The Challis messenger. (Challis, Idaho) 1912-current, 1922-02-08
II


Let US, then, consider some Of the
farmers grievances, and see how far
they are real. In doing so, we should
remember that, while there have been,
and still are, Instances Of purposeful
abuse, the subject should not be ap.
preached with any general imputation
to existing dlstributive agencies of de.
tiberately Intentional oppression, but
rather with the conception that the
marketing Of farm products has not
been modernized.
An ancient evil, and a persistent
one, Is the undergradlng of farm prod.
ucts. with the result that what the
farmers sell as Of one quality Is re-
sold as Of higher. That this sort Of
chlcanery should persist on any i'm.
portant scale In these days of bust.
ness integrity would seem almost In.
credible, but there is much evidence
that 1t does so persist. Even as
write, the newspapers announce the
suspension Of several firms from the
New York Produce Exchange for ex.
porting to Germany as No. 2 wheat a
whole shipload of grossly inferior wheat
mixed with oats, chaff and the like.
Another evil Is that of inaccurate
weighing. of farm products. which, it
is charged, Is sometimes a matter Of
dishonest intention and sometimes of
protective policy on the part of the
local buyer. who fears that he may
weigh out" more than Ire weighs In"
A greater grievance Is that at pres
ent the field farmer has little or no
control over the time and conditions
of marketing his products, with the
result that he is often underpaid for
his products and usually overcharged
for marketing service. The differ.
ence between wha, the farmer re.
ceives and What The consumer n,tys
often exceeds all possibility of justl
ficatlon. To cite a single illustration
Last year, accordin. to figures attest,
ed by the railways and the growers
Georgia watermelon raisers received
on the average rs cents for q melon
the railroads got 1871 cents for carry.
Ing 1t to Baltimore and the consumer
paid one dollar, leaving 1913 cents for
the service Of marketing and Its risks,
as against 202 cents for growing and
transporting. The hard annals of
farm-life are replete with such com
mentaries 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 al the
same time AS a rule, other Industries
are In continuous process Of finish
Ing goods for the markets: they dis
tribute rs they produce. and they can
curtail production without too great
injury to themselves or the comm.
nifty; but If the farmer restricts his
output, II Is with disastrous conse
Quences, both to himself und TO the
community.
The average farmer Is buy with
production fer the major part OF the
year, and has nothing to sell Tn.
bulk of his output comes on the mur
kct at once Because of lack of stor
age facilities and Of financial suppori
the farmer cannot curry his goods
through the year ana dispose If them
as the, are cur emily needed In the
great majority ~ cases. farmers have
to enlrusl sierag" in warehouses; mn,
elevators and The tinanrinl ,urryin
# lIel lIr,aliis Ia others
Farm prnduris are generality ma.
keletl a, Il ii'nP VIXEN ,hpFu Is n con
esi Ion nf both an .pntialinn am.
'lnancr when ears uaa n,,n,n ,r,
scarce The ,i',tt'ni,p IN u,nu, IN
slircps Is Than III" funiers r. mi,
sell ''f 'eg pre*Mlr.' lnl tlcrc.p:p al
Il dis; j nnlasssh bHl are rol:llh.iled To
take flfiaiei reductions In net returns.
in order IN meet the charges for the
service of storing, transporting. nnanr
ing, and ultimate marketing white!
charges they cluini. are often rxcrs
slve, bear heavily ON both consumes
and producer. and are under the con-
troll Of those performing the services
It is true that they are relieved OF
the risks of changing market by
selling at once but they are quite will