Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1917-07-17
CONSUMERS URGED
h T00RGAN|zE, TOO
Housekeepers Would Pay Less
, and Producers Get More,
{ Potato Grower Says.
DIRECT BUYING THE SECRET
,eciai From a stan Correspondent.

Special From a Stan Correspondent
ONLEY, Va, July 17.-Potatoes are
going to take a big drop after the first
of August. Everybody in potato bust
ness knows that. Nobody knows it
better than the farmers of the eastern
shore Of Virginia and of Worcester and
Somerset counties in Maryland.
These same farmers regard the situa-
ton complacently. because all their po-
tatoes will be sold before the drop in
prices comes. Food control has no ter
rors for them. While Congress has
talked they have sold tubers.
1t has cost the planters more to raise
potatoes this year than 1t ever has be-
fore. In view of this one would expect
to hear these men telling tales of losses
and prophesying ruin But no such tales
and prophecy are heard. On the other
hand. the planters ridfcule and pity
the consumers because of the prices the
consumers pay.
Certainly we are getting more than
there is no excuse for the prices people
IN the cities are paying. The whole
trouble is that people in the cities are
not wise as they think they are.
For years they have laughed at US.
called us rubes and pictured US with
chin whiskers. We have automobiles
that are paid for-and every comfort
city people have; we dance the fox trot
to the music of the jazz band and go
$50 miles to the theater sometimes.
There is no reason why present
prices Of potatoes should not rule the
whole year round. II potato growers
done every farmer in the country
would get the prices we have been
getting.
Says Consumers Should Organize.
There is no reason why. If present
prices should rule. the consumer should
pay as much for his potatoes as he
pays now. Farmers could get more
and consumers pay less II consumers
would organize. That Is the only solu-
ton OF the present difficulty. says
Secretary McMath of the Eastern Shore
Exchange.
Il know that when countryman
undertakes to advise people in the
towns he wastes his time as rule.
But facts speak for themselves.
Take Washington as an example.
The freight on barrel of potatoes from
any point south of Delmar to Wash
ington is 1885 cents With the prices
potatoes brought at the beginning of
the season here-because there were
no potatoes going into the market from
any other section and the buyers made
the prices and not we've will average
have to sell for less than that at the
tail end Of the season. Of course. But
later. after the summer rush Is over.
potatoes will become much higher. just
as they did last winter. OF course the
consumer will be the goat. 1 have
observed, in the few years past. that
as prices mount profits mount.
Direct Buying Is Advocated. /
There Is a way out. That way is
for tho consumer to buy directly from
tho grower. It is manifest that grow
.ers cannot afford to handle the small
orders the average consumer would send.
The detail work incident to these small
orders. the expenses OF collection, the
freight handling and the like would make
them impossible Here in Virginia. for in
stance, In the rush season, we could not
afford to handle tubers in less than car
load lots. Perhaps we could handle TWEEN
ty-barrel orders from what we have to
spare Of our late crop.
ITO obviate that difficulty the consum-
srs must have an organization that buys
Is effectively as this organization sells.
for instance. do not think very much
OF the purely cooperative concerns that
have sprung up in the last twenty-fi five
years Sooner or later they disappear
ate effectively. That was the very thing
we avoided in forming the Eastern Shore
Of Virginia Produce Exchange. We have
capital stock and constantly add to our
People in the cities could do the
same thing. Community markets might
accomplish this, but there is the danger
OF business run by municipality
going to seed or getting itself hopelessly
entangled in system that is not
elastic enough for commerce.
Plan Of Organization Outlined.
The best plan would be for an or
ganization modelled after this exchange.
The municipalities might subscribe to
a controlling interest in the capital
stock and let the people have the
balance. The stock should pay a fixed
dividend. say 10 per cent It could do
= getting money at that rate. Few
investments pay as well.
There should be fxed profit on
the produce handled by such an or
ganization Just as the dividend should
be ixed. From this fixed profit the
/. expenses of operating and the dividend
could be paid and some money laid
aside each year for additional operat-
.1ng.
II have pointed out that freight on
potatoes from points in this territory
to Washington is approximately 80
cents a barrel. 1t is within reason to
say that 81 cents would meet all the
other costs. excluding delivery to
homes. Until men and women pocket
their pride and consent to carry market
baskets everything will have to be