The patriot. [volume] (Indiana, Pa.) 1914-1955, 1917-03-17
PENNSYLVANIA
STATE CHAMBER
Alba B. Johnson Explains Value
Of a State Body.
WOULD Benefit FARMERS

At . recent meeting held by the
York Chamber of Commerce, Mr.. Alba
B. Johnson, President OF the Pennsyl-
Vania State Chamber OF Commerce.
delivered the following interesting ad-
dress:
The Pennsylvania State Chamber of
Commerce is formed Rs q vehicle for
the expression Of public opinion, for
Correlating the work or many diverse
business organizations and for unit
ing the efforts OF many individuals for
promoting the welfare OF the state.
It has no political purposes whatever,
as any aflliation with any political
parties or interests, whether open or
concealed would effectually defeat the
purposes for which 1t is formed. 1t
may be interesting 10 recount the rea-
sons which led to its formation.
Sometime ago I happened to be
lunching with Senator Philander G.
Knox, when the conversation turned
upon the condition OF the PennsylVa-
MIA farmer. When not engaged I'm the
business OF the nation at Washington.
Mr.. Knox seeks pleasure and profit by
operating farm ut Valley Forge. He
entertained me by a graphic and some
what humorous account of his farming
experiences, showing how by reason
OF lack of any local market for his
wheat and corn, he was compelled to
sell 1t to a local miller at whatever
price the latter chose to Ak for It,
Notwithstanding the quality Of the
grain, the price so fixed was always
below the market quotations. the dim
mutton in figures being attributed to
some alleged defect in the grain which
the senator was helpless to combat.
Valley Forge is within twenty miles of
City Hall, Philadelphia, and the COM
mon experience of farmers, even so
close as this to the third commercial
city Of the nation, is that farming
does not pay.
Last October | made a motor trip
over the Lincoln Highway from Phila-
delphia to Pittsburgh, for the purpose
OF enjoying the autumn foliage and the
magnificent mountain scenery of our
state. Between YOrk and Pittsburgh
were orchards aggregating thousands
OF acres In extent. 1t happened to be
o SNod apple year. Everywhere along
the route we saw great apple orchards
with piles OF apples rotting ON the
ground, because 1t did not pay TO ship
them to market, and yet I'm Philadel-
phla We were paying at retail 1915 per
barrel for apples, mo- better In quality.
The traveller could not help being
impressed with the stupendous eco
nomic waste which this represented.
Had not seen II, but had been told
Of the facts by others, 1t would have
been dlfncult IL not impossible to
credit 1t. and yet here was a loss
amounting to hundreds OF thousands
of dollars caused by the impossibility
Of marketing a crop which thousands
Of consumers would eagerly have util-
lied, not to mention the use which
might have been made of 1t I'm the
arts by conversion into alcohol. DR..
Sparks, the President OF. the Penn
sylvania State College, told me that
his students conceived the idea of
gathering. and shipping some of these
rotting apples to the Y. M. c. A. In
Philadelphia for distribution amongst
the poor but 1t was found to be i'm
practicable on account of the cost OF
packing, freight and handling.
The statistical year book gives the
average value of farm land two years
ago In Pennsylvania, at $33 per acre;
I'm Iowa at 992 per acre; and In Illinois
at 9S5 per acre These figures are the
reported values OF farm lands only.
and are not affected by the amount or
value Of the waste land of the respec-
tive states. No part of Pennsylvania
is mere than 500 miles from the se7-
| board, whilst its average distance may
be $50 miles, that OF illinois 1000 miles
and that of Iowa 1880 miles. The
crops OF Illinois must therefore be
transported four times, and those Of
Iowa five times the distance of those
| of Pennsylvania.
Some years ago large apple dealer
/ In New York city told me that the
! fruit raised in certain parts of New
U
York state brought price uniformly
| one dollar per barrel less than that
/ from other eastern localities and from
the west, because Of ignorance Of the
best method of packing for the market.
Many attempts have been made to
/ improve the agricultural conditions of
/ the state and Of the nation. Splendi4
/ work has baen done by the railroads
4 and by agricultural newspapers in dis
/ seminating knowledge of better meth
DDS OF farming and in broadening the
aives OF the farming community. This
work Is Of course necessarily individu-
alistic. It aims to enlarge the vision
and increase the knowledge Of the in
dividual farmer and his wife and Of
all of those who make up the farming
community.
Much has been done for the farming
interests by the National Depar'm
of Agriculture and by the technical
schools and colleges, Of which the
Pennsylvania State Collage is an eX-
cellent example. Everything which
rronnotag Intansfva aCriru1+l1ra IN +