Durant weekly news. (Durant, Choctaw Nation, Indian Territory [Okla.]) 190?-1944, 1922-02-17

Let US, then, consider some Of tho
farmers grievances, and see how far
they are real. In doing 10, 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 lmputation
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, 10 the undergrading Of farm prod.
ucts, with the result that what the
farmers sell as Of one quality u TO
sold as Of a 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 IL much evidencs
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 Q
whole shipload Of grossly inferior wheat
mixed with oats. chair and the like.
Another evil is that of inaccurate
weighing Of farm. products. which, Il
10 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 be 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 ro-
ceives and what the consumer pays
often exceeds all possibility Of justi-
ncation. To cite 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 1877 cents for carry
ing It to Baltimore and the consumer
paid one dollar, leaving 79S 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 commu.
nifty; but II the farmer restricts his
output, II ID with disastrous conse-
quences, both to himself and to the
community.
The average farmer 10 busy with
production for the major part Of the
year, and has nothing to sell. The
bulk Of his output comes en- the mar.
ket at once. Because Of lack of stor-
age facilities and Of financial support,
the farmer cannot carry his Ky>ods
through the year and dispose Of them
90 they are currently needed. In the
great majority of cases, farmers have
to entrust stOrage-in warehouses and
el0vators-and the financial Carrying
Of their products to others.
Farm products are generally mar
keted at q time when there Is q con
gestion Of both transportation and
nnance-when cars and money are
scarce The outcome, In many h.
stances. 10 that the farmers not oAly
cell under pressure, and therefore at
q disadvantage, but are compelled 20
take further reductions In net returns,
In order to meet the charges for the
service Of storing. transporting, fnanc
ing, and ultimate marketing-which
charges they claim, are often exces-
sive, bear heavily on both consumer
and producer, and are under the CON
troll Of those performing the services
II is true that they are relieved y
the risks Of q changing market b.
selling at once but they are quite ~ =,