So great is this discrepancy Of prices that
some Of the more entcrprsng farmers
are invading the Boston market and Gull
ivating the trade there by means of SUI
porior quality of product. This of course
Is difficult unless the producer iealouslv
guards the quality of his product and
can secure large enough sale to a select
list of customers
While all this is going on. what are the
conditions in the Vermont towns and
cities as to securing the means of SUBJ
sistenc,? Taking the year through. our
butter eggs, potatoes and such like. come
from Boston. some a. These are the urol-
ucts Of our own State which have been
sen: down there and then have come
back, paying the cost Of transportation
both ways, ana the profits Of the series
of middlemcn which we have mentioned
The rest have come from the central
West. Docs it not appear grotesque that
some of the products of our State should
pass our doors, be conveyed through this
circuitous system Of distribution. and then
finally be landed at our own doors again
at the greatly augmented price? And 9
it not strange that We should be taking
thought for the agricultural interests by
helping I" pour an increasing amount Ut
product into the small vnd Of the cornu-
copia when It is being drained from
the other end with equal, if not greater,
rapidity? Under a proper system of dis
uibution these products of the state
should he used to supply the home mar
ket hrst' as represented in the consum-
ers of our towns and cities; and after
''dt tHe surplus COulu ne sent out to
olher PAGES II these more direct rela-
LOIS were tslapHSH'u between producer
ana consumer, the latter would get his
means OF subsistence cheaper ana the
former would receive higher price Tor
what ne had |" sell
me "h"'" problem Is altogether too
complies ana mas 100 many ramlhcatohs
/" be given more taau a mere outline
sk'tch IN TINS brief compass. But it IS
cl'"r mat some new method OF market
ing must be devised II we are to attain to
an economical system which VIII be Tor
the benefit OF both producers and consum-
cIs' nave lald some emphasis upon the
TACT that prices OF farm produce are
hNed by causes which have national
Importance ana tend u he uniform
throughout the whole country This
would naturally suggest 10 us the desir-
mont of markers as . mar, of tho fodoraI
povarnnent Rut urtu mic bo sec,,rod +,
y,Il, no for tho states 20 giyo OH tba nc
,ist.rc.. rossihla ond ov,,odio,. fo, .b,
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NOr can we zane SSS'eil WIZ" mas
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lD'',''a' NJ an" si"'' II u" as gu ii'eSi"'
l'%i ~ o"' '''t - 9t'4'i ~" con"
= mat u "''' produce