The Pioche record. [volume] (Pioche, Nev.) 1908-1925, 1922-02-03
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Let us, then, consider some of the
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 distributive agencies of de,
liberately Intentional oppression, but
rather with the conception that the
marketing of farm products has not
been modernized.
An ancient evil, and q persistent
one, is the under grading 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
chcanery 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. wheat
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 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 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 pays
oftsn exceeds all possibility of JUST.
fcation. 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 melon,
the railroads got 12.7 cents for carry
ing 1t to Baltimore and the consumer
paid one dollar, leaving 1913 cents for
the service of marketing and its risks,
ms 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 n continuous process of finish
ing goods for the markets; they dis
tribute as they produce, and they car
curtail production without too grea,
, injury to themselves or the commu
nifty; but If the farmer restricts hi.
( output, 1t Is with disastrous conse
I quences, both to himself and to tn,
l community.
$ The average farmer Is busy will
e production for the major part of tn
n year, and has nothing to sell. Tn
) bulk of his output comes on the mar
;. ket at once. Because of lack Of stor
L age facilities and of financial support
4 the farmer cannot carry his good
| through the year and dispose of ther
| as they are currently needed In tn
2 great majority of cases, farmers hav
1. to entrust storage--in warehouses an
s. elcvators-and the financial carryln
! of their products to others.
IS Farm products are generally MAJ
If Seted at time when there is a cor
Vi gestion of both transportation an
lc tinance-when cars and money or
h. scare, The outcome, in many II
ic stances, Is that the farmers not oni
,e sell under pressure, and therefore
disadvantage, but are compelled
y take further reductions in net return
ur in order to meet the charges for 4
re service OF storing, transporting, tinan
n ing, and ultimate marketing-whi,
y charges they claim, are often exec
o, sive, bear heavily on both consum,
We and producer, and are under the co
nj troll of those performing the service
n II is true that they are relieved
I'm the risks Of n changing market |
arr selling at once but they are quite wi