St. Johns review. (Saint Johns, Or.) 1904-current, 1914-11-06
RAILROADS WILL
HELP THE FARMER
Common Carriers VIII Cooperate In
Marketing Farm Produets--Mlddle
Men charge Higher Rates
for Handling Farm Than
Factory Products.
sy Peter Rsdford.
Lecturer National Farmers Union


Lecturer National Farmers UnloA
The leading railroad systems Of the
nation will establish market bureaus
" assist tho fnrtners along their
lines In MARKETING their products.
Many roads have acoeded TO the re-
quest of the Farmers' Union and an.
nounced their willingness 10 enter
into active cooperation With the far
mers In marketing their products
The express companies have sur.
veyod the field and the Federal Gov.
srnment, through tho parcel post,
has demonstrated the possibilities OF
tn common carrier as q useful agency
n marketing farm commodities.
consider the action OF these giant
business concerns In determining 20
cooperate with the farmers In mar.
kotins their crops. 10 be the greatest
product OF human thought on the
Western hemisphere during the past
year, and u demonstrates that the
Union has brought the nation to a
clearer understanding Of the real
problem OF the farmer.
To give information on marketing
Ia far more valuable than to give
advice on production. There Ia n mu-
tual interest between the railroads
and the farmer which cannot exist
between any other lines Of industry.
The railroads are the teamBters OF
agriculture. and they are employed
only when there In something TO haul.
Good prices will do moro 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. Tho harvest In once q year,
while consumption In pretty even.
~ distributed throughout the entire
year. and most OF tho farmers.
through custom and necessity. dump
their entire crop on the market as
loon as II In gathered. The problom
OF organizing and systematiEing tho
markets Ia ono In which the farmers
invite assistance OF all lines OF In.
iustry friendly TO their interests.
Farmers Bear tho Burden.
The business OF the manufacturer
lends itsolf moro readily TO organiIa.
lion and the facilities for studying the
are more easily available. The
result 10 that the merchants are com.
polled 10 handle most staple manufac-
Iured articles at very little pront and
~ a consequences the merchant must
ook 10 products which he buys dl.
rect from the farm for HIS pronts.
The reports OF the Federal Depart.
mont OF Agriculture show some very |
information and enable |
, comparison between the cost OF |
products OF the farm and |
hose Of the factory. A few items
yili serve 10 illustrate the general
-un. Tho cost OF getting sugar from
he refinery 10 the consumer h
'ents on the dollar; the cost OF get.
ing tobacco from factory 10 con.
lumor In Ia cents on the dollar. In |
elllng dollars worth OF eggs the |
gets a profit OF 90 cents
in the dollar, In selling a dollars |
worth OF potatoes. the middleman
makes 70 cents on the dollar; In sell.
ny dollars worth OF fruit. the
niddleman gets "a cents on the dol. |
ar. and ON oantaloupes SO cents.
Farmers Bulletin No. $40. published
" the United States Department OF
agriculture. In discussing this subject.
aid:
THE high price paid by consumers
angling from 8 10 500 per cent. In
omo cases. more than the farmer re.
elves. indicates that there Is plenty
4 room for lowering tho cost OF
arm products 10 consumers and at
he same time largely increasing the
ash income per farm, without In
reasing farm production. This oOndi.
Ion IL undoubtedly a marketing prob
em which will have 10 be solved by
otter organization OF farmers and
methods OF marketing"
Large shippers Influence RsteS
In railroad rates the inequalities
re equally as slarlng. Rate making
n It's primitive stages was largely
influenced by demands and arguments
( large shippers, but the farmers
we're unorganized and seldom ap-
cared before rate-making bodies. and
he burden OF expense In transporta.
lon lies largely against the raw
roducts OF the farm.
In banking. our securities are dis
riminatod against as compared with
no products of the factories and
lines, The farmer Is entitled 70 a
quare deal, The farmer Ia more In.
crested in good prices and efficient
Qryica than ha IA I'm rataa