Atlanta tri-weekly journal. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1920-19??, 1921-09-03
BUREAU MARKETS
AIDS FAIR TRADING

IN a strict sense. there can be no
such thing as q fair trade" when
either party has the advantage of
vastly superior information. Up ito
the time the bureau of markets and
crop estimates of the United States
department of agriculture was estab-
lished most transactions in the mar
keting Of farm products were, in this
sense, unfair. This was due to the
fact that the buying side almost in
variably had vastly better informa-
ton regarding supplies, both avail
able and prospective, future produc-
ton. prices current throughout the
country and probable movements of
the products.
Producers Had Little Information
Buyers had through many years
built UP elaborate machinery for
gathering information of this sort.
The farmer, however, had few, if any,
opportunities to obtain such knowl-
edge and was governed in his mar
keting largely by. the season of the
year, weather conditions, and other
similar considerations. Hogs were
fed until they reached a certain
weight or until the supply of feed
became exhausted. They were then
loaded as soon as cars were available
| and shipped to the customary market.
There was little opportunity for the
shipper to know whether at that par
ticular time this market was flooded
with hogs. prices low, and trade con-
ditions in general most unsatisfac-
tory, or the reverse.
Possibly on the very day that his
hogs were placed on sale, there was a
comparative scarcity at some other
market easily within his reach, and a
level of prices so much higher that
1T would have meant an increase of
several hundred dollars in his net
returns had his hogs been shipped
there. But the hog buyers had this
information and governed their buy
| ing accordingly. 1t was sure know1-
| edge on one side and a trusting to
luck on the other. Possibly a delay
| Of not more than three days in mar
keting his hogs would have trans
| formed a substantial loss into a good
profit. Under such a system of mar
keting man frequently invested a
years work and many hundreds of
dollars worth of feed and at the end
meta serious loss simply because he
sent his stock to market a few days
too early or too late.
Placing the farmer on the same
footing with the buyer, so far as in
formation is concerned, so that the
element of chance applies equally to
both; is the aim of the department
of agriculture. For this it gathers
every available scrap of information
relating to supplies, current quota
tiops. and other fundamental condi-
tons influencing markets, arranges
the information in readable form
and makes it readily available o
every one ,e~ having use for it.
Before the department took up
this work, the. farmer was not wholly
without market reports. NeWSpa-
pers, trade, journals, telegraph com
panies, and many other organiza-
uted in the rural districts reports
that purported to be market infor-
nation. Unfortunately for the
farmer, however, many of these re-
ports originated with buyers OF farm
produce, or from sources controlled
or dominated by such interests. I'm
der these circumstances it was but
natural that they redounded to the
advantage of the buyer and almost
invariably worked to the financial
handicap of the farmer and pro-
Queer
The governments information is
gathered impartlally at market CEN
tiers extending over a wide area and
is transmitted promptly from one
center to another. Important infor-
nation IS mineographed and mailed
daily to anyone making a request
for it. Extreme care is taken to
make the information accurate and
reliable and the fastest and most
modern methods of distribution are
used, the object being to get the in
formation to those who have use for
it in the shortest possible time and
in the most disable form. 1t is not
only trustworthy and unbiased, but
is made available to all the people.
The departments reports are now
being made use Of by practically all
classes of people-farmers, commits
sion merchants, boards of trade, bro
kers. chambers of commerce, retail
dealers and consumers. Most per-
sons who have come in touch with
the work of the department realize
that it neither buys nor sells any
commodity and has no interest to
serve except that Of accuracy. The
whole purpose Of it's work is to hold
a mirror before the markets of the
country and to hold it at such an