Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1920-02-20

could find out by sending out ques-
tionnaires what the members have
for sale that is not already provided
for by some other market agency"
continued Mr.. Adams.
The Central Association should
hire sales manager Of known abil-
ity along this line Of business to go
into the market for the purpose Of
selling. In order for this method Of
marketing to be a success. the men,
bers would have to sign an agree
ment to sell all or part of their crop
through this agency, so the sales
agent would know when he has an
opportunity to make a sale just
where he could find the product to
fill his order. otherwise the sales
agent would not be sure that he could
fill any orders that he might take.
In order to successfully market
farm crops, three conditions must
exist: The trade must be assured Of
a continuous supply. Of a uniform
grade and an agency back Of it to
guarantee these conditions. This
can only be done through groups Of
farmers organized representing their
different industries. The Bureau
has put in much time and effort along
organization work and has made fair
ly good progress during the past
year.
I'VE have in Maine two kinds Of
farm organizations, collective bar
gaining based on the idea Of cost
plus a reasonable profit, and l want
to say that the basis Of fixing cost
should be on farm products as this
is the foundation of prosperity, what
it costs under efficient management,
or the amount of labor i. takes to
produce a bushel of wheat, pound Of
butter or bushel Of potatoes.
When you get off this basis. you
have a one sided proposition and the
result will be what you now see in
New England, the young men leav-
ing the farms because labor organi-
cations are fixing the prices without
any regard to what it costs to pro-
duce food. Collective bargaining is
necessarily limited by a small group
OF farmers producing a certain arti-
Gle with a limited area of production
like the milk producers Of New Eng
land or the Sweet Corn Growers AS
ISOLATION Of Maine, who are produc-
ing corn for the canning factories.
ITO sell potatoes or apples or 9TH
er farm crops that are produced not
only here but in foreign countries,
the selling cannot be done by collec-
tive bargaining. 1t must be done by
an organization. with more efficient
methods Of marketing 50 that the
producers can get more Of the con-
sumers' money. That is the method
which is being worked cut by our
fruit growers associations, Aroos-
took Federation and farmers unions.
THE Fruit Growers Exchange has
had a very successful year in the
selling OF fruit for its members. They
employed a sales manager all through
the market season. They have GER
tainly demonstrated that they have
the right method Of marketing. The
members turn over their crop to the
Exchange to be packed, graded and
marketed. the grading being done
through this agency. That insures a
Uniform grade and the brand Is a
guarantee that the fruit is packed
and graded intelligently and honestly.
In other words. this brand is a COM
mon language between the producers
and consumers.
The inspection system has not
peen very satisfactory to any parties
interested. Where individual grow
ers each pack their own crop there
arc as many standards as there are
growers. Through these associa-
tions, the members are able to com
ply with the economic laws OF trade
oy assembling their crop and selling
through one agency, and they can
insure the trade continuous supplv
through the season and a uniforro
grade, with the agency back Of IT,