Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1918-09-10
State Bureau of Markets.
A BRIEF OUTLINE OF ITS PURPOSE AND
METHODS.
(By John A. Roberts. Commissioners Of Agricul.
ture.)

ing az follows: The Commissioners O
Agriculture was hereby authorized Il
expend the sum of three thousand, fv,
hundred dollars annually hereafter ir
the study Of methods and cost of market
ing farm products and purchasing farm
supplies by employing agents and OK
perts who shall work in conjunction
with the Farmers' Union of Maine, the
Fruit Growers Association and other
farm organizations. The activities of the
office of the Bureau of Markets fall into
four special fields:
Investigation and information OF
markets: By this, We mean obtaining
Information through the United States
Bureau of Markets and the Departments
of Agriculture In the several states; the
estimated production of the crops of the
several states after the harvest, and the
price in the markets, also information ss
to the reliability of the commission
merchants in the markets that handle
he products of the farmers of Maine.
Plans and methods are also under way
to develop the home markets of Maine
for home grown products and survey
of the markets of Maine Is being made
with this end in view.
Field work in the way of organizing
new locals of farmers cooperative or
ganizations that already exist in the
state, namely, New England Milk Pro-
ducers' Association, this is being done,
and instruction given in standardizing
and grading farm products offered for
sale.
Organization and cooperation: 10
order to get the full measure of success
in marketing the farm products Of
Maine, it is absolutely essential for
farmers to organize and sell collectively
instead of individually. In selling as
individuals, the farmers are competing
against each other and bidding the mar
ket down continually. In an organiza-
tion, farm products can also be graded,
standardized, q brand established, q
continuous supply assured dealers, and
campaign of advertising carried on, all
of the utmost importance in successful
marketing.
Publicity is principally through the
press, farmers organizations and In.
dividuals, and / shall be pleased at any
time to give to farmers organizations or
individual farmers, on application, any
infor nation the Bureau may have In re-
lation to the market or other matters.
We have made progress In Maine the
last few years along the line of organic
ing farmers associations. The ground
Is now we'll covered, and, In my opinion,
the farmers of Maine do not need any
more associations, but We certainly have
need of more locale. We must keep on
organizing locals until the whole state is
covered, and all farmers Of Maine are
members of the Farmers Union, and
all dairy farmers members OF the n. Z
NJ. P. A., and all fruit growers members
of the Fruit Growers Association. We
need an investigation of the whole mar
ket system of the state before We can
inteliigibly recommend many changes,
and this investigation We are trying to
make. We should know as near as pos
sible the cost of production and how
much of the consumers money goes to
the producer, what goes for shrinksge,
storage, carriage, and transportation,
how much to the broker, the com mis-
sion man, the wholesaler and the re-
taller, and what are the services they
perform, and see II some of this expense
cannot be eliminated to the benefit of
both producer and consumer. Until
these facts are known there cannot be
much market reform.
We farmers cannot make progress by
q system of growing and kicking; better
a system of organized effort along con-
s,ructive lines for the advancement Of
agriculture in Maine. Get together, Or
ganize, be sure you are right, and then
90 ahead. We believe that the farmers
OF Maine need better banking privileges,
better methods of distribution and mar
keting. This can only be accomplished
through organized effort. When the
farmers of Maine cooperate and work
together, we shall command the respect
from all business interests. The Bureau
of Markets intends to publish as often as
it seems necessary, circulars giving mar
ket information. We would suggest
that this might be used as q medium OF
exchange for the benefit of the farmers
of the state, those that have something
10 sell. either farm produce, livestock,
or perhaps second hand farm machinery,
wapons, carts, ETC., send in the list OF
what thew have and also those farmers
that want to purchase, make their wants
known in the same way, and copy OF
these circulars will be sent to all farm.
ers and farm organizations that are on
the mailing list of the Bureau. To make
the Bureau of Markets as successful as
it should be, we must have the coopera-
tion of all the farmers and all the
farm ganizations in the state. We are
publishing list of q few of the reliable
com mission houses Of Boston that have
bseu furnished Ms through the Office of
tbe limited States Food Administrator.
We are also publishing plan of mar.
ket campaign that has been worked oas
by market committee, appointed oy
the Committee on Food production from
the various farmers organizations, and
some of the business firms OF Maine.