Durant weekly news. (Durant, Choctaw Nation, Indian Territory [Okla.]) 190?-1944, 1914-02-06
THE AMERICAN HEN.
tcOntlnued from Page six,

ed a retail price ranging from 80
cents to 81 per dozen. The trans
portatioa rate would not exceed 20
cents to 81 per dozen, and the gap
between the amount paid the pro
ducer, plus the cost of transporta-
tion, and the price paid by the CON
sumer was filled by the middleman.
Much has been said and more
written about the middlenan, but he
is ofttimes a helpless victim OF our
Immoral system of distribution. He
is almost as talkative as the con-
sumer. and as an explainer, he is a
gem.
SO long as we turn over our pro-
ducts to the middleman and give
him the keys to the warehouse. he
has the power of placing our crops
upon the gaming table and no
amount of legislation can entirely
eliminate the spirit OF the speculat-
or from human nature. If we are
ksdng to the root of the trouble we
Irust do something more than de-
fine crime and punish criminals. We
must give the producer facilities for
/, storing his products.
The Producer Wants Only Fair
Prices.
The consumer destroys wealth:
the producer creates it. Any inves-
tigation or study of our economic
problems must be approached from
the standpoint of the producer be-
fore solution can be found. We
car only build our civilization thru
the producer. II we follow the con-
sumer, destruction lies in our path
way.
The producer is the most capable
and the only universal citizen in civ
ilization. He cannot help himself
without helping all mankind. The
element of selfishness that domin-
ates every other class of industry
is impossible in his business The
producer really has more to fear
from inflated prices of his product
than the consumer, for high prices
will inevitably result in an increase
in production and will automatical-
ly lower the prices ofttimes below
the cost of production and leopard
ize the very life OF the industry The
interests of the producer are antag-
onistic to exorbitantly high prices
and likewise the best interests OF
the consumer are hostile to abnor-
mally low prices.
The price should be one that the
farmer can afford to raise the stuff
and the consumer can afford to buy
it.
We are government by consqm-
ers and for consumers, and our laws
and customs conform to his require
ments and as long. as this condition
prevails there will always be strife
and rebellion due to the incompe
tency of our economic system.
Too Many Investigators.
The business affairs of this ma
tion are bed-ridden with investiga
tions 1t is the consumers fad t.
investigate everything and every
body and call anything a crime tha
does not contribute towards lower
ing prices.
Commissions composed of disting
uished citizens are given high sound
ing titles and sent out to search thu
sewers of business, and amid ire
mendous applause of the public the.
flash upon the canvas frailties o
our system of distribution that hav,
been known to exist ever since w
r have had a system. These commits
sions, after rediscovering the sam
old continents of error, file their re
ports and sail away and are neve
heard of again. If the government
really wants to render a genuin
service to the farmer. why not qui
talking and get down to business
Cooperation the Remedy.
The Farmers Union has urged tn
producer and the consumer to coop
crate through the parcels post an
express companies as first aid to tn
present difficulty. but the probler
of marketing farm products is
monumental one and its complet
solution lies in the farmer owning o
controlling cold storage plants
warehouses and proper equipmen
for holding his surplus until ther
is a market demand So long a
the storage facilities are in tn
: saaaIrMrAarn mnu