The Medina sentinel. [volume] (Medina, Ohio) 1888-1961, 1921-10-20
ARE THEY OPERATING
in MEDINA COUNTY?


In MEDINA COUNTY?
On Thursday of last week the at
tention of the Medina County Farm
Bureau was called to parties operat-
ing among the farmers of Franklin
county offering them a chance to get
in on a proposition which was
since investigated and found to be as
fellows:
The promoter had a plan to sell
meat direct from the farmer to the
consumer and as an inducement to
the farmer promised him in addition
to the prevailing market price rs per-
cent Of the net retail profit Of the
sale Of the meat, with the further
provision that the farmer agreed to
pay the promoter $25O.00 for the
service. The payment Of the $25O.0O
was not to be in cash, however, but
was to be provided by turning over
to him every third animal, the en-
tire proceeds of the sale of which
were to be put into the business until
such amount reached S250.00 for each
individual who desired to take ad-
vantage Of such service. Upon fur
ther investigation it was found that
the farmer would have nothing to
show for his $250.00 other than the
promise of the privilege Of ayailing
himself of further services Of the
firm-that is, participating to the
extent of rs per cent in the net re-
tail profits. The promoters estimated
that the total overhead expense in
slaughtering and preparing for mar
ket and retailing would amount to
about $500 per head in the case of
hogs which were prepared for market.
The promoters stated that they
proposed to establish chain of forty
retail stores in the city Of Columbus
that they already had one such
store established on North High
street-that they had a contract with
a local packing company to slaughter
their livestock, provide the necessary
storage and deliver the meat to their
various stores-that they proposed to
purchase a packing plant to be op-
Grated by them in connection with
their stores.
One of the promoters claimed to
have been connected with a chain
store company operating in Pitts
burgh, and Cleveland, known as the
National Farmers Provision. Com
pany. To date the Farm Bureau has
been unable to locate this company in
Cleveland, they are not listed in the
Cleveland telephone directory, nor
have the large chain store companies
Of that city ever heard of them.
When the promoter was asked for
a copy of the contract with the local
packing company he first stated that
he did not know where it was but
when pressed admitted that the only
excuse of contract he ever had was
a memo noted on a sales slip Of the
packing company. This memorandum
was not signed by either party. Upon
interviewing the owner of the pack
ing company it was learned that
he had never made a contract with
the promoter and that his arrange
ment with him, was only temporary.
Upon further questioning one of the
promoters stated that : he was
attempting to make more definite ar
with another packing
company located in Columbus, but
admitted that no definite arrange
ments had as yet been made.
A visit was also made to "their
store" Upon making inquiry it was
found that the man who. had been
represented as their "meat
cutter" was in reality the sole own
er of the store and that the promoter
had no interest whatever in this
store. Upon further questioning, the
promoter admitted that he knew very
little about the meat business, in