Morris tribune., 1919-01-03
THE MIDDLEMAN's PROFITS"
(Rudolph Lee in Long Prairie Leader

There is too big difference between what the pro-
gets for his product what the pays
No question about it. The condition has hard
feeling for Yet there funny things about
the matter which often overlooked. The
who the bills does the least kicking Most of the
complaint from the producer There occasion
spasmodic but have heard any general
concerted objection Perhaps this is because
the mostly to blame for the condi
ton. We insist service which costs mOneyin
city demand grocery meat market and
other food product service which costs than does
the food product itself The other day Twin City
chant published statement of costs in connection with
plea for his customers to permit him to adopt the leash
carry" plan doing business. lie traced bushel
of potatoes from the time they taken off the at
the freight yards in Minneapolis until they delivered
in sack lots to the kitchen of the
and showed that it actually cost in payments wages
to clerk bookkeepers, delivery men, ice other
necessary help, which added to actual overhead
expense amounted MORE than the potatoes cost
at the Minneapolis freight yards. We pres this in
cdent could be duplicated in the story of other food
transactions day. We have statements to the
effect that if consumer of ood would buy in quaint
y and cash. that the spread between producer and
could at be ut down onehalf. When the
farmer gets soc bushe for potatoes for instance and
the city papers that potatoes seLing
per bushel, he believes the who cha dies pota
makes than does the who produces them. In
maybe this is true but II cost could
be traced it would be found that there mighty
the SpudS IeaVe the freight
in the city terminals These expenses represent set
cost of service performed and in do they
present profit. The consumer knows this and yet he
insists the service that COSTS Inasmuch he
to be willing to pay it, it like good deal Of
the sympathy expressed is wasted. There is hardly
consumer in the city who does not know how he an
buy direct from the producer he wants to but it is
easier to step to phone worth pota-
toes insist that be hand picked and sorted
to have the deliveryman get il is
to dinner and then tell the clerk to "charge it,
The records show ninety per cent of all
storekeepers go busted. Is it any wonder?
AS the long casualty lists continue to be published
since the war, gradually begin to realize
that there after all, gigantic human
upon battle fields. However, after all lists
have published get but faint glimpse the
actual throuout the warning nations The Literary
Digest of two weeks ago reproduced from writer in
the New York Tribune vivid pen picture. The writer
vsualized this great loss Of human lfe He said that
all the dead to be marched down Fifth Avenue New
York. twenty abreast marching from daybreak to
down, the relative time required would be follows
The passing of the American soldier dead would require
whole day; the British would march ten days. the
French eleven days. the Russians would require five
weeks The total of all the Allied dead would require
two and on-haf months to pass a given point The
enemy dead would require six weeks The marching Of