The Brattleboro daily reformer. (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1913-1955, 1922-01-25
SYRUP MAKERS LEASE.
CONTINUED from Page II

association when their present activities
are mostly in connection with buying
grain. This may be explained by the
fact that it was thought best to choose a
name that would be appropriate to uSeI
on syrup labels. inaSmuch az syrup is the
main crop or article it expects to sell,
although the constitution allows it to buy
or sell anything for mutual advantage.
cooperating.
The association was organized with IS
charter members. namely: Forrest Il.
Boyd. Albert W. Boyd. Roy Capen.
Harry ii. Fox, Walter f. White. Fred
\. IL. May. Earl Estabrook. Frank III.
Fitch Roy Ware. Leslie II. Adams,
Marshall \. Howe, Harry Y. Cutting.
Sidney q. Morris. Howard ]. Taylor, w.
j.. Round. Clifford Harrington. George
Corson and Ernest G.. Howe. The pres
ent membership is II.
The constitution provides for an annual
meeting. All other meetings are subject
to the call of the president. Five such
meetings have been held since the assO-
citation was organized. The officers for
the present year are: President. w. ID
Round; vice president. F. II. Boyd; sec
rotary and treasurer, Marshall A. Howe;
directors. Fred May and III. III. Fox.
Beginning last August. up to the pres
ent time, it has bought seven carloads of
grain. which has been delivered. One
more. also a carload of fertilizer, is com
ing.
In regard to the purposes and aims of
the association, il is claimed that the
prices of syrup paid to the producer last
spring bore no relation to retail prices
paid by the consumer because the high
retail prices of syrup checked the con
sumption, resulting in very low prices be
ing paid to the producers. When con-
suited i'm regard to these matters. an Off
Ger of the association said:
If the machinery of distribution had
been working normally the low price paid
to farmers should have been reflected at
once in prices to the consumer. which
would have moved the goods; but it was
not. And to avoid being forced out of
business the association was formed for
the purpose of getting syrup to the con-
sumerS at a price at which they could
afford to buy it and we could afford to
make it. The association is not trying to
establish u monopoly or to obtain extor-
tionate prices. We simply want a reason
able retail price which is paid by the con-
sumner. minus only the necessary cost of
putting up. handling and transporting the
goods. In order TO do this il is necessary
for the farmers TO control the means of
putting up and selling their syrup them
selves.
Exactly the same conditions apply to
the purchase of grain. Retail prices in
Wilmington were so high that many
farmers had ceased buying and therefore
ceased feeding grain altogether, and the
check thus put upon consumption by high
retail prices resulted in an enormous sur
plus of grain in the West and ruinouSly
low prices to the grain grower.
The asSocia tons activities in gram
buying has resulted in a reduction of from
20 TO - per cent in the retail price of
grain in Wilmington This has consid-
erably increased the consumption of grain
and has. therefore, tended to improve the
market for the western grower.
1T is clear that the same principle can
be applied to many other commodities,
but naturally we cannot do it all at once.
Plans for the future of the association
are not sufficiently worked out to war
rant publication.
In answer to the question as to what
relation the association bears to the Farm
Bureau, an official said AS such. the
association bears no relation to the Farm
Bureau, although as both are farmers
organizations. working for similar ends,
they are naturally sympathetic" Many
of the members Of the association are also
members of the Farm Bureau and many
are not