Essex County herald. [volume] (Guildhall, Vt.) 1873-1964, 1922-01-12

s~<~A |SS .uOa1aSA1S
Of their inability to meet mortgages OF
to pay current blitZ, and how, seeking
relief frNm thefr tbs, they are phan-
ntng to fpcm- ppDts. inaugurate faup-
ers stT1kes, Gnd demInd Legislation
aboashtng grim exchanges. pdEats
cnttla markets., and the Ike, We ongha
not hastily ID brand them a. economic
hecettcs and htghwaymen, and huri Of
them the chAfge If hans seakas Of
spec'.i pr4KuexA RntAer, We should
ash II their trouble b not oors, end
see What can be dooa to improve the
situation. Purely from seiftntecest,
II for no higher motive, We should
help them. ALI Of Us want to get back
permanently to "normalcy," but Is 1t
reasonable to hope for that condition
unless OCT greatest and most basic ID
dustry cRn be put On sound and solid
permanent foundatton7 Tue farmers
are not entitled to special privileges;
but are they not right In demanding
that they be placed On an equal foot
ing with the buyers Of thear products
and vdth other tndnstriesa
II
Lee us, dfen, cpnstIinf SOMA Of the
farmers grievances, and see how far
they are real In doing 30. 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 d1stributsve agencies Of de-
iiberateiy Intentional oppression, but
rather with the conception that the
marketing OF farm products has not
been naOderntzed
An ancient evil. and Q persistent
one, Is the undsrgrading Of farm prod
ucta With tha result that what the
farmers sell O. Of one quality Is re-
sold as OF higher. That this sort Of
chiconery should persist on any i'm
poFtant scale in these days of bush
ness integrity would seem almost In
credible. bnt there Is much evidence
that Il does so persist. Even as I
write, the newspapers announce the
suspension Of several firms from the
New York Produce Exchange for ex.
porting to Germany as No. 2 wheat a
whole shipanad OF grossly interior wheat
mixed With oats, chat and the like.
Another e1u is that Of inaccurate
Weighing Of tarm products, which. 1t
b charged. b sometimes a matter Of
dishonest tntAntaoo and sometimes OF
prosaettre policy % the part OF tho
local bnyar, who tears thu, be may
weigh OUT more than be aveighs in.s
A greater grievance Is that at pres
ens ta9 fead prQer has p..le q 20
control osas the tmA and conditions
Of Marketing bis peoducta With the
result that be b often undespaid tor
his products and usually oSerchareed
for marketing aerv!oa The differ.
enee between what the farmer re-
ceives and what the consumer pays
often exceeds all possibility OF tusti-
6cation. To cite a single illustration.
Last year, according to figures attest.
ed BY the railways and the growers,
Georgia watermelon-ralsers received
on the average 10 cents for a melon.
the railroads got 12-7 cents for carry.
Ing u to Baltimore and the consumer
paid one dollar, leaving 7as cents for
the service Of marketing and Its risks,
as against 212 cents for growing and
transporting The bard annals Of
farm-!fe ape repIete with such CON-
mentaries 90 the cr1ldeness Of pres.
ent practicaa
Nature prescsfoas 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 than at the
same tina as rule, other Industries
are IN continuous process Of finish.
ing goods Tor the markets; they dis.
tribute as they produce. and they can
eurtan production without too great
injury 10 themselves or the commu-
nifty; bot Il the farmer restricts his
output Il u 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
rs they are currently needed. In tina
great majority OF cases, farmers have
to entrust storage--in warehouses and
elevators-and the financial carrying
Of their products to others.
Farm products ara paneralIv rpar