Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1916-12-29

Box department., communication
from ], L. Dean of Winslow. While
We could not vouch. for or endorse all
his utterances. we called attention to
the letter because we believed we rec
okrized in 1t certain truths that are
vital to the welfare Of the farming in
terests Of this country. We continue
SO to believe and we must continue to
urge farming interests to study the
principles Of organization and cooper
atioE.
In this issue we publish letter from
Harry E. Estes Of Waterville, in an
swer to MIR. Dean. AS in the case of
Mr.. Dean we recommend careful read
ing Of Mr.. Estes letter. for it contains
elements Of fact which fair minded
readers should weigh. But again as in
the case of Mr. Dean we cannot fully
agree with him.
Farmers are to blame for many Of
complain, we are bound to admit, but
not to blame in the wholly selfish man
fler indicated by our Waterville friend.
The farmer is to blame for failing to
recognize principles that have been in
voked by financial, commercial and in
dustrial interests in the last quarter
century. Farmers have been misled by
skilful manipulation of markets by
gamblers, exploited by selfish specula-
tors in the fruits of their labors. dis
couraged by organized home trade. The
remedy is plainly visible, but organic
ers find better paying fields for their
talent in commercial. industrial and
labor affairs. Few men Of unselfish
devotion to the future Of farming in
terests are discoverable and, up to very
recent years, it has been compare
lively easy matter for trade parasites
Of the farmer to entice such men into
other channels.
Mr.. Estes makes the mistake of ar
guing that farmers prefer to send their
best fruit out OF the State, or that they
had rather sell. to a Spectator than to
local store keeper. 1t is perfectly OBJ
vious that if Waterville dealers had
cared to handle first class fruit it would
have been procurable. We cannot i'm
agine farmer refusing to sell his best
apples to a local dealer if said dealer is
willing to pay as much as the other
fellow The local dealers pretense to
his customers that he cannot get other
than mean, scrubby, wormy" apples is
a rather sickly one.
For Mr.. Estes benefit, let us look at
another side of the question-and we
are quite familiar with the facts, for
the writer does little farming on the
size and had few barrels of first class
fruit for sale this year. Several deal
ers, in two cities, were called by phone
and asked If they could handle BUSH
ell a barrel or a dozen barrels of care
fully picked and graded apples. They
could not-"why?" Well, here are their
reasons, in substance: One had just
allowed farmer IS cents in goods for
barrel Of fair" cooking apples; he
had no demand for eating apples. An
other had on HAND all he cared to take
chances on at present. A third thought
he might like a couple Of barrels in the
winter. A fourth went so far as to ask
the price. He was told that buyers
agents were Offering from $3.50 to 81
for good winter fruit. TOO much" he
said, Il can buy all I want for from SO
cents to $1.25 barrel. And a fifth,
(. who does a large business, demanded
to know how many barrels had been
sold by this farmer inquirer to his the
grocer's) city customers. Then he said:
You farmers go around and peddle all
the apples you can from house to
house. supplying the demand that we
| traders might expect, at farmers
prices. and then come to us to buy
what you have left"
We sold to local dealers lust one
bushel of early apples at Is cents.
We didn't care to carry them down
cellar and then attempt to "peddle
them out" We sold to a speculator
at $1.75 a barrel. Our nearest neigh
Dor received only $3.50: the next s1.75,
We believe. reserving so barrels which
no sold later for a much better price.
We happen to know that local dealers
had opportunity to buy as good ap-
pies as were raised in Kennebec
county. We have not the slightest
doubt that Waterville dealers had
st'nilar opportunities. When local
dealers are ready to buy and pay. as
spectators buy and pay. and take
some Of the chances Of the trade.
they can get the best the farmer has.
On the contrary. the average DISPOSE
tom in the past has been to make the
farmer store his product, suffer the
vhrinkase and bring 1t to the dealer
when an order could be taken-at
prevailing prices. This has been
wory<ed so many times and farmers