The Ordway new era., 1920-11-26
The Middlenan
BY CHARLES F. DAVIS


(Note-Mr. Davis is associate pro-
fesGor of irrigation, constitutional
law and history at Colorado Agricul-
tural College.)
We may speak Of the organization
* the work of production, by which
will be meant the coordinating of the
efforts of those who are engaged in
thecreation of either primary or sec
ondary utilities or we may consider
| the organ "a ion of the product when
| 1t has been brought into existence,
| having reference to the getting of
the widely scattered products of the
world into the placer where they will
| b" available for the satisfaction of
economic wants of mankind, that is
the creation of what the economist
calls time and place utilities. 1t is
| ct the latter of these two forms of
organization that l propose to speak
in this paper.
| A factory group engaged in the
making of wooden goods must have
| it's supply of wool. and It must have
the different qualities of wool that
go to the making of their various
grades of cloth. Some of this wool
VIII be produced IN Australia, some
in the Argentine, some in various
other parts of the world, or the
managers of the factory to locate all
+he different supplies OF wool, to
other parts of the world. For the
production in the various localities,
tie cost of transportation and other
Incidental facts would consume too
much of the time of the individual
and would add too largely to the
cost of production of woolen cloth.
II, however, a group of men make
il their special business to study all
tf these problems and to assemble
ire world supply of wool at gwen
great centers, each user of raw wool
can supply his needs from these cen
ters at far less cost than if each had
gone to the primary producer. In
this manner not only the wool supply
OF the world is organized. out the
process is applied 10 every other pro
duct for which there is a larger
wcrld demand ana the production OF
wl!ch is in widely separate areas
AS has been aptly said, "The crgan-
izer of the product says to the pro
Queer. What have you to sell? l will
find you buyer. To the consumer
he says. What do you want? / will
find it for you" He thus bridges the
cl,asm between the producer and con
sgmer to the great advantage of both
Through his efforts, much that is pro
duced that would not otherwise fine
market is utilized, and many who
would not have their wants Suppliet
are satisfied.
Now the man or men who do this
work are q product of the world
wide expansion of commerce. The,
are as essential to commecial growth
of nations as are the producer, the
transporter, or the manufacturer
They are known rs middlemen, ant
could not we'll be apared.
1t has become fashionable to or!
dcwn the middleman and to de
nend that he be cut out of the eco
nomic activities Of the world. Their,
has probably never been any valu
able factor in social development
that has not been used by dishones
and selfish men for their own ad
vancement to the injury of society
This is as true of the office of mid
dleman as of any other agency. l
ia true that men with no desire t.
be of use to soceity. have taken ad
vantage of this important link in th
chain of economic activity and hav'
robbed the primary producer, th
secondary producer and every othe
person who sought to make use o
their services. But the fact tina
abuses have entered into the prectic
is no reason for blind destruction o
valuable agency. We shoul'
rather seek to reach and remove th
rascals who are uring valuable
function for the purpose of robbery.
DR.. L. w. WHITAKER