Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1923-02-22
Cooperative Marketing
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OF Houlton said in opening the case
Tor the proponents Of the bill.
AS a matter Of fact" he said,
the last for the last three years the
potato crop has not been financially
successful. AS q result many who
four years ago were fore handed are
now living out the twelve months
foreclosure period and men who were
prominent in their communities are
preparing to leave and begin life
elsewhere"
In beginning his remarks Mr..
Barnes said: I'VE will now descend
from the lofty plane of sentiment
where we have been some time IRE
ferrfng to the dog hearing) to a prob
lem that is purely economic"
he said that in the first place he
wished to disabuse the committee of
any idea that Aroostook is a one
crop county and also of the idea that
they can raise any crops they wish
up in that section of the State. The
character of the soil and the short
season preclude anything Of this sort.
But Aroostook does not raise DO
tatoes alone. 1t pursues a proper ro-
tation of crops and about as many
acres are devoted to oats and barley
as potatoes, while there is also an
immense hay crop. The cash crop,
however, Is the potato, and up to
the time Of the World War the sit
uation with the Aroostook farmer
was not such as to cause any COM
miseration for him.
Mr.. Barnes reviewed at length the
history of cooperative producing and
marketing organizations In Maine
and elsewhere in the country, re-
ferring to the New England Milk
Producers Association as one of the
pioneer organizations of the kind in
the State.
Experiments along this line in
other states. he said, had proved
abundantly successful, particularly
those in the West that bring fruits
to the eastern coast. The history of
attempts at cooperative work in
Maine has abounded in mistakes and
errors, but in the West, perhaps
from the fact that the people there
are less conservative, they have gone
ahead of us. There are now Sc CO.
operative marketing organizations in
operation, and not one has failed
and there is not one but has i'm
proved the condition of its men,
bers.
Mr.. Barnes said, the proponents had
eliminated cooperation in production
and had confined the project solely
to marketing.
Mr.. Barnes reminded the commit
tee that in 1921 the State of Maine
with a limited area displaced all
other states in the production OF
white potatoes. This was due largely
to the fact that the soil of Aroostook
gives q larger yield per acre than the
soil of any other state. But, he said
this soil requires that large amount
of fertilizer must be returned to the
soil each year. With farms OF 100
and 200 acres it was necessary 10
use commercial fertilizer and when
you paid $50 a ton for that and used
from a ton to a ton and quarter
per acre it means a vast sum OF
money annually for each farmer.
He said that the object Of this legts'
lation was to get better condition fol-
the men who for the past three Years
have been reduced to the verge OF their
last dollar trying to raise this great
crop which today was selling for 4O
per cent. of what it cost to produce it,
end there is still in the county from
Is to 25 per cent. of the crop to be
shipped or marketed.
This legislation, he assured the COM
mittee, would particularly benefit the
small farmer-the man who produced
800 or 400 barrels. Such an one could
not afford to maintain his own storage
facilities. He was forced to dispose of
his crop early. AS rule he had from
Is to 20 days in which to harvest and
care for this crop. If he lived close to
warehouses he had. chance to store
them; but il not. he must sell immedi-
ately.
Aagin, said Mr.. Barnes. tho potato
corn and cotton. II has got to be sold
and marketed before the first Of the
next July after it is harvested. This
bill, he said, .ould stop the necessity
and practice Of dumping the crop onto
the market and send it along in a
steady flow. 1t would not. as had been
said. hold It for speculative purposes.
TIL, bill. he said. was modification
Of the Kentucky law.
This would not make cents differ
cnce to the ultimate consumer. declared
Mr.. Barnes; for. whether potatoes were
selling at II or % cents a peck in
HouIton, the retail price would be the
same in those distant cities.
1t was desired that they have at
least so per cent. Of the potato acre
age Of the county signed up to send
their crops through the association for
a period Of FIVE years to make 1t worth
while. Already there were $4,000 acres
signed. He said there were As men
present who represented 40,2S6 acres
OF this amount and he called upon them
to stand.
eve have to build warehouses for the
benefit Of the man who lives Is or 20
miles outside" said Mr.. Barnes. IF
we wait until after the fourth of July
we will net have them ready for occu-
pancy next September. That is the
reason why We have this emergency
clause.
"You will note that the purpose of
this act is orderly marketing. We ex-
pect to ship one-eighth of the crop in
each Of eight months of the year. We
have two lines Of railroad and we have
got to ship 100 carloads Of potatoes ev-
cry day during the eight months to get
our crop to the consumer. This orderly
marketing is to direct the Aroostook
potato crop to the sections in need
Of it.
THE bane Of the Aroostook farmer
has been speculation, and We propose
to eliminate this-to turn over the con-
suming public this staple article at
market prices. The man who refuses
to sell his potatoes when they are $3.50
barrel will have an opportunity to
come to the storehouse next June and
take teams and shovels and haul his
crop away. If there is an over-produc-
ton, a man may have to haul away
one-eighth Of his crop, but we will
enable him to sell the other seven
eig''' at market prices"
Mr.. Barnes then reviewed at length
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