The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1919-10-06

agreement with the other local retaii-
ers- Suppose this farmer, in order to
| get rid of his apples, undertakes to
price. If he does this, the next time
| he comes to market, he will not be
able to get space at the curb. This
space is controlled by the market men.
thru the man who rents 1t. and who
wants to please the majority. The
farmer who wants to underseu the
rest OF the market will be showed off
into an undesirable place where he
cannot do any business. Further
more. he will be hazed. He will be
treated as a renegade and a traitor.
He will have violated the first rule
Of all business. which is to keep the
price up whatever happena His
friends and fellow traders will turn
upon him like wolves upon a bob
tailed wolf. They will drive him out
! OF business. And you can't blame
them. Their livings, the livinEs of
their wives and children, depend upon
keeping the price up, and they keep
it up.
The only other thing this farmer
could do would be to drive about the
streets from door to door trying to sell
| his apples. II he Is going to farm. he
cannot do that. He hasn't got time.
And Furthermore he would find him
self up against a combination of street
mercifulIy for trying to break the
market.
So the farmer stays az home, and
feeds to pigs apples which you and ]
would be glad to have. and let's apples
rot. Often he says to the passerby:
SELF
WhY don't you and I accept the
farmers invitation into the country
and pick up apples, can them, ano
L IN vHytra toe lrrO
We are not used to doing it. we
never thought of doing it. We are
slaves of habit. And besides, we are
too stuck up to go out and pick up APP
pies off the ground. We have 3O-cent
| incomes, but millionaire tastes We
may be poor, but golly, how proud we
are! We would rather pay s6 a BUSH
| ell for apples, curse the profiteers, and
watch the department of justice nois-
lily hunt for a goat to skin. when there
isn't any goat.
Thus you and 1 are just as much to
blame for the high cost of living as
any one else, IL not more SO.
A government expert was asked
what he thought was the remedy for
this situation. He said in the first
place that neither congressional MOI
departmental action is apt to remedy
it for a long time.
The people must solve this problem
L '
| to do SO by instinct. For example
right now you hear great deal about
| cooperative associations all over. the
country. both for buying and for sell
ing. This is an instructive move or
the part of the people to shorten that
long line of needy gentlemen between
the appie-raiser and the apple-eater
The people haven't thought it out but
they feel what Is wrong. and whai
they feel is great deal more thar
what congressman think.
Tho expert above mentioned sug-
gested three remedies which the peo'
pie may apply.
First, direct marketing. This means
going to the market, selecting YOU
food. bargaining for it, and carrying
it home. 1t means going into thu
tcountry and buying stuff on the farms
1t means making arrangements witt
! farmers to send you things direct. l
/ means patronizing the new parcel pos
marketing system. and every othel
system which brings you into more
direct connection with the source o.
your food. f ~. -isoi sysA,s S5a
+ Second. canning Buy Gull apple
from the farmers now, and can them
Can fruits and vegetables of all kinds
TIT will pay, even if you have to hir'
help to do 1t. If you don't know ho&
get the famous Farmers Bulletin 83!
and learn how. And as an accessor.
to your home canning, nave a gardeI
in your own yard, IL you possibly can
Third, m m u n ty action-Th'
League of Neighbors. Band togethe
with your fellow sufferers to buy CO
Ioperatively. The Postoffice Depart
ment will hep you reach the farmers
land the War Department will sell yol
staples in large quantities at Low
prices. This idea cannot be too strong
iy emphasized. You and your neigh
bors can solve the cost of living Ques
ton, if you have got 1t in you to &C
together for the common good.
II these things are done by the PEG
pie, congress. in due course will
awaken and rub its eyes. and bacl
them up with the necessary legisla