The Princeton union. [volume] (Princeton, Minn.) 1876-1976, 1921-10-13

Farmers, Potato Buyers and Other
Business Men Discuss Question
" Of Weights and Dockage.
USE COMMUNITY SCALE
Indications Are That Amount Of Dock
age Will be Settled Between
| Each Buyer and Seller. So I 20 sssssss

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farmers, number of potato buyers
and a representative group of business
men met in the armory- to discuss the.
matter of obtaining accurate weights
on potatoes marketed and the amount
of dockage to be allowed. The meeting
had been called by the community
scale company and Louis Normandin,
who is president of that organizations,
presided. Fred Newton, who was
called upon to make few remarks,
suggested that the chair appoint a
committee of three farmers and three
potato buyers to confer upon the"ques--
ton Of dockage while the matter was
being made the subject of general dis
cussion in the meeting. The commit
tee appointed consisted of w. L. Mark,
Albert Hoehn, Fred Foote, R. Manke,
Thomas Scheen and Will Miller. "a
Mr.. Newton and several other busi-
ness men, including c. H. Nelson, E.
K. Evens and Joe Armitage, stated
they realized it was to the
interest of the village Of Princeton
and all the adjacent farming COMMUNE
ties to have the buyers and sellers
come to satisfactory agreement in
regard to the method Of handling the
potatoes. All those who spoke stated
that they wished every farmer would
weigh every load Of potatoes he
brought into town on the community
scale. There could then be no ques-
ton whatever in regard to every man
receiving accurate weights on his
loads.
Gust Berg stated he had been
in Cambridge that afternoon and had
made some inquiries concerning the
practice the buyers there follow in
regard to docking for dirt. It seems
that the potatoes in Cambridge are
handled as they are in 1santi. The
farmer weighs on the community scale,
the potatoes are taken to the ware
house and sorted. The culls and dirt
are then sacked and returned ito the =,
farmer who weighs them with his
wagon as tare. No doekage IS made
for the dirt that adheres to the potax:+.,
toes: Of course all The: farmers admit x
that in such cases the buyer WIFI not f
be- able to pay quite as high a price
per cwt as when a certain per cent ::
Of dockage is allowed. - :
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A discussion between Louis Roche
ford and R.. Wood and Mrs. Oscar
Stark brought out the point that the
farmers might consent to dockage for
dirt but not for the shrinkage of the
potatoes in the warehouse after they
have become the property of the buyer.
It was almost unanimously agreed
that the buyer should stand such
loss.
The committee, consisting of three
farmers and three potato buyers, re-
ported it had decided that three per
cent dockage would be fair to both
parties. Considerable discussion fol-
lowed this report and the general
opinion Of the farmers seemed to be
that this per cent was too high,
especially since it was not supposed to
cover the culls. Several rising votes
we're taken and finally a vote by BAL
lot was ordered. Only farmers voted 1
and many of them had left the meet
ing before this last ballot was taken,
but the results were-three votes for
three per cent dockage, 16 for two per
cent and Is for no dockage. The only
conclusion to be drawn from the dis
cussion and balloting is that every
farmer will have to come to terms
with the buyer who takes his load in
regard to the matter of dockage-
It. was suggested that the buyers
should congregate at the community
scale and establish a central market
there. They cannot of course be COM
PEELED to do so and it remains to be
seen what their attitude will be in re-
gard to this matter.
The meeting was unquestionabIy
beneficial. It is always we'll for par
ties that do not seem to be working
in perfect harmony to come together.
to discuss their difficulties. However,
it seems as though a little more CO.
operation from certain interested par
ties would have helped matters con-
siderably Friday evening. When men
come together to discuss matters of .
actual Importance they should come
out in the open and state their opin-
ions so that everyone will know where
they stand. - - -
The one point that was brought out j.
clearly in the meeting was that the
success of the community scale rests
entirely with the farmers. The scale
is installed and it has been officially
tested. The farmers have the pota-
toes to sell and it. is up to them to
weigh on that community scale. If J.
every farmer will weigh his load on
that scale every dealer will buy his
potatoes on that weight and on that
weight alone. ~ +: 49,. - -
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