Clearwater Republican. [volume] (Orofino, Idaho) 1912-1922, 1922-01-27
III

II
Let us, then, consider some Of TIT
farmers grievances, and see how fal
they are real In doing so, we SHOULD
remember that, while there have been
and still are, Instances of purpOsefu
abuse, the subject should not he ap
preached with any general imputatioT
to existing distributive agencies of de
liberately intentional oppression, but
rather with the conception that the
marketing of farm products has moi
been modernized.
An ancient evil, and a persistent
one, Is the undergrading 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
chicanery 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 it 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 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, 1t
Is charged, is sometimes matter of
dishonest intention and sometimes of
protective policy on the part of the
local buyer, who fears that he NAV
weigh out" more than he "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 what the farmer re-
ceives and what the consumer pavs
often exceeds all possibility of iustl.
fication. TO cite single Illustration
Last year, according to figures attest
ed by the railways and the growers
Georgia watermelon raisers received
on the average rs cents for a melon
the railroads got 1877 cents for carry-
ing 1t to Baltimore and the consumer
paid one dollar, leaving 79.S 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 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 at the
same time. As rule, other industries
are In continuous process of finish.
ing goods for the markets: they dis.
tribute as they produce, and they can
curtail production without too great
INJURY to themselves or the comm.
nifty but If the farmer restricts h,s
output, 1t Is with disastrous cons..
quences, both to himself and +. thu
The average farmer Is busy with
production for the major part Of the
year, and has nothing to sell. TIE
ouik OF his output comes on the mar
ket at once. Because of lack Of sto,.
age facilities and Of financial supnort
me farmer cannot carry his pood. |
the year and dispose of thorn |
Is they are currently needed. In the |
great majority of cases, farmers hav.
o entrust storage-in warehouses ana
,ieVators-and the financial carrying
u their products TO others.
Farm products are generally mar
ieted at time when there Ia a con
,estion OF both transportation and
lhance--when ears and money orr
'carce. The outcome, In many in.
'tahces, Is that the farmers no, onIv
eil under pressure and therefore a,
disadvantage, but are compeIled ;.
axe further reductions in net return.
a order to meet the charges for the
ervlce Of storing. Transporting financ.
n.y. and ultimate marketlng-whicb
harSes they claim, are often axcos
I've, bear heavily on both eonsnmer
nd producer, and are under the con.
roi OF those performing the service,
Is true that they are relieved q,
ne risks of changing market nv
cling at once; but they are quite viii.