Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1916-12-09
FARMERS TO WAR
ON MIDDLEMAN
To Undertake System of Marketing
Direct to Consumers-Fruits and
Vegetables Left to Rot in Fields.

Chicago. Dec. - Cattle rasers,
economists Of the colleges, and the
government. plain farmers and mar
keting experts to the number of 500,
who have been holding the fourth ma
tional conference on marketing ana
dhors last night.
They took up problems inNolvns
farm finance, putting the landless man
on the manless land efficient market
ing, conservation and rural develop
meut and suggested remedial pro-
ccdure in a resolution adopted in the
afternoon.
Resolutions and speeches showed
that actual growers of grain. cattle,
fruit and vegetables believe they are
l:ot obtaining proper returns FOR the
labor and investment because they are
not organized and do not work CO.
Operatively: that the waste by present
methods or the lack Of them, is or
appalling magnitude and makes 1t
easy for legion on middiemen to in
| flate the cost Of living; thar Europe
| has much to teach about Operative
agriculture. and that it is up to con-
aress to study the whole situation and
apply remedies accordingly.
The whole sorry picture Of fruits and
veeeta bles rotting in the fields while
residents of the cities paid eXorbitant
prices for the proportion which, by
manipulation or otherwise, reached the
urban markets, was presented.
|. Something For Farmers.
The conference. according to its
sponsors, has at last reached posi-
ton where something is being accom-
piished for the farmers. The farm
lean bill is a law: many states have
| market commissioners and the federal
government mas established the office
| O: marketing and rural credits to
work with the states. and the discus
| SONS have disclosed what the weak
nesses of the system are, and shown
| the way out. A government investlga-
ton of the livestock and packing in
dustries by the federal trade commits
sion was asked.
Market commissioners of twenty
states. named to assist the farmer and
tire consumer by giving expert advice
on proper crops to raise, where to
| send them. what they are worth: how
to organize for mutual benefit, and the
like, met under the presidency OF W.
G. Scholtz, market commissioner Of
Icaho. w A. Sherman OF the new fed
eral office of markets and rural or
SANITATION explained to them how tho
federal government purposes 10 CO
operate with them.
Farmers Organize.
In another room, the national asri-
cultural organization society met in
formally This society was formed a
year ago after previous conferences
had developed the need Of tho farmer
to organize. to help the farmer to do
SO, and to provide him with expert adj
vice in efficiency methods necessary to
his community development. It was
reported at the meeting that the
sc ciety has helped to form scores Of
cooperative associations during the
year Of It's existence.
Congress is asked to have the fed
eral trade commission Investigate the
marketing Of live stock and to study
| VII ether government or comparatively
owned packing plants would stimulate
livestock production. The department
OF agriculture is asked to extend its
work in establishing market grades so
as to cover all farm products, includ-
ing meat animals, and to inforce the
observance Of these gradings at all
principal markets by the presence Of
inspectors who would also settle dis
putes as to grades between buyer and
cellar