The Mena weekly star., 1922-01-19

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 distributivs agencies of de- liberately intentional oppression, but rather with the conception that the marketing of farm products has not been modernixed.
 An ancient evil, and . 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 chcanery should persist on any im- portant scale in these days of busi- ness integrity would seem almost in credible, but there is much evidence that it 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 whole shipload of grossly inferior wheat mixed with oats. chan 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 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 often exceeds all possibility of justi- fcation. To cite a single Illustration. Last year, according to figures attest ed by the railways and the growers, Georgia watermelon-raisers received on the average 7.5 cents for a melon, the railroads got 12.7 cents for carry Ing 1t to Baltimore and the consumer 1 paid one dollar, leaving 79S cents for the service of marketing and its risks, as against POP 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 prescrlbes that the farmers goods" must be finished within two or three months of the year, while financial and storage limitations gen erally 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 commu- nlty; but If the farmer restricts his output, 1t Is with disastrous conse- Quences, both to himself and to the community.
 The average farmer Is busy with production for the major part of the year, and has nothing to sell. The bulk of his output comes on the mar ket at once. Because of lack of stor- age facilities and of financial support. the farmer cannot carry his goods through the year and dispose of them as they are currently needed. In the great majority of cases, farmers have to entrust storage-in warehouses and elevators--and the financial carrying of their products to others,
 Farm products are generally mar. keted at a time when there is a con gestion of both transportation and finance-when cars and money are scarce. The outcome. in many ln- stances, hs that the farmers not only sell under pressure, and therefore at @ disadvantage, but are compelled to take further reductions in net returns. in order to meet the charges for inc service of storing. transporting, lnanc- ing, and ultimate marketing-which charges they claim, are often exces- sIve, bear heavily on both consumer and producer and are under the con. troi of those performing the servlcea It Ia true that they are relieved of the risks of changing market by selling at once but they are quite will ing to take the unfavorabie chance ! if the favorable one also is theirs and they can retain for themselves q part of tAe seyvice charges that are uni form, in gooi years and bad, with 1 high prices ard low.
 While, ln the main the farmer must sell, regardless of market conditions. at th2 time of the maturity of crops. he cannot suspend production in toto. a7 must go on producing if he Is to go on living. and fl the world is to exist. The most he can do is to curtail pro. duction a little or alter It's form, and that-because he Is In the dark as to 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 ind themselves at 6 disadvanfaKe ln the marketing of their productions especially raw milk, because of the high costs of distribution. which they must ultimately bear.
 III
 Nov that the farmers are stirring shinking snd uniting .. nsrer hsfsrs te eradicate these inequalities. fhss gre subjected fo stern economic ler turN4. and gre met with fhe ncruza afsan