The Fargo forum and daily republican. [volume] (Fargo, N.D.) 1894-1957, 1917-11-19

The ordinary, stereotyped rawlings
OF A. c. Townley are so familiar to
North Dakotans, that usually they
either pass them over in disgust, or
accept them at their face value
without questioning.
But the foregoing remarks. as re-
ported by the paper which Mr.. Town
ley gets 500 a month for editing and
which must be expected, therefore, to
report his speeches correctly, are so
typical of Mr.. Townley that they are
worth considering.
The same newspaper quoted hogs
on Saturday. as selling at Sl7.40 to
siT.75 in Chicago. instead Of IS to
80. Every housekeeper also knows
that pork roast can be bought at re-
tail at considerably less than 40 cents
= pound. That price applied TO the
choicest bacon, sliced and put into
boxes. but Mr.. Townley tried to make
out that the entire pig sold for that
sum. What the average price for the
entire pig. as sold at retail, would be,
would take some expert figuring to
determine, but 1t would certainly be
well under 80 cents. The difference.
therefore, is not between cents and
20 cents, but between IN cents and
q figure between rs and 30 cents.
Mr.. TownIey, Of course. knew that
when he made his speech. He also
knows where that difference goes. 1t
goes to the packing house that cleans
and dresses the hog and to the men
who do the work; it goes to the rail-
road that carries the product; II
goes to the wholesaler who keeps ii
in cold storage until the retailer is
ready for II: it goes to. the retailer
who cuts IL up, wraps 1t, delivers 1t
and then perhaps waits to collect his
bill.
Mr.. Townley knows as well as
anyone, that when a farmer has I'M
loaded a live hog in the Chicago
stockyards, he hasn't placed a meal
on the table of a Buffalo or Fargo
workinRman, but this fact is dispos-
ed of with q sweep Of the arm, or a
shake Of the Townley forelock.
In advocating fair play for the
farmer, 1t is not necessary to advo-
cate that nobody else is entitled to
IL. II is not necessary to say that
the railroads, the packers. the whole
salers and the retailers perform
service which is not worthy Of any
pay. The packing plants Of the
country now are completely con-
E trolled by the government. The
profits of the retailers are closely
checked. The producer is the one
man TO whom the government has
offered encouragement. He has been
urged and aided to make as big
profits as possible. by minimum price
guarantees and enlarged production.
The profits Of all others have been
the subject OF the closest scrutiny.
Yet the farmers who belong to the
Were stuck class, are paying SIC
apiece to send this man about the
country to stir UP resentment against
themselves by just such statements
as he made at Buffalo for those
statements will react. Some day they
viii realize that when they separate
themselves as a distinct class, re-
uuiring class legislation, they alien
ate every other class.
Nor is the consumer going to win
the fight for lower prices by any
such panacea as Townleyism. 1t Is
like the submarine problem. 1t won't
yield to any one marvellous invention.
Il requires the use Of every avail
able weapon; the elimination Of all
possible waste; every form Of specu-
lative profits; every semblance of
hoarding and greedineSs all along the
line from the producer to the retailer.