The producers news., 1919-12-12
THE WEEK
Poultry Shippers Hit
Safety in Flying
A Difficulty IN Regulation
The Toledo Traction Trick
A Co<,d Word from Taft
C2ec1,o-Sl0vaks Would Go Hon

Western poultry shippers are suf-
fering in the New York market by
reason of a combination of distrlnu-
tors, according to the Chicago Pack
er. The combination is alleged to
have knocked prices down from ~ to
~ cents for common run OF stock to
II and - cents within week. At
the same time the retailers were Of
fering the fowls bought at these low
prices for 80 to AZ cents to the con-
sumer. As much as 1900 per car
was lost by some western shippers
of live poultry by the sudden market
raid.
The Chicago Packer, which is Il
most conservative paper, suggests
that the time is ripe for an investi-
cation. Perhaps there is a golden
opportunity here for the governments
profiteer hounds, who are always on
the scent but never appear to get any
game up the tree.
1t is safer to fly from New York
to Chicago than from New York to
Washington. That's what the re-
port on the air mail service shows
for the six months period ended Mo-
vember %.
On the route between Washington
and New York there were ~ forced
lands, or one for each 3,742 miles
flown. Between New York and
Cleveland, flying ever the Allegheny
mountains, there was one forced
landing for each 1926 miles flown.
Between Cleveland anu Cillcslgu tHel,
was one forced landing for each 49,
115 miles travelled by the planes car
rying the mail.
AS the planes fly, Washington is
2l8 miles from New York, and Chi
cago is 71O miles from the big city.
4 trip each way is made daily on
each Of these two routes. The total
of fying for this service between May
IS and November 22 was 3O5,619
miles.
Six months ago the air mail ser-
wee had 40 planes and was operating
only between New York and WASH
ington. Now it has As machines in
good condition. The mail compart-
vxments are now freproofed, and
have automatic compressed-air fire
extinxuishers. Parachutes will be the
next Improvement in the. equipment
for each plane.
Three men were killed during the
six months.
One of the difficulties of regulation
is brought out in North Dakota's cx-
perience in supervising the grain
trade. "A great many Of the farmers
do not take advantage of the protec-
ton offered 1t is easy to blame the
farmer, but it is also fair to excuse
him on the ground that following pri-
,vate industry bent on cheating him
is too complicated a task. Not a
great deal can be actually saved the
farmer, perhaps, until the state takes
private capita; out of the grain busi-
ness, The farmer needs an agency
he can trust
The manager of the North Dakota
Mill and Elevator association, for
instance, happened to Ike in the town
of Cando recent where he saw
farmer selling grain at $50 a wagon
load less than it was worth.
When the dealer handed the farm
er the check, Manager McGovern said
to him:
"You had better make out another
check for S20."
The dealer lost no time in doing
so.
Manager McGovern turned to the
farmer and said: ''You farmers
have the law to protect yourselves
and you are not using it. You are
letting the dealers beat You out of
thousands of dollars because you do
not try to protect yourselves"
The farmer afterWard told some OF
ris neighbors, 1.-THE new laws saved
me my SIG membership in the
League and 81 over. am going to
sell another load today that will save
me another League membership and
$4"
The city press is having merry
time warning people about what hap
pened to the citizens Of Toledo, Ohio.
it appears that Toledo citizens had
the courage to vote against the street
car company. The franchise had run
out and they voted not to allow the
company the right to use the public
streets any more The plan evident
ly was for the city to buy the cars
or to form d new contract.
But one dark night the company
transferred all it's cars TO the state
of Michigan, ard thus left the people
of Toledo without means Of convey
ance. Hundreds Of men employed on
street cars were also left suddenly
without Jobs. Over in Michigan the
Chic people could not reach the COM
pany with court action.