Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1921-05-26
SWEET CORN PACKERS
COME BACK At
MR.. c. /. CRAWFORD

y
The Kennebec Journal ID in re- |
caipt of the following communication |
from President Baxter Of the Maine |
Gamers Association in relation to !
the sweet corn Mutation in Maine:
Editor of Kennebec Journal:
c. HI. Crawford, writing for the |
executive committee of the Maine !
Sweet Corn Growers Association, has
published a statement in the news
papers under date of May 23d that is
so misleading and so far from the
facts that although reluctant to en-
gage in a newspaper controversy. I
feel it my duty as president of the
Maine Gamers Association. to cor
rect the false impression that Mr..
Crawford appears to intend to con-
vey.
He states that they (the planters)
| fully realize the great benefits al
ready derived through the efforts of
| the association and most of them
consider that in view Of the financial
gains they have received as a result
of this association dusfng the past
| two years, it is their duty to stand
/ by and support it.
| 1t is not true that the planters
have received any financial gain
whatever during che past two years
as result of the activities of the
Maine Sweet Corn Growers Associa-
ton. The price paid by the packers
during the past two years was not
dictated by the Sweet Corn Growers
| I,,k T.
tons, and was freely offered by the
packers. Five cents a pound for
sweet corn was originally offered by
the packers as a direct result Of
representations of agents of the
Federal Government at Washington
during the war. The packers were
officially requested to name a price
that would stimulate production, and
responded to this appeal by offering
| five cents a pound for sweet corn.
| This was decidedly a war price and
| the Maine Sweet Corn Growers AS
ISOLATION had nothing whatever to do |
with it.
Mr.. Crawford has made many 9TH
er misleading statements, most of
which are so obvious as to require |
tive to costs and profits from raising |
sweet corn are so fallacious as to
justify a brief reference. Profit is
wholly a relative term. The farmer |
like all the rest of us, obtains profit |
when he employs his time and equip
mcnt to yield the best cash returns !
possible under existing conditions. |
There is absolutely no other farm
crop that the Maine farmers can !
raise this year with a greater pros
pect of substantial cash returns
than sweet corn at the prices offered |
by the packers.
While Mr.. Crawford is talking
about the benefits the planters have
received from the activities of the
Maine Sweet Corn Growers Associa-
ton, would like very much to have
him state what other crop the Maine
farmers can raise this year that will
weld them as large a return, yes,
half as large a return. per acre, as
sweet corn at the prices offered by
the packers; and while talking about
losses he ought in fairness also to
ADMIT the losses that will result from
the abandonment of sweet corn acre
age and the consequent inability of
the farmer to utilize his land, his
teams. his tractors, his stable dress
ing and his labor in producing the
only crop that he can raise this year
with any assurance of so large and
prompt a net cash return next fall,
as he can secure from sweet corn.
Mr.. Crawford and the farmers i
" hOO1 no iC 1na6ino into oi1io p
paths are evidently not aware of the |
| fact well known to the packers, that |
competitive article once off the |
market cannot be restored to it's for
mer place in less than three or four
years and then only at a large ex-
pense which the planters will have to
share in diminished returns if the
sweet corn industry is to be main |
tanned in Maine.
On several different occasions Mr.. |
Crawford has made the statement !
that the average yield of sweet corn !
is not over 1000 pounds per acre, and |
that farmer cannot afford to raise |
sweet corn at less than $50 an acre |
In my opinion any farmer who will |
give his sweet corn crop ordinary
care will produce on an average,
year in and year out, at least 5000 !
pounds per acre.
1t seems strange, when the farmer
can see how everything else that he !
raises has fallen in value. that he |.
cannot realize that the same condi-
tions compel the Gamers to reduce
the price to the farmer for sweet
corn.
(Signed)
JAMES P. BAXTER,
President Maine Gamers Association