The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1915-08-15

After considering the cost Of food
distribution and the forces that AFFECT
the fixing Of wholesale prices we come
To- that Monster Of the puAliC imari-
! nation the middlcman. Is he useless
Has he no Indispensable economic
function to perform? May he he
discarded and produce sold direct
from farmer to- consumer? "Th"
! country buyer locates the produce. as
somblcs it into car lots. chooses tho
best market aud finds the buyer. He
assumes the risks " falling prices
aud Of Misrepresentation by farmers
as to the sorting ard packing of their
goods. What he pays the farmer
, will also depend largely upon what the
farmers business and credit relations
are with him. The compensation he
receives for his work aud risks iSthe
difference between the price he pays
the farmer and the price he receives
from the Wholesaler or iohhrr."
For selling fruits and vegetables the
commission mar gets : Ia 10 per cent.
of the gross proceeds of sales. The
Minneapolis CHAMBER uf Commerce
fixes one cent n bushcl as the mini
2 mum Ttlt lbI SflllllE W Nl'fiNf ''i '
! or rye. onc-half cent n bItshcl for SELL
ing corn or oats. In the live stock
trade the commission charged is less
than ! per cent. of sales. Compete
ton between the commission houses
would naturally keep the rate down.
"Tho marketing of farm products Is
financed to 90 per cent. If its value
on borrowed funds" borrowed geror-
ally through the middlcman. whole
safer or iobbcr. The retailer is a
middleman. though he commonly is
untouched by the talk of "eliminat-
Ing the middlcman." boards Of trade,
chambers of and produce
exchanges all exercise n healthy gov-
orning influence on the middlcman
How could the vast amount OF food
products of the country ever he
moved from the producer To the ron
sumo" without the assistance of a
middle" organization?
But there is a tendency To shorten
the route. To decrease the number OF
handlers ON the way. Prof. Kinp
gives separate chapters 10 this mat
ter: To- agencies for improving Local
distribution; Ia direct" marketing
as In municipal markets, and e
Standardization of products ant
packages.
What has been accomplished los
consumers cooperation? "Nu argu.
ments speak so g'owincly of the sue.
cess of cooperative societies n thcii
growth in numbers. in activities ant
in business" In Great Britain il
1910 there were Lass associations
with 2GGl.7 99 members. federated II
Ii" Cooperative Union. The agrre
gate share capital was $40 900. 900.
total trade done was S5i2 600. 600
with a profit Of $751; OO. 600. But
coming nearer homo:
In 1886 there were seventy coopcr,,l,I
stores in the United states with a m"mbc.
ship Of about 1000 This number o.
1905 had increased 20 $50. with a toti
membership ~ 5000. a capital invest
m'nt - sN.iou,ooo aud an annual priu,i
pal of about 1855. oOo. COO. In New Eng
land alone In 1913 ono hundred working
mems COOPERATIVE" stores and r~ao'"r!,
conducted an annual trade - over '2i.
OOo each.
The figures, Impressive a. they ar
, in detachment, are puny in compari
> SON WIN the uElltS lUdI W'fSllT
the national problem. But Prof. Kin
excludes from his computation tn
r su-called cooperative stores or.ani2c
and managed by Industrial companie
for the benefit of their employee.
= Ills figures refer only - enterprise
= organized. financed and operated h
" consumers. The one great and oh
" v.ous obstacle To such cooperation !
i this country is the markedly shiftin
nature of our urban population. |
% European cities families are ncichhur
= through sUcccsSiv" generations. "Bu
urban populations will grow NOR
K static in the United States. an
t American life will be less iull ,
o dreams and moro replctc with cor
= ~structivc plans. Cooperative hpyln
. viii then have an ever larger place