Cheyenne record., 1914-11-12
RAILROADS WILL
HELP THE FARMER
Common Carriers VIII Cooperate In
Marketing Farm Products-MIddls
Men Charge Higher Rates
for Handling Farm Than
Factory Products.
BY Peter Radford
Lecturer National Farmers' Union

BY Peter Radford
Lecturer National Farmers Union
The leading railroad systems Of the
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 a useful agency
in marketing farm commodities.
l consider the action Of these giant
business concerns in determining to
cooperate with the farmers in mar
keting their crops, to be the greatest
product OF human thought on the
Western hemis phere during the past.
year, and it demonstrates that the
educational work OF the Farmers
Union has brought the nation to
clearer understanding Of the real
problem of the farmer
To give information on marketinfI
Is far more valuable than to 81, |
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 teansters 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 it is gathered. The problem
Of organizing anG systematizing tho
markets is one in which the farmers
invite assistance of all lines Of in
Gustry friendly to their interests.
Farmers eear the Burden.
The business OF the manufacturer
lends itself more readily to organiza
ton and the facilities for studying the
markets are moro easily availa BILE. 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. must
lcok to products which he buys di-
rect from the farm for his profits.
The reports OF the Federal Depart
ment CT Agriculture show some very
Interesting Information and enable
comparison between the cost o,
marketing products of the farm md
those CT the factory. A few items
will serve to illustrate the general
run. The cost of getting sugar from
the refinery to the consumer is Q
cents on the dollar: the cost of get
ting tobacco from factory to con-
sumer is ii cents on the dollar. In
selling a dollars worth OF eggs the
mddleman gets a profit of so cents
on the dollar. In selling a dollars
worth of potatoes. the middleman
makes 20 cents on the dollar: in sell
ing dollars worth of fruit, the
middleman gets S4 cents on the dol
lar. and On cantalonpes 50 cents.
Farmers Bulletin NO. SO. published
by the United States Department Of
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 pIenty
of room for lowering the ccst ~,
farm products to consumers and at
the same time largely increasing the
cash income per farm. without in
creasing farm production. This ccndi-
ton is undoubtedly a marketing prob
lem which will have 10 be SoIvcd byi
better organization Of farmers and
improved methods Of marketing"
TIE farmers problems are prcssia',