The De Soto County news. [volume] (Arcadia, Fla.) 1898-1924, 1915-02-04
FAVORABLE COMMENT.

In H. issue Of last week the Florida
/ Grower entered into au extensive dis.
| cussiuu ~ our communication with
/ Congressman Sparkman ON the Srh-
| inct Of Commission Merchants aud
! brokers, commenting fully upon 'hc
/ advisahility Of securing the relief that
has been pointed out aS being the unr-
/ amount need Of the producers of Flor.
] ida. The Grower says:
81 note that W. &. Laugford. of Ar
| cadin. n member Of the state legiSla.
| turc has written To Congressman
/ Spnrkman at Washington calling his
/ attention 10 the unsatisfactory condi.
| tions now prevailing In the citrus fruit
and vegetable deal I'm Florida. where
the product is shipped through local
commission handlers Among other
| things Mr. Iangford mentions ihc de-
STABILITY Of a law that would ohlige
the commission handler to make prop.
er returns To the grower showing wncn
the product was sold. where 1t was
sold. who II was sold 10. and how much
it brought per package.
The Florida Grower has icon ham.
mcring on this same evil FOR wears.
and T. one Of the great evils pf the
commission business When tn com.
mission handler makes his return to
the grower he simply states that the
product sold for such a sum. "nd that
after the ten cents per box pr the ton
por cent. is deducted. there j. 50 much
coming to him. the grower. lie lavcs
no opening whereby the grower can
check him mp on this deal. AMI Usually.
when asked where the product was
sold he is told that it is lolo # his
business.
Il believe that such practice "opens
mp an avenue for the biggest kind of
jobbery. and while do not IA" That
any commission man ever dil anything
dishonest. ! do claim that IL would he
easily possible, aud that he should be-
compelled by federal law to gi;c u
concise aud proper accounting L. the
grower Of the transaction. II has been
charged in the past that it has been
the practice Of some commission men
Ia have u bell wether i'm about every
community. some rather prominent
man. 10 whom they would always rem
der very good return. to the end that
he would lead his neighburs to ship
through this same concern, with the
expectation that in turn would get
equally good prices. | do not know
that such practices ever obtained. but
II would he possible. Friends could be
favored at the expense Of strangers
or money could he deliberately stolen
from the growers. though /. Of course.
do not charge that any money ever
was stolen in this way. but am Just
arguing that the possibilities are
. there.
The commission man. because If his
abilities and knowledge Of the mar
ket, Is chosen rs agent for the grower
10 market his produce. why should
not such agent give clear aud concise
report Of the whole TRANSACTIONS There
Is no valid reason. nor do understand
that the commission man claims there
Is one: he simply does not do 1t. +
sincerely trust that Mr.. SparGman
will take this matter mp earnestly.
He has laid Mr.. Laugford'S COMPLAINT
before the secretary of agriculture. who
may. or may not take some action. If
he does not, Mr.. SparEIuau should In.
troduce a bill compelling the middle
man To give Il full accounting tn tho
grower. Mr.. I.augfurl will iu;ralr, >
a bill into the state Legislature at the
coming session. He will have the f.:lt
~ his life To even get il reported on.
Thi, will be only one particular IN.
stance whore the growers will need n
friend in the chair instead Of friend
Of the commission men. II one certain
party Is made speaker Of the house
the bill will get the merry Ia. had"
Wonder how long it is to take the
Florida Grower tu get right on that old
time crouch Of Forrest Lake ~ prob
able speaker If The nest house uf rru.
TcS"ltutivc>f Does not the Grower
know that Forrest Lake stands for
federal regulation If the shipment of
citrus fruits and that as a member Of
the last Legislature Forrest Lake SIM.
ported the hin introduced bv the rep.
reScntativc from DpSutO. which NyaS a
| hill To incorporate into the Florida
| law the government regulation ~ pro.
vidcd by food inspection regulation
| No. 1:3! Now since the government
has made this regulation more specifi,
and comprehensive. the Grower cannot
expect In have passed a more stringent
law aud according to the facts IRE.
Scntcd, It cannot find better friend
to the approved federal regulation of
the Shippina1of citrus fruits than For
rest lake. Can" the crouch. old man.
for certainly You are making a noun.
tain ont Of n mole hill.
AN AFTERMATH.