Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1917-12-23
NEED FOR COOPERATION
AMONG POULTRY GROWERS
Advised to Eliminate the AIiddIcmen
and. Sell Direct to the
Consumer.
THREATENED WITH DISASTER
Difficulty Of Rcconciling Returns
With Costs OF Production, Because
Of Rising Cost Of Feed, Brings
Necessity for Combination.
ny MYRA KELSEY cox.

Every business to-day Is stormed
with perplexitics, in its effort to with
stand the buftcts of rising wages. OF
scarce and h!sh-priced material. OF
freight disturbances and of tho un-
certainty of the future. each proyokes
the picture OF 4 woman in a high wind
clutchtng at her billowinE skirts. That
business is able to keep it's footing is
testimonial TO the ability OF its heads
and the stability Of their principles.
Cooperation is tho fetish of modern
business and Is the first concession to
the spreading gospel of efficiency. The
great industrial leaders have found
that stand better massed on certain
Issues than lighting single-handed con-
tests.
Tho noultryman ha. been too much
occupied with problems OF production
furnished by nature to Cooperate. He
has. think. generally considered
spent no thought on combination to
foree low prices on supplies he re-
auires. or to boost prices for his pro-
ducc. He has submitted uniformly TO
markct-made prices-a strangers valu-
alton Of his product-based more on ac-
tual demand and supply than on actual
costs. He has been delightfully."- free
from responsibility in the CLASSIFICATION
OF his poultry or it's weight. He has
received his check. minus rreiyh,
3.
thankfully. When he fell into the
hands OF a conscientious commission
man hc has Jared honestly. But woe
10 him who happened on the other
kino' story came TO NV attention
the other day Of = farmer who shipped
pears TO neisabor!ns city. When
ne opened the letter iEciosins the re
turnS there lay bill for drayag-!
Freight. commission and carriers IA!
absorbed their value.
Cold storage. once appearing in help
ful Cuise at the time Of siut. Is now
= turncoat. 1t dlches from producers
the nigh prices induced BY scarcity. and
mas become, towards them at least, an
instrument OF injustice
on tho other hand. the consumer
dealing In market or with some retail
er. has been obliged to pay prices he
regarded as eXtortionate. He might
the more readily understand II he
knew that investigators assert that
sometimes six n.ddlemcn handle pro-
dvce before il reaches him. At one
enc OF the road Is the producer at
the other end the consumer each
OF dozen eggs. or pound OF poultry,
or whatever the commodity exchanged
Zach Ignorant OF the products cir
cuitous route, is the victim OF circum-
stances. one pays too much. the other
receives too little. Hence tho columns
OF the metropolitan press now and
tnen ribratc 20 the invective o! these
oisgruntled customers directed toward
innocent and injured raisers. The lat
ter. b!and!y oblirious. have produced
what thcy can. batting with disease.
accidents and uusca sopah!a weather
and accepted inc commission mans
dole.
What is 10 be the future OF the poul-
try-grower: Can he continue as in the
past! Most producers feel that 81 they
~. \
natcrisl and feed prices. they must be-
c'n system OF cooperation among
themselves and with consumers They
observe that every modern business
protects It's interests BY cooperation
IN some decree. They get together on
iAhor questions. on values of materials
and on special legislation bear;n. or
their interests. No such widespread
unanimity of purpose seems possible nj
present for pouitry-srowerS. They viii
DC satisfied with such self-protec;;on
&s the elimination OF the middlcmau
The Direct Route.
The only relief seems TO be the 0irec;
route from producer TO consumer Cur
tain facts compel this belief, two OF
which are the number OF agents 1T
present handling poultry from pen 10
table. and their alleged irrvcular:;ics
IL. as alleged. six middlcmcu intervene
between raiser and user. this is Ny,. too
many. The consumer, paying the orig-
inal price plus the commission Of many
agents thinks wrathfuliy OF the pro-
Queer, who. miles away in Connecti-
cut. or Maryland. Kentucky, or Texas,
cashes disappointing check and Won
ders how much longer he can continue
in the game. For his check, be IL
known. is not clear profit. Therefrom
were deducted carrier charges and
commission.
Middlemen's Services.
In popular opinion. middlcm,n are
facing the destiny OF an outg rovn in
stitution. Yet the honest midd,en,an
performs necessary and vaiua Bile
service for producers. Far be It from
mo to inveiSh against him. His ware
rooms are the clearing house for poul-
try products just as they reach him.
At the unframed discretion OF the
shipper comes the consignment OF
poultry. Whether may be unpropit-
ious the demand at that special time
poor. and because other producers also
are shipping heavily, poultry is ava
lanching the market. The products,
direct from farm or ranch come to him
alive or dressed. than, fat or indiffer-
ent, 10 De sorted and CLASSIFIED and 10
be held over or passed TO the whole
saler.
These are the middlcmans trials.
Yet, is It all. he is insured lie .urns
over money. No real loss comes to him
fae Hhos customers. when he collects
his commission, subtractcd freight and
other incidentals, he RENTS the re-
mainder sometimes more properly the
remains) TO the waiting producer. 1t
Is the poultryman who bears all losses
he stands as n fender against mount
ing feed prices, fatalities among his
stock, high wages and ever-increasins
cost Of equipment. and accepts what re-
turns he can get.
Poultrymen are driven by existing
conditions to demand some ameliora-
ton OF the situation. Poultry and eggs
ore foreground hgures in our food re-
serve They cannot be produced
probably unless returns for them keep
march with everything else. The con-
sumer declars he can pay no more
What is the remedy?
Educating the Consumer.
The direct route is the proposed and
reasonable solution. 1t appears, how
ever. that Mr.. Consumer must be en-