The Covington leader. (Covington, Tenn.) 18??-current, 1922-10-12

PRODUCER TO CONSUMER

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(By T. F. Peck, Commissioner of
Agricultural
While farmers are making marked
progress in soil improvement and
producing better crops, they are not
making the money they should make
and to which their labor entities
them. They are not getting anything
near the prices they should have for
some Of their products. At the same
time the consumers are paying war
time prices for farm products, and
feel that they should have a reduct-
ion, while on the other hand farmers
claim, and Justly so, that they should
get more for their products.
| have heretofore had occasion to
call attention to the potato producer
who received only So cents bushel
for his potatoes, and who later ascer-
tanned that the same potatoes cost
the consumer S2.85 per bushel, which
evidenced a handling charge Of $3.50
a bushel on a product which was not
transported more than 100 miles from
the producer to the consumer.
This is not an isolated case. While
the producer was getting so cents q
bushel for tomatoes, the consumer
was paying the fancy price of %
cents at restaurants for an order not
exceeding one tomato, The producer
received 25 cents per dozen for canta-
loupes, while the consumer was pay
ing rs cents for a half one at a res
taurant. The variation in the price
Of beefsteak was even greater from
the producer to the consumer, and
the same conditions prevail as to
other farm and garden products,
There are too many protiteerinp
middle men between the producer and
the consumer, and such conditions as
permit Of and make possible these
wide variations in prices can be cor
rected only by means of co-opera-
ton between the producer and the
consumer There is no service rem
dered by the middleman between the
producer and the consumer which
would Justify any such charge as is
made for the handling of farm and
garden products. But they will con-
tinue to exact this exorbitant toll just
SO lono as producers and consumers
will stand for it. in some cases the
amount paid by. the consumer for
farm and garden products is five
times that which is received by the
farmer or trucker whose labor pro
duces it.
The remedy is in cooperation
among the producers. They can pre-
pare their products for the market,
ready for the consumer, provide dis
tributing warehouses, where con-
sumers can buy as they require. Co.
operative purchasing associations can
be formed by the consumer.
Both consumer and producer know
where the big cost comes in. They
have many object lessons showing
how the problem has been solved by
cooperative effort. | can not under
stand why it is that both producers
and consumers will continue to nut IN
with conditions under which thew are
continually gouged by the profiteer
lime spent in talking about hard
times could be better employed in
some effort to remove the cause of the
trouble. An intelligent and reason.
able solution of the trouble is nos,
slble and practical-a solution which
would easily increase the revenue OF
the farmer rs per cent. and save the
consumer as much more The longe,
the matter drifts the more difficult
will become the solution.
If producers could have Is per cent
more to spend for improving livino
conditions, and the consuming public
could save 25 per cent. to spend or
other than food products, living con.
dltions would become better for every
body, and business would receive such
stimulus as would result in pros.
perity and contentment for the great
mass of the people
This problem is vital to SO LARGE .
portion of our citizenship that If is
entitled to more consideration than il
IS getting. The cooperative move.
ment among producers, which origi-
mated during recent years, is making
some progress in Tennessee, especially
IN those sections where berries and
early vegetables are grown for the
northern and eastern markets. and the
success attained there is evidence
That the same methods could be en-
nloyed in marketing other products to
the benefit OF both the producer and
the consumer. Another evidence of
the success of the cooperative move
went is the organization and success
full operation of cooperative cream
cries in the state. The progress in
this direction in the state is verv
gratifying and furnishes proof that
the same principles could be extended
IN several directions to the great bene-
tit of the farmer, livestock and dairy
men, and fruit and vegetable growers.
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