The weekly Iberian. (New Iberia, La.) 1894-1946, 1918-03-30
LOCAL MARKETS
.. ARE ESSENTIAL
Equal Responsibility for Their
Support Rests Upon the
Farmers and Merchants.
MUST ASSIST EACH OTHER
Prosperity Of Community Depends
Upon Each of These Two Classes
Buying Products and Goods
Of Each Other.

Buying Products and GOODS
Of Each Other.
Downright, 1917. Western Newspaper Cnioh''
The first essential in the develop
ment of any business is the possession
of a market The manufacturer must
have O market for his products OF he
cannot succeed, no matter how Vaiu-
able those products may De OF III"
efficiently his plant may be operated
The wholesale merchant and the re-
fail merchant may have the cholcest
stocks of goods, but they may as Wen
on ont Of business If they have not
market where they can dispose OF 'ieif
stocks. The farmer may produce
bumper crops, but they will rot upon
the ground if he cannot find market
for them. The wage earner's skill anu
muscle bring him no returns unless
there Is q market for his labor.
The question Of markets Is the Dig
ono In every line Of business ana III
everv community the question is
vitaloone. In each community which
must be taken to include not only I'LL
the people who live In the town put
tho farmers who live In the surround
ING country as well, there are TWO
sides to the market question. The busl-
ness men of the town must nave
market for the things which they have
| TO sell. Otherwise they cannot con-
1inue in business. At the same time
tbe farmers must have a market FOR
the things which they raise or they
| NAV as well 60 out Of business.
| When Either Fails Both Suffer.
The merchants of the town can pro-
vide a market for the products of the
farmers and the farmers can provide
| q market for the goods which the mer-
+, chants have to sell. AS long as each
| class Of citizens provides market Tor
the other class all Is well and the goose
hangs high, but when either class rails
to provide market for the other the
goose is cooked, not only for the class
which is deprived Of the market but
for the other as well.
The farmer has right to expect the
! town which is his natural trading point
to provide a market for his products,
and the town Is not performing It's
proper function as the trading center
of IT'S community If it does not see
that such q market is provided. The
responsibility Of looking after the full
fillment of this obligation rests largely
unon the merchants of the town. The
farmer is a producer and he must dis
pose of his products before he can be-
come q consumer. 1t is. therefore, not
only right but necessary from busi-
ness standpoint that the merchants
should aid the farmer in turning his
products into money. Otherwise the
farmer naturally will have no money
to spend in the stores of the town.
Obligation on Farmers.
On the other hand, the merchants OF
the town have a right to expect the
farmers to provide market for the
, merchandise which they have to sell
and the farmers are not doing their
duty to their community If they do not
, provide such q market. In this case
also, it is not only right but 1t is nee
essary to the prosperity Of the farmers
: that they should aid the merchants In
!, turning their merchandise into cash
r Otherwise 1t Is obvious that the mer
+ chants will have no money with which
to buy the products Of the farmers.
This is a double-barreled proposition
and the obligation rests equally upon
both the merchants and the farmers Il
maintain the markets which are essen
J. tial to both classes Of citizens. Any
town which would import from points
e hundreds Of miles distant the farm
n products which 1t could buy at home
q would be pursuing very short-sightet
{ policy, for it would be making 1T i'm
possible for the farmers in its terri
;, tory to buy the goods Of its mer
/ chants. AS matter of fact no tow
Y does this unless it is forced by unusua
y conditions to do so. A town may b.
y located In a community which Is no
J, productive enough to meet the lOca
demands, and in that case 1t Is forced
to import farm products but the tow
I which is compelled to do this Is a
- disadvantage from a commercial
d standpoint unless 1t Is essentially |
II manufacturing town, In which case 1t
l. products are sold to other communi
n ties and bring in enough cash to offse
% that which is sent away to purchas
- farm products. 49,.
Must Have Outside Business.
.,l In the average community, however
- the town is dependent for Its pros
perity upon the money received from
the farmers in the ordinary channel
1 Of trade, rather than upon that oh
tanned from the sale Of its own prod
J, acts. In the average town the mer
chants cannot make money and con
tinue in business If they are depend
ept solely upon the people Of the tow
- sor their business.
III No business can last long with "e1
g arything going out and nothing comm
ts n" and 1t is equally true that no bus
If aess can be operated on the principl
Ia pf Everything coming In and nOtl
- ng going out" To maintain the ba
:, lnce which is necessary to the maintt
. iance of prosperity In a communit
+" here must be an even trade betwee
be business men Of the town,