The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1917-06-16

market their surplus stuff.
The Sumter Chamber of Commerce
has never guaranteed that the people
of Sumter city would buy and eat all
OF the food stuffs produced in Sumter
county. That would be foolish
guarantee because Sumter city people
are living at home largely by pro-
ducing pretty near enough vegetables
to supply their own needs. and if a
Sumter family has more vegetables.
eggs. chickens, milk or butter than
this family can dispose of by eating
or drinking the surplus, this Sumter
family sells the surplus for anything
it will bring, feeling that by produc-
ing sufficient to feed the family it has
saved a lot Of money, and that surplus
produce sold at any old price is like
finding money in horse shoe track.
The Chamber Of Commerce has re-
quested DIR. w. w. Long, of Clemson
College, to visit Sumter and talk with
the farmers and Sumter business men
about how to form a cooperative mar
keting association like the one started
in Orangeburg county where they
produce sufficient surplus produce to
warrant O cooperative marketing as
ISOLATION, both for livestock and for
grain and vegetables.
DR.. Long writes that he will fix q
date in few days and do the best
he can for Sumter county farmers. The
farmers will take no steps towards or
ganizing themselves. They put 1t all
up to the business men and then re-
| fuse to cooperate with the business
men or organize themselves, and
doubtless when DR.. Long comes to
Sumter to talk to the farmers and
business men, he will find that there
ire not more than couple of dozen
farmers present to listen to him, and
his audience will be composed largely
Of city of Sumter "agriculturists"
bank presidents, lawyers. doctors.
merchants, real estate men and other
Sumter men who farm as side line.
Cooperation at both ends Of the
line is necessary to cooperate. If
there is produce of any kind for
sale anywhere in the world, whether
hogs, beef cattle, corn. wheat, po-
tatoes, peas, or anything else, in suf
iicient quantities to make it profitable
for produce dealers to send represen-
tatives to buy the farm products, the
markets will be furnished and there
will be buyers too. But business-likc
marketing and putting up stuff III
merchantable shape must be prac-
ticed by farmers. And selling at retail
prices or above. direct from the farm
to the retail dealer or produce deale.
in other places, does not interest the
middle men who wish to buy for re- i
selling produce of any kind. :.
And there should be considerable
farmers cash in any marketing estab-
lishment, whether for livestock, grain |
or produce just to create interest
among the producers in the success
and management of the marketing ia
cilities.
Why does the Union Brokerage Co |
of Sumter continue to exist and pros
per while doing business exclusivel"
among farmers? Simply because this
company is owned by farmers who arc
Interested in patronizing a farmers
cooperative organization to keep down
he prices of the things farmers have
to buy. Cooperation and business
management keep this enterprise go
ing.
The same proportional ownership o
.he capital stock Of a selling associa- /,
ion in which what farmers have to
ell, will bring about an equitable aG-
ustment of selling prices, and more
'usiness-like method of marketing |
arm products.
The farmer who produces things to
sell is naturally more interested il
What the market prices are than O
;umter merchant or banker who does
lot sell farm produce. The banker
md merchant are interested in wha
hey have to sell and while indirectly |
Interested in the farmers prosperitj |
yet it is unreasonable TO expect busi
ness men. in Sumter to get out ard |
regulate prices Of farm products when !
the farmers who produce the sam" !
are not interested enough to organic
themselves or do anything to assist in
marketing or price fixing.
Efforts have been made by Sumter
business men to organize the farmers
for selling direct to consumers on tn
,,nN ,.ty nt in h,,1