The labor journal. [volume] (Everett, Wash.) 1909-1976, 1921-09-30
ALL AMERICAN
COOPERATIVE
COMMISSION
Consumer Pays 81: Producer
Gets 3Ic

i ny luC y. -. NpllE t9S' has jus
: made public statement, based O
the preliminary findings of tn
| committee, which laws bare tn
shocking waste and inefficiency o
our present system of distribution
an general" says Congressman
Anderson, "37 cents of the con
sumer's dollar represents the cos
of producing the article and the cos
of all materials that went int
it," The remaining 63 cents o
the consumers dollar represents the
middlcman's fee for bringing thu
article from the farm or factory
and delivering it to the ultimate
consumer This includes not only
profits, but such overhead expense.
as advertising, craftsmanship, do
livering, and other special "serv
ices" Recently Senator f. F. Ladd
one of the foremost agricultural ex.
perts in the country, declared that
the farmer gets only 30 cents
while the middlemen absorb 7C
cents, Of every dollar paid by the
consumer for the food and cloth
| ing materials produced on the farm.
Congressman Anderson's estimate
includes industrial as well as agri-
cultural production, and suggests
that the Industrial producer, who is
much better organized, secures a
greater share Of the value of his
product than does the farmer.
1t seems incredible than any sane
society of men would tolerate a
system that charges them twice as
much for delivery service as the
goods are worth. The men who
toll to produce the goods and those
who buy them are both victimized
by the deliveryman to the tune of
G3 cents on the dollar 1t is little
wonder that men who never saw
cornfield get rich on handling
the farmers com, and that soft
fingered gentlemen who never dug
an ounce Of coal in their lives
should amass huge fortunes by
dealing" in this commodity.
The only way TO decrease the ex-
actions Of the middlemen, according
to Congressman Anderson, is
through cooperative organization Of
both producers and consumers.
After all he says, the producer
and the consumer are the largest
| factors in the problem. They are
the most numerous, but they are at
the same time the least influen-
tial, because the products and the
selling power of the one, and the
requirements and the buying power
of the other are unOrganized. If
we can find a way to organize the
products and selling power of the
producer on the one hand, and the
requirements and buying power of
the consumer on the other hand, We
will have taken a long step in the
solution of the problem of dis
tribution." In line with Congress
man Anderson's suggestion, the AL
American Cooperative Commission
Of Washington, d. c., is now wag
ing direct trading campaign t,
eliminate useless middlemen an
bring together the farmer produce
and the organized city consumer
Even SO cents on the dollar i
worth saving for some of US.
Cooperative Producers Association
10 Share in Billion Dollar
Loan
The billion dollar agricultural loan
recently voted by Congress is to b.
made accessible to cooperative pro
ducers' associations under conditions
now being formulated by the Wa
Finance Corporation. Under tn
terms of Section "a of the Wa
Finance Corporation Act, "the Cor
poration shall be authorized to maxi
advances to any bank, banke
or trust company in the Unite
States, or to any cooperative as
ISOLATION of producers in the Unit
ed States which may have mad
advances for agricultural purposes
including the breeding, raising, fat
tening, and marketing of live stock.
A circular has already been issue,
to the bankers setting forth il
detail the method by which the
may receive advances on agricul
tural loans; and in response to tn
request of the All American &c
operative Commission, the Secre
tary of the War Finance Corpora
ton states that a circular is nov
being prepared for the information
Of producers cooperative associa
+ tons giving the procedure for whic
they may share in these loans o.
the same terms as the bankers
Loans for agricultural purpose
may be had for one year, with re
neWal for term not to excee
three years altogether. Co-opera
) tive producers associations ma
make application for such loan
2 now, addressing their application
to the Secretary-Treasurer of tn
$ War Finance Corporation, Treasur
Building, Washington, D. C.
I is not necessary for them to pay
commission to any bank or banke
4 for securing such a loan for then
Copies of the information circula
{ for cooperative producers associs
b. lions may also be obtained frol
, the Secretary of the War FinanC
- Corporation, or from the All Amer
4. lean Cooperative Commission, Bills
. Building, Washington, D. C.
d California Labor Inaugurates
e Cooperative Daily Paper
e The workers of Sacramento, tn
capital city Of California, did som,
81 thing more than listen to flower
= oratory on Labor Day. They brougf
S out the first daily issue of tn
! Sacramento Tribune, paper owne
comparatively by the local Trade
r Council, the Electricians, Lettt
= Carriers, and several other contrib
a uting unions. The Tribune is SUI
e piled with the worlds news by tn
Federated Press, and is equinpe
Y to hold it's own with the otht
!. great labor dailes of the countr
Y Why Farmers Want Cooperative
Banks
$ While the agricultural loan to
administered by the War Financ
{ Corporation will bring relief I
70 farmers organized in co-operatil