Vilas County news. [volume] (Eagle River, Vilas County, Wis.) 1896-1927, 1922-10-25
Taking the Slack Out.


ton Is being called 10 a condition
Of affairs just as detrimental 20
public welfare as the unsatisfact-
orv coal mining system and OF
even more ancient origin, a con
dition which needs remedying Just
As certainly as the coal situation
does and one which affects every
bodv but which is not so strlk-
inc and hence does not get the
general attention which 1t de-
serves.
Just al present the general con-
dition Is being illustrated by po-
tatoes. and il often Is illustrated
nv potatoes. although il Is concern
ed with a great many other things
also.
The farmers have raised a good
croD Of potatoes and they can {
seU them. Almost invariably
when they raise a good crop OF
potatoes they can't sell them. This
time there are some transporta-
ton difficulties in addition 10
low prices but il is a well enough
known fact that when there Is an
abundant supply of potatoes only
part of the crop can be sold
n a price which justifies digging
or a price which pays the farmer
ANYTHING for his work and invest
ment.
Potatoes tend 10 follow a two
wear cycle. One year a small crop
and "a high price, poor people do
ing without them and others pay
ing excessive prices. the next year
a good crop and prices 50 low m
the initial markets that part Of
the crop isn't dug and part of that
dug Is never marketed.
In the first year the farmer
doesn't do very well on an aver
aye because he hasn't any potatoes
10 sell. In the second year ne
doesn't do very well because he
has 20 sell at an unremunerative
price or not az all. At the same
time the eater Of the potatoes suf-
fers from the scarcity Of one year
by being compelled TO pay high
prices and does not profit pro-
portionately in the year of plenty
because only a part of the crop
comes TO market and prices "a
consumers are kept up.
Now something Is wanted to
take up this slack in the potato
market. something that will make
il possible To utilize all the pota-
toes of the years Of plenty, aug
menting the supply and keeping
down the price in the years OF
scarcity. There Is more slack m
the potato market than IN Others
because potatoes will not keel
over to the second season. But
To some degree the same sort OF
thing exists bon the marketing OF
all crops. In the case of potatoes
the way out probably includes IN,
manufacture of potato flour
starch and similar products dur
ing the years of plenty.
But the general problem IS q
system of marketing by which
bountiful crops and poor ones
may be equalized for the produc
ar and for the consumer without
paving an excessive toll TO mid
dlemen who now occupy TO some
extent the position of equalizers
of crops. In a year of great plenty
the farmer could afford 10 sell his
crops for low prices if those low
prices travelled the full circuit and
came back 10 him I'm proportion
ateIy low PRICES for the things he
has 20 buy. In that east, obvious
Isl. the plenty Of a bountiful har-
vest would benefit everybody as
il should. Under the present sys-
tenn the custom is some place
along the line 20 waste or hold
indefinitely off the market the
surplus I'm the mistaken notion
that prices must be kept up or
in the more logical conviction that
IT one man doesn't keep his prices
up the next in line will. so that
low prices will never travel a full
circle and benefit everybody alike.
Superior Telegram.