Atlanta semi-weekly journal. (Atlanta, Ga.) 1898-1920, 1916-12-29
The Producer and the Markets.

The Producer and the WI dTketS.
basic cause of high prices thinks the New
York Commercial, is lack of coordination in mar
keting perishable foodstufs. Such products pass
through too many hands their way from the
farm to the table of the ultimate consumer" and
while it does not appear that anyone makes an ex-
cessive profit it is plain that too many take toll
along the road
If the producer dealt directly with the merchant
shopkeeper who deals directly with the consumer
the business of marketing would be on rather
well co-ordinated and economical basis. But it
generally happens that before the product reaches
the retailer the service of number OF intermediate
agencies is called for, $50 that although the pro-
Queer and the merchant and those between receive
little enough individually the aggregate cost to the
consumer becomes eXorbitant. Complaint against
middlemen has grown into habit, and habit-like
continues without reasoning. The presence of what
seems an excessive number of middlemen is evil
dence enough that producers themselves either
have not managed or cannot manage the market
ing of their products 1t is the situation which has
brought on the middlemen, rather than the middle
men who have brought on the situation.
Whenever community of producers organize
a fair and efficient basis to market their prod
ucts the good for all interests concerned
Georgia peaches are sold at a substantial profit
to the grower and at a reasonable price, because
they are marketed by far-sighted economical meth
DDS. Before the establishment of the Fruit Elk
change, with its well-organized facilities for hand
ling the peach crop, growers frequently would ship
L centers which glutted and neglect others
which were meagerly supplied. The Exchange has
put an end to that, as far as Georgia peaches
concerned, and thus has helped to equalize and
stabilize market conditions.
This organization and others of its kind, though
maintained for the benefit of the producer, show
that it is altogether possible to eliminate a great
deal of the waste and risk and intermediate cost in
marketing perishable products; and those the
elements which have most to do with the high
prices the pays. 1t is frequently observed
that the parcel post has failed accomplish any
thing like what was expected of it in establishing
direct trade relationships between country pro-
ducers and city consumers of table supplies. That
is due largely TO the fact that the producers as
rule have no organized means of keeping in touch
with city markets and of giving those guarantees
of quality without which permanent line of trade
is impossible
Suppose a farmers association as efficient and
responsible as the Georgia Fruit Exchange should
undertake to sell directly to consumers, using the
parcel post and express for swift, cheap transpor
tation. Would not such a system be much more
profitable to the grower than his single efforts
possibly could be? And would it not go a long
way toward easing prices for the consumer?
Such questions, realize, not TO be answered
hastily or dogmatically; but they are we'll worth
studying and testing. So.
A farmer who lives within a short distance of
city build up his own line of csutomers; but,
scattered through the remoter districts, are thou
sands of farmers whose surplus of food products
now wasted sacrificed could be turned to profit
through a cooperative system of marketing. Thus
food supplies would be made available and
prices would be satisfactory to the producer and
consumer alike.
The trouble is, however, that farmers in the
districts have direct incentive to estab-
lish organized means for marketing their surplus
of poultry products, vegetables and similar COM
modties. To most of tbemI this field of trade
seems too small to justify them in spending time
and effort it. Evidently then, the centers of de-
mand. that is to say, the larger cities, must offer
inducements in the way of municipal markets
cooperative buying agencies, if the surplus of
foodstuffs unused on the farms is made avail
able for urban consumers.
In Europe, in America, Wilson is attacked