Durant weekly news. (Durant, Choctaw Nation, Indian Territory [Okla.]) 190?-1944, 1920-09-24
PRICE TO PRODUCER AND COST
TO CONSUMER

The wide margin between the price
that the producer receives for the raw
matcria! or the labor cost of manu-
facturcd articles and the price which
the ultimate consumer has to pay for
the products delivered to him in us
able shape has been the theme of dis
cussion that has occupied foremost
place on the rostum and in the press
Of the country for some time past
and up to this time there has been
little il any light thrown on this very
interesting and important subject, for
the reason doubtless, that there are so
many angles to the subject-so many
causes operating at the same time,
that it is impossible to distinguish
which Of them is the predominating
cause. Profiteering, high wages, the
high cost Of transportation have been
Jointly and severally charged with be-
ing the cause. Extravaganza, inef-
Siciency and idleness have come In Tor
their share Of the blame, and host
Of lesser causes have been cited in
to court for completely.
The fact Of the matter is that one
and all Of the causes enumerated are
having their effect and that the ag-
gregate Of result is far beyond what
L should be- The causes are SO in
terdependent and interlaced that the
specific effect Of any one Of them can
not be determined with any degree
Of accuracy nor can remedy for one
be suggested that will be operative and
practical while the others are in op-
GRAFTON. To reduce wages and leave
the other causes Of high prices un-
touched is a practical impOssibility,
for under such circumstances labor
could not subsist except under living
conditions which would put to shame
the standard Of living of Chinese
Coolie. To reduce the prices to the
ultimate consumer and leave wages
At their present figure is likewise i'm
possible, unless the take off" of the
Intermediates is very substantially
reduced. Therefore, it would seem
that the logical point of attack is be-
tween the producer and the consumer,
and by producer is meant the actual
producer, the worker on farm and in
factory.
The machinery Of distribution is
too complicated; the way by which
the raw material finds its way into
the hands of the ultimate consumer
is too devious and there are too
many "takc-offs" on the way There
10 a reason for that and the reason
is not far to seek.
Business-big business and little
business-is being tremendously over
done. 1t is being overdone because
there is more to be made in handling
the products of industry than there
10 to be made in industry itself
Therefore the farms and factories are
being deserted by all who can get away
from them to engage in business
either as principals--in business fol
themselves-or in subordinate posi-.
lions in business institutions. The
multiplicity of business concerns re
duces the volume Of business Of each
Individual concern while the keer
competition--carried beyond the
sounds Of reas0n--increases the cos,
Of doing business to point where thu
profits must be immense in order tina,
ell may live.
In an editorial in the Dallas New.
last Sunday the subject of tn,
Spread" between producer and con
sumer was rather exhaustively treat
Cd and in the course of the editor
ial the writer said.
"The subject is an important one
The disparities, or the spread,
to use q term Of commercial yer
nacular, between the prices pal,
for the raw materials which farm
ers produce and the prices paid b,
consumers for the commodities In
to which they are manufacture,
have become great enough to ques
tion their validity. The News print
ed an item from San Angelo tn
other day reporting that . stock
man Of Tom Green County had ha'
to pay exactly three cow hides 70
apair Of shoes; or that, to be NOR
literal, what he had got for thre
COW hides on one day he had ha
to pay for single pair Of shoe
the next. There are many simila
cases, probably both better an
worse than this; cases showing
that the products of the farme
come back to him not only wit
m "alienated majesty" but wit
IN increment Of price which pau
perixes his labor while seemingl
enriching that Of everyone else VIII
had put a transforming touch O
that which he had originally pro
duced. For example, men yho pro
fess to know say that cotton whic
the farmer sells at 30c a pound h
buys back in the simplest state o
fabrication, at something like SIS
. pound, or at the rate of so
pounds Of lint cotton for 10