Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1917-03-09
Editors Letter Box
The Potato Question.
Editor Kennebec Journal:

|
few facts concerning the potato stu
alton, as he understands it.
More mention of the potato has
been made in the papers of the country
in the past three months, than the
lowly "spud" has received since its ap-
pearance in our country.
| Some seemingly sane statements ap-
pear from time to time, but many or
the articles are the rankest nonsense,
some actually ridiculous, still others
grossly untrue.
! The writer has spent a lot Of time in
Aroostook county, and knows some
thing of the manner of handling the
vast business in that wonderful
country.
A few days ago an article appeared
in a paper and was copied into prac-
tically every daily in the country. The
statement that received the largest
type was something like this:
"A concern in Pennsylvania is hold
ing one hundred thousand barrels of
potatoes in Aroostook county,
| One would think from the tone of
that article that these men were in
about the same class as pirates of the
sea.
| Let's see about this matter. Just
how does the writer of that article fig
ure out a method for the handling of a
crop Of from twelve to eighteen mil
lion bushels of potatoes every year,
without someone having 100000 barrels
in storage?
Potatoes are handled by the Aroos-
! took buyers exactly as western grain
| is handled, but potatoes are perish
able, only a short nine months, and
eight would be nearer. to handle them
| in. easily chilled, subject to loss from
rot, hard to insure and vast amount
of bone labor Is involved in the hand
ling.
1t takes dead game, cold blooded
sport to buy largely of potatoes.
This year these men are making
large profits, tell me If you can why
they are robbers, any more than other
men in other lines, who have piled up
wealth since the war broke out.
Only three years ago these same
men were supplying every starch mill
in that county. with every barrel of
potatoes that they could grind, the
price ranging from 40 cents down to Is
cents per barrel. Were they called
pirates then?
Still others (and this applies both to
farmers and the buyers) hauled out
thousands of barrels of rotten potatoes,
dumping them on the ground, a total
loss.
Every year the buyers have their
houses full of potatoes. That is their
business, buyers of potatoes. A risky.
,fat ht1S hI1f
never (until this year, when they have
made some real money! was it even
suggested to be an illegal or unfair
business.
Without these buyers the marketing
! of the Aroostook county potato crops
could not be accomplished.
Are potatoes at IS cents per peck,
higher than compound lard at "a cents
per pound?
Certainly not, but l saw lard sell for
! that price this week, and the buyer
made no kick. I have sold 20 10. tubs
of that same lard for 80 cents, 4 cents
per pound. Beef steak at As and so
cents per pound, eggs 60 and IS cents
per dozen, oranges at so to 70 cents
per dozen, beans at 25 cents per quart,
onions II to Is cents per pound. cab
bage up to II cents per pound. Are
these things and others too numerous
to mention, are they cheaper than po-
tatoes at seven cents per pound?
A lady that will pay SO to $50 for a
hat, IS to SIS for pair of shoes. and
do these things with a smile, will put
up an awful kick because she has to
pay 81 for peck of potatoes.
Is she consistent?
Do these people know that farmers
have been growing potatoes (and many
other things) at a loss, for several
years?
1t is a fact. that is only too easily
proven. Why envy them one year of
prosperity?
The prices of potatoes for the past
four weeks We're legitimate prices,
made by the old reliable law of supply
and demand. -.
The demand was great, and the sup
ply was (and believe me still isl very
light.
/ Conditions exist the like of which
have never been equalled. No state
in the United States had large crop,
many states had a light crop, others
almost a total failure. In other years
! pushed. tramp steamers would appear
in Boston or New York with potatoes
enough as cargo to "break the mar
ket," that danger (to the big New
England shippers) is out of the ques-
ton this year, the warning nations
will use everything resembling food
that the eastern countries produce. If
Canada really has any surplus, Eng
land will grab it And the nations of
South America have never cut any
fl lure in the North American potato
traAe.
This country must depend on her
own potatoes for consumption and for
seed. out of the crop of 1916. We still
have practically four months to eat
them before we can look for any great
quantity from the Southern states.
The demand for seed stock will be
great, prices must be high. Demand
and supply, the demand has been great.
it will be still greater in April and
May, and the supply Is very light in
deed.
The Aroostook potato dealers are
not "holding potatoes" this year, any
more than in other years. Every car
that they could get hold of by fair
means or foul has been filed. and filed
to the roof, and sent to market.
The car shortage has troubled this
business every year, this year. in a
ho COR SHORTAGE has worked to