The Elk Mountain pilot., 1918-07-04
DELTA COUNTY FARMERS
APPEAL FOR RELIEF

DELTA, Colo, May 31.-The farm
ers of Delta county are considerabl!
aroused over the alleged treatmen
they have received from the commits
sion merchants of the state in thu
matter of shipments of produce ant
fruit by individuals rather than thru
the commission firms. At large
meeting in this city, of the farmers
after considerable discussion of the
proposition pro and con, they formu
lated letter to the Colorado state
board of agriculture asking the aiG
of the college to obtain relief from
the conditions, which they declare
are intolerable.
The following is the letter sent tc
the state board, accompanied by the
statements of individual cases where
the farmers had suffered losses as q
result of shipping Independently:
Letter to Board
Delta, Colo, May 30, 1918.
The Colorado State Board of Agricul-
ture, Fort Collins, Colo.
We herewith submit to your honor
able body statement concerning
Colorado market conditions. While
it speaks for itself, we as a commit
tee appointed for that purpose by a
large meeting of Delta county farm
ers last Monday, desire to lay the
matter before you, feeling that you
are Colorado board primarily estab-
lished for the protection of our agri-
cultural interests. We feel that your
efforts thru the college have been
ably directed toward increasing pro-
duction, that while our state has
wonderfully benefited thru improved
means of production thus introduced,
there has grown up parallel with this
complete monopolization of the
market for our products. Times al
most without number you have res
cued our communities from various
scourges.
So now we naturally turn to you
for help in the marketing of our pro-
ducts. We have, together with the
scientific aid you have rendered, won
many victories over natural enemies,
only to lose the fruits of those victo-
ries because of a conscienceless mo-
nopoly Our time, our means, our
risk of loss are bound up in har-
vested cropAso is the prosperity of
our community and state. A commits
sionman monopoly concentrates the
value of our products in the hands of
few, thru fraud. deceit and trick
cry, which we stand ready to estab-
lish with ample evidence. Such prac-
tice spreads ill feeling and discomfort
thruout the community. Innocent
persons fall under unjust suspicion
and accusation. Such conditions now
exist in our rural communities. The
market crisis Greed and cupidity
now seem to sit in scornful insolence
in full control of most of our mar
kets. Each move that we have made
in efforts to free ourselves from this
damaging control seems to have re-
suited only in the strengthening of
that control by the commissionman's
monopoly.
Such being the situation staring US
in the face as we near our next har-
vest and as we contemplate anew our
market troubles, we turn to your hon.
orable, board and respectfully ask
that you take up our market difficulty
and attack it with the same vigor,
for instance, that you do hog chol-
era. A similar vigorous campaign
waged against the commission hogs
of Colorado would, without doubt,
tend to bring about healthy market
conditions in our state, greatly to
the relief of producers, consumers
and legitimate business men.
Hoping that our committee may
have early assurance that your hon.
orable board will take such action as
may be within your power to free us
and our state from such impositions,
as far as possible in the marketing
of our products during the coming
fall and winter, and hereby rendering
you all assistance within our ability,
we beg to remain,
]. T. CRAWLEY,
j. w. ROGERS,
G. C. SAUER,
Committee.
Statement Made by Farmers
A Ma F., L e.