Graham guardian., 1922-01-27

'"'N hFc TedL IN DOING SO, we SHOULD
remember that, while there have been
and still are, Instances of purposefu
abuse, the subject should not be up
preached with any general ImputatIon
to existing dIstrlbutIve agencies Of de
liberately Intentional oppression, bur
rather with the conception that the
marketing Of farm products has not
been modernized.
An ancient evil, and n persistent
one, Is the undergrnding Of farm prod.
ucts, with the result that what the
farmers sell MS OF one quality is re-
sold rs of higher. That this sort of
chioanery Should persist on any i'm.
portant scale In these days of busl.
Ress integrity would seem almost In
credible, hut there is much evidence
that u does so persist Even as I
write, the newspapers announce the
suspension Of several firms from the
New York Produce Exchange for ex.
porting to Germany as No. 2 wheat n
whole shipload Of grossly inferior wheat
mixed with oats. chaff and tho like.
Another evil Is that Of Inaccurate
weighing of farm products, which, II
is charged, IL sometimes q matter OF
dishonest intention and sometimes Of
protective policy on the part OF the
local buyer, who fears that he may
"WelglI out" more than he weighs IN"
4 greater grievance IL that at pres.
ent ihe field farmer has little or no
control over the time and conditions
of marketing his products, with the
result that he Is often underpnid for
his products and usually overcharsed
far marketing service. Ths differ.
ence between what the farmer re.
ceives and what the consumer pays
often exceeds all possibility Of justi.
ication, To cite single ILLUSTRATION.
Last year, according TO figures attest.
ed by the railways and the growers,
Georgia watermelon-ralsers received
on the average 10 cents for a melon,
the railroads got 1871 cents for carry,
ing II to Baltimore and the consumer
paid one dollar, leaving 70 cents for
the service of marketing and its risks,
as against 20.2 cents for growing and
transporting. The hard annals Of
farm-life are rrplete with such com.
mentarles on the crudeness OF pres
ent practices.
Nature prescribes that the farmers
goods must be finished within two
or three months OF the year, while
financial and storage limitations gen.
orally compel him TO sell them NJ the
same time. As q rule, other Industries
are in Il continuous process Of finish
ing goods for the markets; they dis
tribute ~ they produce, and they can
curiall nrnhuction without too great
Injury to themselves or the eommu.
nifty; but If the farmer restricts his
output, II Is with disastrous Gonsa-
quences, both to himself and TO the
community,
The average farmer Is busy with
production for the major part Of tho
year, and has nothing tp SELL The
iIlk NJ his output comes on the mar,
kct at oace. RecguSe gf lack Of stnr,
age facilities and Of financial support,
the farmer cannot carry his goods
lIr"ugh The year and dispose of them
~ they are currently needed. In the
great majority nf cases, farmers have
to Cptrusi NorHge-ln warehouses and
rlcvators-unh the financial carrying
4 their products 10 others.
Farm products are generally mar
keted 1T Il time when there is CON
eSti"n of both transportation and
iNancc--wIien ears and money are
SCa"re. Tho outcome. In many In.
sfrnccS. Is thnt The farmers not only
sell under pressure, and therefore az
i disadvantages hut are compelled 70
nike further Fed'irtiuns in net returns,
IN order to meet the charges for the
service nf storing, transporting fnalG,
ing, and ultimate marketing-which
charges they claim, nre often eToss-
slvr. henr heavily on both consumer
AMI producer, and Rre under the oon-
,rpl pf those performing the services
II Is true that they nre relieved OF
the risks Of changing mprket by
selling NJ once :! hut they are quito Will
ing to take the unfaNnrnble chance,
" the favorable one nlso Is theirs ana
they can retain for themselves n part
" the service charges that are uni
form, IN good years and bad, with
high prices and low.
While, in the main. the farmer must
sell, regardless OF market conditions
NJ the time of tie maturity Of crops,
he cannot suspend production In toto.
lie must 90 on producing " he Is 10 40
on living, and if The world IL in exist
The most he ran do " To curiall pro,
ducIIon n little or alter It's form, and
ihnt-becuuss he Is In the dark as II
The probable demand for his goods
may be only to jump from the frying
pan into the fire, taking the consumer
With him.
Even the dairy farmers, whose out
put Is not seasonal, complain that they
iinl themselves ri q disadvantage In
The marketing ef their productions,
especially raw milk, because of the
high custs of distribution, which they