Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1916-12-20

! IL cts. per head and the consumer
paid for the same lettuce $1.20 per doz.
or 10 cts. per head.
A fruit grower in Kennebec Co.
shipped carload of No. BaldWins to
a commission man in Boston: when he
got his returns he found after paying
for picking. packing, barrels, hauling.
freight and commission that his apples
had netted him Is cents per barrel.
Only few years ago when cabbages
were plenty the farmers at Cape Eliza
beth could get only 81 per ton and the
consumers just across the harbor in
Portland were paying cts. per ID. or
$40 per ton.
There are farmers in this State pro-
ducing milk and selling it for cts. per
quart (Which is below cost and the
consumer in Boston is paying and 10
cents per quart for the same milk.
There are time when the Aroostook
potato growers can get only rs cents
per. blu. for their potatoes and the con-
sumers in Boston have to pay 81 or
more per blu. for the same potatoes.
The present price of potatoes is due to
shortage of potash as in order to grow
potatoes 1t is necessary to use a fertil-
izer carrying high percentage Of pot
ash and a ton Of fertilizer to an acre OF
potatoes and because Of the war the
supply has been cut off. All our potash
was brought from Germany, and where
it was formerly s35 per ton it is now
$3.50 caused by ammunition manufacture
ers buying all they can to use in ex-
plosives.
In relation to the farmers dealing
with the commission or middleman we
have discovered cases where four or
nVe OF them had taken a profit of a
car OF potatoes before it got to the
wholesaler and then to the retailer and
the consumer had to pay the bills for
all.
In another case which came TO orr
notice four commission men were doing
business together. One of these had a
car OF potatoes shipped him by farm
er IN northern Maine. He was to sell
the carload to one Of his partners who
mace an unreasonable excuse that the
goods were not sorted properly and the
FARMER hundreds of miles away could
only say, well, sell them the best Won
can, and they took 500 out and sent
the farmer the balance.
commission man in Boston who
owed farmers all over New England
nad his death inserted in a paper and
sent copies to his creditors. The TT 6
department heard Of 1t and he was
trleo ana convicted Of using the mail to
oe1raud and was given a wear and !.
day IN prison.
want to ask the consumer bou, ,,n,r
this Is going on, and answer: II will
30 on as long as he allows it and he
the consumer, is paying the hills .rd
the farmer is being cheated. Therefora
they must come together and eliminate
iaIse NUMBER of the middlemen. or
DIS II was stated by someone, if we
inuse nave a middleman we must own
and control him.
o"lng to the shortage of helm m
farms and the increase in the numher
VI consumers compared to producers
'iie tine mas passed when the farmer
can ma time. even when he is near tho
city 10 go from house to house ana 70
tail mis- products.
LUX pack 81 years in New England.
tnen 70 per cent. of the population u,e,a
aouocers ana today only about o. nor
u~ are producers. There is v,st
army OF men employed In other "a Hives
Mheh compared to those on the FAM,
i. would be great relief If a distr;h.
Jung station could be established 10
Guy END could be taken care of Nv the
people In the city who could no+ ~
"ouio not work on the farm.
The greatest setbacks to reduc;n -,
nigh cost Of living are such eamhrns.
places as Wall street. Chicago and oth7
er stock markets which are pamhIina
with food stuffs. If they wish -
gamble with stocks and bonds - ~
not SO bad but when they gamble 30 30
they are doing with wheat. cor,, "a. az
oeher necessities Of life, thew are ,oina
100 far and must be stopped ana t .li
country will not be in a nrosner .,,s
condition for the people as whn,. ~, Jus
III congress will enact laws carr,,;ra
an appropriation with some snaa;sos
department to enforce such laws - NV
stop to gambling with necessities p ~
me- and the sooner such measurss ~ -.
taken the better for all Concerned