Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1918-04-23
SOUTH PARIS, MAINE, TUESDAY, APRIL. %, 1913.
Butter and Substitutes.

| This year the price of butter has no
been in keeping with the cost OF produo
ton but Its price has been In the mind
of many consumers, beyond the rang
Of their pocketbooks, and the result 10 ,
large amount of butter substitutes hs
been purchased. The consumption o
oleomargarine made from vegetable fat
has increased by leaps and bounds th'
past year. 1t has been reported to ri
that even dairy farmers sell their butter
fat and use oleomargarine. This shoulC
indicate to them that there are many
people in the city whose incomes do moi
leSd them to believe they can afford Il
purchase butter. We consider this nm
fortunate, for butter is food that ID
highly essential to the health OF oul
people but If the farmer who produces
butter believes be cannot afford to use It
be should not complain or be surprised
If some Of the city consumers feel the
same way. The producer should re.
member that most Of the products be
raises are sold to people who have only
moderate incomes. In comparison with
our population, there are only few
people financially situated 30 that they
can pay most any price for their foods.
The average man must consider the
price he pays for his foods, for, II he
doesn't, his income will not supply his
family With all the necessities of life.
While We are in full sympathy with
those who are asking for higher prices
for their dairy products, and We have
said many times that dairy products
were cheaper in comparison with other
things than they should be, and have
not sold at prices In keeping with the
cost of production, yet the stubborn fact
remains that when butter reaches it's
present price, q large amount OF butter
substitutes is consumed. There is no
way of stopping this, unless We can
show the consumer that butter is highly
essential and that some of 1t should be
used, no matter what Its price may be.
1t would be to the advantage of the
producer Of dairy products If he could
convince the consumer to buy them
against his will but In all business tran
sactions 1t is necessary to convince the
purchaser that the thing he is buying ia
worth the money be is paying for 1t. We
might as we'll look the situation square
ly in the face and accept these funda-
mental principles of buying and selling
as to try to deceive ourselves into be-
lieving that all that is necessary to do
is to raise the price and the consumer
will have to pay what is asked.
If we reflect minute, we will find
that the farmer who Is buying oleo-
has said to himself: ~ can't
afford to buy butter at the present price
and / will buy q substitute which Is
cheaper" This is his privilege but he
should bear in mind that it Is also the
privilege of the city man to do the same
thing 80, after all, while price is highly
to the success of any business,
yet 1t is not the only factor to consider
In the production of butter. The pro-
ducer must see to 1t that be keeps
better class of COWS and provides them
with feeds from his own farm which are
capable of nourishing them properly;
that II be is to have larger market for
his products, they must be within range
Of the consumers pocketbook, for II the
consumer feels he cannot afford butter,
be will buy substitute and the market
for butter Is lost to the producer
boards Dsiryman.