The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1921-08-19

speaker said: Viewing the whole sit
uation from the economic standpoint
we may say that farm commodities are
produced for the consumers, but ars
not produced at the right time, or the
right place. or of the right quality, or
in the right quantity TO meet his daily
consumptive requirements. Hence our
present middleman system to over
come these four Embellishments in pro-
duction and consumption: % time.
(2) place, (3) quantity, (4) quality.
HE assumes, therefore, two riskc:
"a price fluctuations due to changes
in supply and demand, CD perishibil.
ity, particularly in fruits and vege-
tables. The loss here is 40 per cent in
the more perishable products.
What Marketing Really Means
Marketing is sometimes narrowly
defined as the changing of ownership
of goods. This is merchandising and
is only one step. Marketing is a fa-
more complex thing than that Mar
keting begins with the production OF
marketable product and continues
till the product is in the consumers
arate but related steps: namely, a.:
production, (2) storage, CD transpor-
tatien, (4) credit, 60 merchandising.
A solution of the marketing problem,
is, therefore, a solution of FIVE sepa-
rate problems. They are bound up to-
gether, and all must be considered, if
more efficiency is to be introduced in
| to our middleman system"
Regarding the Solution
"A problem once clearly stated is
half solved. If, therefore, we have
stated the marketing problem correct
! ly, its solution has been suggested.
! Recent market reports dealing with
| the fall in the price Of cotton spoke
of market gluts of low grade cotton,
which caused stagnation in domestic
and foreign markets. The hay mar.
ket in ten leading cities tells the same
story of gluts by low grade hay and
a scarcity of No. l hay. The first
|, problem for the farmer, therefore, is
not how to increase the crop yields
but to produce more of the better
grades. Limitation of output is two
edged sword, now being played by cot
| ton farmers and wheat farmers. The
labor unions have already used and
l
odium to attach 10 the term. The
farmer ought to slimit the output in
the sense that he keep the poorer
stuff at home. BY Cutting the mar
ket with poor grade stuff the farmer
spoils his own market and does not
benefit the consumer"
AS to Proper Grading
| After stating that the first step Is
I 60 "a
described grading as the second.
Grains and cotton are largely sold
on grades but even in these commodi-
I ties the buyer at country stations is
commonly too lax in adhering strictly
to federal standards. Most farm COM
modities have no federal grades or
state grades, or any other kind OF
grades. Here lies the first field for
cooperative marketing by farmers
that they may put on the market a
better product, graded and standard.
lied Most of the large, successful CO.
4 operatives, such as the numerous Cali
fornia examples, the Warren county
KY, strawberry growers, the Eastern
Shore of Virginia produce exchange
and so on, establish their own respect
i've grades, and stand back OF them
''In other words, they initiate sue
cessful manufacturers-have a brand
. and guarantee its integrity When &
good article, graded and standardized
is ready for market the marketing
problem is half solved. In no othel
way can f. o. b. sales be made. Goot
production means good Cheap mar
: keting. AS long as ungraded stuff i!
} sent to the city market, just so Ion.
- 10 n c
! sion merchants handle it, and handle
} 1t, moreover, on wide margin. Thu
E commission merchant system is poo
Y system made necessary by poor pro
e duction For, as said before, poor pre-
r duction means poor marketing
e Transportation.
D "Most farm crops are produces
!. many miles from the place where the,
c are consumed Hence, comes trans
Y portation to give them place utility
z Transportation is the most expensiv
: link in the marketing chain from tn
t time the product leaves the farm til
8 it reaches the retailers hands. Gov
n eminent Investigations have show,
+ that the haul of cotton or wheat fror
k the farm to the local station, owe
a country roads, actually costs NOR
: than the haul from the Atlantic sea
J. board to Liverpool. The big leak 1
s transportation, in other words, is du
to bad country roads. This leak wi
never be cured by scolding the middle
G man. 1t will be cured by co-operatio
d? in the widest sense of the term-ct
J. operation of all the various interest:
x rural, urban, local, state and nationa
r. until good roads are secured for tn
(. average farmer. The question of d.
/ veloping rural express lines is one fo
Il the farmer to solve"
o The Use of Credit.
- Farmers should be educated to tn
h new view of credit; that it is tool
be used by the prosperous and not
II mere debt or badge of non-prospe
4 ity He should be taught that SOM
e body has to furnish credit to marke
: his crops and must be paid for furl
!, ishing this credit; that wholesale cree
:, it is cheaper than retail credit; tina
modern banking machinery exists
- furnish more and cheaper credit
:, the farmers organized or unorgal
"a ized) who have successfully taken tn
u first two steps in marketing. Whe