The Hood River glacier. (Hood River, Or.) 1889-1933, 1922-08-10
COOPERATIVE ASSOCI-
ATOMS ARE URGED
(From The Western Fruit Jobber)
Concluded from week before lastl

Inc commission is convinced tina
the problem of distribution is one o
the most important economic question
before the American people. Onl,
through its correct solution can ther,
be an equitable adjustment of the rela
tions of agriculture, industry, trans
portation. labor, finance and commerce
as among themselves and as correlated
with the interest of the public.
The commission found no funda.
mental data of governmental or pub.
lie character with respect to market
ing and distribution, and it was, there.
q fore. necessary to secure from the
original sources the basic facts of the
problem. For this purpose the COM
mission secured the technical assist
ance and the cooperation of trades and
industries covering the manufacture or
conversion and the wholesale and retail
distribution of more than 200 essential
commodities. By this means the COM
mission ascertained the range of actual
costs. prices and margins in the period
l913-192l. inclusive, for the represent
ative products of those trades and
industries.
1--WE have found no single factor in
this complex price structure which can
be held solely responsible for the
spread between producers and consum-
ers. Neither is the commission able to
point out remedy, legislative or eco
nomic, which of itself will reduce this
spread.
The commission will be able, how
ever. to make certain suggestions
which it believes will indicate the
method by which improvements and
economies can be made in our distribu-
| tive system.
The joint commission does not be-
lieve that congress can correct the
faults of existing conditions and meth.
ods of distribution. We believe that
the responsibility rests on the entire
people to make such readjustment of
custom and habit as will permit the
development of a system of economic
distribution which will result in a more
equitable relationship between what |
the producer receives and what the |
consumer pays.
"The cost of distribution is made up |
OF an endless number and variety of |
costs of material and service, each of |
which influences the others and all of |
which combine to make the price
which the final consumer pays. These
factors vary in influence upon one an
other and upon the final price from
year to year and month to month and
even day to day. Each of them is part
of complex and flexible price struc-
ture which is extremely sensitive to
fundamental economic and psychologist
forces such as taxes, interest rates
freight rates, custom. habit, usage and
practices of producers, consumers,
nnfafff r afstNn n fall |
cies.
'Wasteful and uneconomic practices
in distribution can be eliminated only |
by more accurate information about {
the public's true consuming needs on :
the part of manufacturers and distrib. ,
ltors and by cooperation of purchaser,
converter, distributor =
and coDsumer. Trade associations and ,
governmental agencies, producers and J
labor organizations must cooperate to !
lind out the facts and then to apply =
hem producing a more economic and !
efficient relationship between all ele- +
nents in the cycle of production, man.
fracture and distribution.
''The distributive situation will be q
)etter appreciated when consumers !,
ealize that out .of 1,6l4, ,248 people n
Engaged in fgainful occupations, &c. q
40, 1857 are engaged in manufacture, q
distribution and allied =
ctivities. There is hardly a commod- a
ty in daily use that does not reflect .
he joint services of several million =
eople. All of US need to realize more q
learly that not only must the produc- !;
RS receive proper compensation for q,
he raw materials, but that out of the
barge for service along the way to r.
he consumer, the men who operate 4,
abroad trains, the men who drive =,
rucks, the men who operate machines, .,
be men who nail boxes, the men who sI
rap packages and the men who make II
must be enabled to purchase ~
heir share of the finished commodity 10
Or their families. :"
1--WE have found that one of the 4;
,oubles of agriculture is that its prod m
cts generally come into the local mar h.
ct In small lots of ungraded, unstand- or
rdized raw materials, for which the to
rOducer has assumed no responsible ~
y. The farmer has thought in terms ~,
individual production rather than y,
terms OF service, marketing and ar
Until be considers pro. No
lction in its relation to consumer de- -
and and satisfaction, he is unlikely
materially improve his condition. M
For the most part, the agricultural IN
'oducers have left to others the seIec- al,
lu, grading. standardizing and as II;
mbling of products, as well as the sh
SKIS involved in marketing. The vast no
llk Of agricultural products must be 20
to large centers for assem- NJ,
ing, grading and distributing. nn
where producers sell to buyers or c;I
rough commission men in primary or ag
rminal markets they assume the risk a5
transit and losses and wastes of i'm 20
oper packing, insufficient selection, 60
ID grading. When such shipments -
ach market the commodity is graded IT,
ID any portion not sufficiently mature, ;ns
blemished, or otherwise not fit for -,
arket is disposed Of at the cost of the S,,
oducer. In such instances, the pro- ~
Ger not only loses the commodity,
{ pays the transportation cost of e,
Oducts which should not have been ~,
ipped. These occurrences are of -.
fficient frequency to deserve a most 90,
reful study by the producer of mar 40.
Is and marketing conditions. 81
1T is frequently suggested" said a.,
Iairman Anderson, that agricultural a.,
Oducts be sold by sample or grade .
scription, lfrOm markets established cst
,se to the eenters of production, and o~s
II in such markets there be estab- :
bed adequate and efficient ware ~
uses. eOld-stoTsge plants. and other 4
,ilities for the protection and preser- oro
tion Of raw commodities. In theory 49,
least this suggestion has attractive sn~
ssibilities in that II would save IN -
-essary waste and much handling -,
4 rehsndling and avoid 'bsck-trsck- r,s'
Z products from large markets in fLe
. redistribution Of commodities to n
communities. This suggestion, I,
Eever, is predicsted upon the theory vs,
e standard grades and descriptions GOO