The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1916-12-14
COMMISSION MERCHANT.
EXPLAINS ATTITUDE
High Cost of Feed Has Much to Do
With Farmers Demand For In
creased Prices On His Products.
CAN'T QUOTE TURKEY PRICES.
Unable to Advise Growers What Their
Birds Will Bring-Asks Women to
Say What. In Their Estimation,
Constitutes Reasonable Prices.
(By WILLIAM WALKER, Commits
sion Merchant, 1907 f.. Gary ST.

tnquestionably the boycott on eggs
prices have dropped to what seems to
reasonable mind to be a reasonable
price, considering everything that
enters into the production of eggs and
turkeys
The high cost of foodstuffs neces-
sary to be purchased by the farmer
to produce eggs and turkeys has
caused many to reduce their fiocks.
thus adding to the high cost by under
production.
The middleman or commission mer-
chants position is greatly misunder-
stood. He is said to raise prices. This
is not literally true.
AS a commission man, il is my
duty to get as much for produce as I
can. The produce is consigned to
me for that very purpose. and If
there is only one turkey and. Smith
will give more than Jones for It,
Smith is my man.
The commission man must get as
much for his produce in Richmond
as Baltimore or New York will pay.
minus difference in cost of transpor-
tation, and II he does not. shipments
will cease and Richmond gets no pro-
duce until she offers a price high
enough to turn shipments her way.
The commission merchant works
not alone for self. he works for the
building of Richmond by bringing
all the produce here that he possibly
can. Our market has to follow the
larger ones and the commission man
10 voc y,,ip b.,t 1oy Of .1,r
and demand on his market
Turning TO the question of boycott
ladies, you have perfect right to stop
eating turkey. but. incidentally you
are Furnishing your stomach to cover
your back. IT looks to me like a
question of living within certain
limited amount whether spent for eat
ables or ruffles. You cut out turkey
at 35c a pound to enable you to pay
$50 for a hat. Is il CONSTANT TO put
the blame on market stuff bought to
sustain the body and ignore the fur
bellows that decorate the same body?
Your $1,000 allowance is all spent.
where has it gone? You have only
spent so much for flnery, then surely
the turkey and egg man must be re-
sponsible. so we will boycott him. We
must have our furbelows no matter
what they cost. we had rather go
without turkey than to cut on our
hats, coats and shoes.
\ Suggestion Only
Suppose you paid 81 to lengthen
your skirts and bought your boots for
SIS instead of SIS. you would look
just as pretty and have saved 81 to
buy turkeys and eggs.
But let us stick 10 our text. What
troubles the commission man today
is what can he quote the farmer for
his turkeys. We are at a standstill.
The ladies say. We won't buy at
such exorbitant prices" but have
they said what they would call
reasonable
Make your own price, ladies, and
give the commission man something
to offer his shipper The commission
mans interest is solely in getting as
much produce to Richmond as he
can. but II you say YOU won't buy at
-, what will you but at?
Make your figure. and If high enough
you will feast If not high enough
to bring the stuff you will surely fast.
AS water seeks it's own level, so
goods seek the best market