The Ocala evening star. [volume] (Ocala, Fla.) 1895-1943, 1917-06-26
ESTABLISHED An
USEFUL INSTITUTION
FLORIDA MARKETING BUREAU WILL BE Of GREAT
EST VALUE To THE FARMERS

Tallahassee, June 26.-Chapter 81
of the acts of the legislature of 1917,
created a state marketing bureau
with a commissioner to manage its
affairs undes the direction of an ex-
ecutive committee of three members,
with the commissioner of agriculture
acting ex-oficio. The appointment of
the committee and commissioner, un-
der the law, was placed upon the COM
missioner of agriculture.
Saturday the Commissioner McRae
announced the following as members
of the committee: J. L. Sheppard Of
Greensboro; L. S. Light of Reddick,
and w. j. Singletary, of Grand Ridge,
all of whom are farmers and legisla-
tors widely and popularity known
throughout the state.
Mr.. Sheppard is a member of the
state senate from Gadsden county,
and was chairman of the committee
on agriculture during the recent ses-
sion, besides he is well known as pres
ident of the Florida State Farmers
Union, which position he has held for
the last five years, during which per-
iod the membership of the union has
grown as never before in its history.
Mr.. Light was member of the last
Legislature, serving his second term as
a representative from Marion county,
where he has been a farmer for the
last thirty years. He was known in
the house as cold statistics" owing
to the readiness with which he backed
up whatever he said with the facts
and figures, which he always had at
command. He has long been stud
ent of railroad and express rate and
market problems. He cannot be other
than valuable member of the execu.
tive committee Mr.. Singletary has
also "done his bit" as a member of
the legislature from Jackson county,
but is equally well known as sue
cessful farmer.
Altogether Commissioner McRae is
to be commended for his selection of
the governing board of the marketing
bureau All are farmers, producers
and shippers, all have had legislative
experience and know the state, the
people and their needs. The details
in the matter of making the bureau a
success will be worked out and ap-
piled and if there is hearty co-opera-
ton on the part of the farmers there
can be no question as to the benefits
that must accrue to the state.
The selection of commissioner
was problem that had to be contend
ed with, but it was happily solved by
the selection Of l.. NJ. Rhodes, who has
been for the last ten years chairman
of the executive committee of the
National Farmers Union, and in the
performance of his duties a frequen+
speciality of marketing questions, un-
derstands conditions in all parts of
the country from personal experience,
and it would be difficult to secure his
equal in knowledge of men and prob
lens of production and distribution.
He is a native of Tennessee, and his
coming to Florida means much to our
state in the important work before
him. He was unanimously recon-
mended for the position of market ex-
pert by the officers of the national as
well as various state farmers unions.
and will have their hearty aid and CO.
operation in connection with other
state market bureaus he has had a
hand in organizing.
That Mr.. Rhodes has no easy job
will be seen by quoting section 9 of
the law creating his Office, as follows:
"The duties of the state marketing
commissioner shall be to receive and
compile reports on all fruits, vege-
tables and other farm products as are
grown in the state, to publish same
| in the state press that will do so with
out cost, to obtain and disseminate in
formation to to carriers rates, to col
lect information as to additional mar
ket centers and their capacity, and to
keep and compile a statement Of all
shipments moving out of the state
that through this information the
farmers and producers can be kept
posted as to exact conditions existing
in the state, and the several markets
of the country, to better cooperate