Roanoke Rapids herald. [volume] (Roanoke Rapids, N.C.) 1914-192?, 1917-08-24
GREATEST NEED IS
MARKETING SYSTEM
HoLDBAck TO AGRICULTURAL
DEVELOPMENT AND PROSPER.
lTY OF NORTH CAROLINA.
MEET PRESENT EMERGENCY
State Food Conservation Commission
Issues Statement TO Bankers, and
Business Men.

Raleigh.-That the agricultural de.
velopment and the prosperity of North
Carolina are being held back by the
lack of an adequate and fair system
OF markets for corn, wheat. oats. hay.
beans and other staple food and feed
stun Is a striking declaration in a
statement issued by the State Food
Conservation Commission to the sup.
ply merchants bankers and other bus.
mess men OF the State.
The Food Commission for several
weeks has recognized the great econ.
omic Importance of adequate markets,
not only as means OF meeting the
present emergency but as a necessity
under normal conditions. I'VE cannot
expect our farmers to diversity their
agriculture and raise surplus OF
corn. wheat, oats hay and other crops
unless they can sell these products at
fair and equitable prices" says the
statement in spite OF this very
evident fact. however. II is a notorious
fact that in the majority OF cities and
towns in this State the merchants
have been prone TO take advantage OF
the absence Of such markets and pur.
chase the small amount OF products
offered on long margin instead OF OF.
fering fair prices and finding mar.
ket themselves for the vastly increas.
ed amount OF products that would re.
suit from such a course. This Is a
shortsighted policy, and the prosperity
not only OF our rural sections but OF
our cities and towns as well is being
throttled' by its operation
The big essentials are:
First, a disposition TO give the
farmer square deal, to give him
preference over the farmers OF the /
Central West. and.
Second warehouse space and
equipment for Smelling corn, grading
and cleaning corn. wheat, oats. beans.
peas and other products and for bail.
ing hay
Merchants have excused them.
selves for their failure TO develop
market in the past by the statement
that the farmer did not have his corn.
for instance, properly graded, or even
shelled. perhaps. The farmer who
has surplus of only 25 to 200 or 300
bushels Of corn cannot afford to pur.
chs u shelters and graders for so
small an amount, yet the possibili.
ties OF production lie with the farmers
Of this class. The merchant must
provide the shelters and graders
THE fact that the farmers will ap.
preciate and utilize a fair and ade.
luate market has been demonstrated.
even in the South too often to be
questioned Gainesville, Fla, is a
lair example. Here a market was
established by a North Carolinan,
by the way. and was able to purchase
rom the farmers OF the community
hree carloads OF corn and two car.
pahs Va hOSsf ahpllb ONHti lllt
irst year. The second year the farm. ,
RS OF the community produced and
old 20 carloads OF corn and 10 car.
Dads OF hogs That was last year. I
This year an increase of more than /
90 per cent above these figures is
ooked for What was done at ,
Florida, can be duplicat. {
d at almost any county seat In North I
'arolina while large markets should
q normal development in Whining {
on. Charlotte, Raleigh. Asheyille, d
vinston.Salem. Greensboro and pos '
IDLY few other OF the larger bust
ess centers OF the state"
Director B W. Kilgore OF the Agri. v
ultural Extension Service has ad. J
ressed letter TO 5000 bankers and e
lerchants OF the State, calling atten.
on to, and embracing, the statement Z
I the Food Commission. Confidence "
! expressed that these men will rise S
, the situation and see to II that p
etter markets are provided than have S
eretofore been available.