The review. [volume] (High Point, N.C.) 1908-19??, 1917-08-23
GREATEST NEED IS
MARKETING SYSTEM
HoLDRAcK TO AGRICULTURAL
DEVELOPMENT AND PROSPER
ITY OF NORTH CAROLINA.
MEET PRESENT EMERGENCY
State Food Conservation Commission
Issues Statement to Bankers, and
Business Men.

Raleigh.-That the agricultural de-
velOpment and the prosperity of North
Carolina are being held back by the
lack Of an adequate and fair system
Of markets for corn, wheat, oats, hay,
beans and other staple food and feed
stuff is a striking declaration in
statement issued by the State Food
Conservation Commission to the sup
ply merchants, bankers and other bus
mess men of the State.
The Food Commission for several
weeks has recognized the great econ
omic importance of adequate markets,
not only as a means of meeting the
present emergency but as a necessity
under normal conditions. I'VE cannot
expect our farmers to diversity their
agriculture and raise surplus OF
corn, wheat, oats, hay and other crops
unless they can sell these products at
fair and equitable prices" says the
statement. I'm spite of this very
evident fact, however, it is a notorious
fact that in the majority of cities and
towns in this State the merchants
have been prone to take advantage Of
the absence of such markets and pur-
chase the small amount of products
offered on long margin instead Of of
fering fair prices and finding a mar
ket themselves for the vastly increas-
ed amount OF products that would re-
suit from such course. This is a
shortsighted policy, and the prosperity
not only of our rural sections but OF
our cities and towns as well is being
fhrOfflnd nv itS 0nArafiOn
"The big essentials are:
First, a disposition to give the
farmer a square deal, to give him
preference over the farmers Of the
Central West, and,
Second, warehouse space and
equipment for Smelling corn, grading
and cleaning corn, wheat, oats, beans,
peas and other products and for ball
ing hay.
"Merchants have excused them.
selves for their failure to develop
market in the past by the statement
| that the farmer did not have his corn,
for instance, properly graded, or even
| shelIed, perhaps. The farmer who
has a surplus of only Is to 200 or 300
bushels of corn cannot afford to pur-
cha 4e shelters and graders for SO
small an amount, yet the possibili-
ties Of production lie with the farmers
Of this class. The merchant must
provide the shelters and graders.
"The fact that the farmers will ap-
preciate and utilize a fair and ade-
quate market has been demonstrated,
even in the South, too often to be
questioned Gainesville, Flai is
fair example. Here market was
established by a North CarOlinian,
by the way, and was able to purchase
from the farmers of the community
three carloads of corn and two car
loads of hogs, among other things, the
first year. The second year the farm
ers of the community produced and
sold 20 carloads Of corn and 10 car
loads of hogs. That was last year.
This year an increase OF more than
100 per cent above these figures is
looked for. What was done at
Gainesville, Florida, can be duplicat-
ed at almost any county seat in North
Carolina while large markets should
be a normal development in Whining
ton, Charlotte, Raleigh, Asheville,
Winston-Salem, Greensboro and pos
sibly a few other of the larger bust
ness centers of the state"
Director B. W. Kilgore of the Agri-
cultural Extension Service has ad-
dressed a letter to 5000 bankers and
merchants of the State, calling atten-
ton to, and embracing, the statement
of the Food Commission. Confidence
is expressed that these men will rise
to the situation and see to 1t that
better markets are provided than have
heretofore been available.