Gunnison news-champion., 1917-07-06

most of. all ne needs the money to
cancel the obligations he has incurred
for wages, etc, and so he sells on the
basis Of normal yield or less.
When the crop is large the specula-
:or plays safe in this way. II he buys
Z; all it is subject to terminal de-
livery II by any chance the market
l. firm or advancing when the goods
arrive all is well and the grade is
good, but If the market is lower the
-relde is never quite up to the re-
4u7ements and the goods always ar
rive in poor condition. Either a still
.ower price is wired the grower or
else the goods are thrown upon the
uarl.et, or placed in cold storage.
IN either case the shipper is fortu-
nate II he does not have to send a
rheck TO make up the difference be-
,'vesn the selling price and the freight
rharges. Now, if the retail prices to
he consumer were in accordance with
this slaughter of farm prices, there
would at least be the compensation
af increased consumption because the
"ty population could afford to buy
more. But that is not permitted. The
aealer's contention is, the market
must not be disturbed, keep the price
Up to the consumer" is the specula-
tors slogan. Why handle two or three
packages for the profit you can just
as well make on one, is the principle
4pon which the glut is maintained.
The grower takes his loss on early
-h.pmcnts and allows the remainder
Hf his crop TO go unpicked while the
r..lcs' poor hunger for the food and
.ae well-to-do complain of the high
..sf Of living. In time this process
-s..s all enthusiasm for further effort
1. producing and food shortage is the
ru-u;.
We have gone into a world war and
- is quite as important to US. as a
var measure, 20 feed the soldiers of
England, France and Italy rs it is to
.rad our own troops. Not only the
.1.dicrs Of those countries and our
own must be fed but we must also
iced the civil population, and it is i'm
prrative that all should be fed well.
Starving soldiers do not win victories
and poorly nourished women do not
make brave wives and mothers.
Christ said, Feed the hungry" and
IN this connection let US apply to our
methods of feeding the world today,
the lesson in conservation of food
found in the vi Chapter of St. Luke
in the miracle of the Loaves and
Fishes. After our Lord had performed
the miracle, ST. Phillips fears had
been allayed, and the multitude had
been fed. He commanded the Apostles
TO pick up the fragments which they
did, filling twelve baskets with what
would otherwise have been trampled
upon and wasted. You will notice
he did not call the servants to do this
task, he called His chosen Apostles
who We're to go forth and teach His
word.
Therefore, while food goes to waste
on the farm or in the market, and lit.
tie children go hungry in the cities OF
our country, every man and woman
has a duty to God and to humanity
and nothing will discharge this duty
but to- see 10 it that each one of us
does our bit so that every family has
an opportunity to buy good plain
wholesome food at reasonable cost
for distribution above the cost of pro.
duction and fair profit to the farm.
er. Our food supply must come from
the farmer. There is nowhere else
to get 1t. The more we encourage pro
duction the cheaper food should be
providing we have economic distribu.
tion. Cheaper food increases the de.
mand. increased demand should keeK
the farmer contented and happy, ane
II we can retrench all forms of waste
the housewife shall soon cease to pro.
test against high prices. AS it stands
now, when the housewife pays a dollal
for food the farmer receives 35c ane
the middle man gets 65c. Distribution
costs too much, unless the packing
house monopoly be a possible excep.
ton, because Of its efficient system
but even then this saving serves only
to swell the profits of the trust.
OF course, we shall always have Al
occasional failure in crops but it is oul
business to learn food values SO as t
substitute intelligently for thos.
whose scarcity make them hiRl
priced. It is entirely within the pow.
er Of each one Of US to eliminate GU,
foolish habits Of waste, and if w
start eliminating perhaps we may il
time eliminate the speculator and thu
middle man and send them into thu
thick Of the fray in Europe on shor,
rations.
In this great crisis the American
woman has 4 peculiar responsibility