New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1920-03-22
No More Middlemen

No More MiddLemcn
The Sad Adventures of an Expert
n,entcr in Utopia
To the Editor Of The Tribune.
Sir: In the editorial section of the
Sunday Tribune of March IA letter
appears with the above caption. In it
the writer advocates dealing directly
with the producer of fruit, vegetables
and dairy products in general, thus
eliminating the profits of the middle
men by about one-half, as for example:
"This winter l paid 40 cents a pound
and upward for fresh pork at the time
farmers were getting Is to 20 cents a
pound. Why should not the farmer and
the consumer split the differcnce-the
farmer get 80 cents and the con-
sumner save 10 cents a pound at
the same time" Sounds easy
and simple, does it not? A little
further on in this letter we read: "With
public market houses in every munich
pality the producer and consumer can
be brought together In that
manner every variety of food can be
distributed direct from producer to
consumer, cffecting a saving Of at least
rs per cent advance over the prices he
now receives" Theoretically, this might
be true. If human nature were not hu.
man nature many plans might be
brought to pass.
Let me tell how this bringing the pro-
Queer and consumer together works in
actual practice. l am physician prac-
ticing in small city of Massachusetts,,
with farming community on all sides
Having an automobile for business and
pleasure, l am much in the country and
see many of the producers. One instance
among several: In my drives in the
autumn, see standing by the roadside
in front of the farmhouses baskets
filled with various fruits and vegetables
just picked and ready for the consumer.
Producer and consumer brought to-
gcther; j. e., consumer has gone to the
producer. I buy a basket Of apples.
paying what seems at the time large
price, considering | am buying direct
from the producer, with no middleman
between US. AS l drive home through
the main street there are several stores
with fruit for sale, the price the same.
or about the same, paid the farmer in
his own yard for an inferior quality.
and then delivered it myself, a distance
of about twelve miles, the producer
getting all the benefit.
Another instance: Last fall potatoes
were high and not of so good quality
as usual. In my drives | came across
some fine looking potatoes exhibited
lor sale. Samples were in small
peach or fruit basket. Standing near
were several sacks Of potatoes. one
bushel in sack-price $1.75. mat
looked good at that time They were
SO fine looking I bought a sack and
brought them home in my auto. The
frst few were fine, large and mcaly
potatoes. After that they began to
grow smaller and smaller toward tho
bottom of the sack, where they were
about the size Of large marbles. To
add to my discomforture found pota-
toes on the day after bought this
oushel face to face with the producer
were selling for $1.5O a bushel in our
markets, and much better in size and
general appearance than mine. But we
were still eating small potatoes which
turned to ashes" in our mouths for
reason of what had been put over MS
O1ten, then, the producer will sell d.
rect to the consumer an inferior article
one the mddleman would not accon+
Tor his trade-and the price is the same
or even more. This experience has han
pened many times in our community
market
l hold no brief for the middloman
none for the farmer either, for be-
lleve one is the upper the other tho
lower milestone, and we consumers az.
the real middlemen.
NSPOiAOOiIC CICSeS MS letter
with TINS remark: II wish your enter
prlslng readers would turn these sur-
gestlons over in their minds and Let va
get ousy and do something" When
bought those apples and the potatoes
thought l had done something, but tho
producer had done me, and / have h.en
thinking it over" ever since. am
elad OF this opportunity to free NV
mind
Your correspondent also SAYS: Cleo
'slation seems impotent to effect
cure and the only way see, other than
universal honest dealing, to brine
things back to normal, is to elim;nate
the middlemen, even the retailers ),
only three chances--"legislation ,""unj-
versal honest dealing" or "to elim;n o+a
the middlemen." We have tried the first
and the last. How long will it take 70
bring into operation the second? "1rn;-
versal honest dealing!" With the wor,d
where 1t is to-day the task seem. hon.
less, but it is the only solution If 49,.
and all burdens.
ELMER H. COPELAND. MD
northampton, Mass, March TX ,oon