Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1914-12-04
FOLLOW LEAD OF
THE PARCEL POST
American Express Company
Proposes to Aid Sale of
Farm Produce.
OBJECT TO PREVENT WASTE
.,s.rted That IS Per Cent Is Lost Be.
cause Of Lack Of Marketing
Facilities.

A vast cooperative enterprise. coun-
.-xuide in its scope and with the OBJ
e.. Of creating a market for millions
a dollars worth OF crops that annual
rro 10 waste for lack OF market. was
launched today by the American Ex-
,-sss company. With that corpora
tsou In the role OF commissioners mid
Haueu. its 10000 agents scattered
.-ou coast 20 coast and from the Do
Union OF Canada to the Gulf OF Mex
go automatically blossomed out as
,postles OF trade. seeking out farm
As who have been unable TO find con
venfenr markets for their produce and
combining the country for purchasers
for their crops
william Gourlay. who has been as
sistxnt to the vice president of the
sxpress company. has been designated
70 preside over the new department.
with the title OF general traffic agent.
The man 20 whom the responsibility
Of this big undertaking has been in
trusted was enthusiastic over the pos
sibflities Il holds forth, says the Chi
ego Daily News. He announced that
: systematic and far-reaching COM
paign will be carried on to discover
where crops are going TO waste be
cause OF lack OF markets and 10 es-
;ahlish an outlet for them among
wholesale houses. groceries and even
Individual consumers.
In Touch With Conditions.
The express agent out along the
Ine will aid constantly in the work Of
Earning from farmers whether apples.
tc- Instance. are rUtcing on the ground
because they cannot be marketed. OF
whether butter and eggs and even
chickens are being sold at a great
sacrifice through the inability OF the
producer 10 find purchasers al fair
prices.
There Is no limit 10 the possibili-
ties Of this work" said Mr. GOurlay
Tremendous good may be accomplish
Cd not only for the producer, but for
the consumer for in many instances
the activities OF our traffic department
vii DO away with the commission
merchant, who takes q toll for every
ting he handles. This company will
charge no commission and whatever
advantage accTues 10 ii viii be de-
rived solely from increased business
II shipping to markets which we Gre
ate
The plan should tend to equalize
the supply OF foodstuffs IN various
parts Of the country As II is now,
We lave artificial values for certain
fruits or vegetables IN one part Of the
country, while m another there is a
surplus that has made these same ar
ticles 2 total loss TO the producer be /
cause he does not know where 20 look
for market.
Relief for Ba1 Conditions.
IT viii be our mission after finding
out where the Oversupply is 10 point .
OFT 70 the farmer where he may send I.
lis goods 70 be sold 70 advantage, and /
Z doing that We shall be serving the d
interest Of those communities in sec /
uo1s where unnatural conditions have /
ezgset prices 70 be exOrbitant"
Gr. GOurlay explained that the com /
pzny has already experimental ex- /
is,sively with the project and the de- /
Elimination 10 establish II on far I
reaching lines was the result OF the
Eccess OF this venture.
Direct marketing from producer to J
consumer IS q subject Of great inter
est and concern 70 a large proportion
o; the cOuGtry's population" ne said
and how best 20 bring il about is the
hought uppermost in many minds.
With our organization covering $1,000
niles and 10000 widely scattered Of
Ices we are in a position 20 cooperate
With both grower and consumer. We K
see farmer who is perhaps about 10