The Caldwell tribune. [volume] (Caldwell, Idaho Territory [Idaho]) 1883-1928, 1923-06-19
FARMERS WANT
To KNOW WHAT
IS. HAPPENING
Ask to Have Veil Torn
Away that Price Fix
ing and Depression
May Be Barred.

in the dark for years and just now
are getting mighty scared of dark
ness-not because of what has been
told them but because of what has
been done to them. The picture, IA
miliar to many, of darkness, with the
producer on one side with his dollar
sack of potatoes and the consumer on
the other side with the same sack Of
spuds, unchanged except that its val
tie has increased to three dollars-to-
gether with the question What Hap
pens in the Dark" depicts just what
we are thinking about.
1t is not necessary to search long in
any community to find a producer
who grew lot of the finest potatoes
or apples ever grown, who sorted them
so they would please the eye of the
most exacting city buyer. who loaded
them carefully on the cars feeling
sure that the commission man was
bound to return a fancy price. but
alas, something happened in the dark
ness and little or nothing was re-
turned-and that which was returned
came after many excuses had been Of
fered for the delay in settlement Now
about this delay in settlement; there
was the mystery of adjustments. over
or undercharges in freight, railroad
claims or could it be possible that it
was intentional and that the commits
sion man had been using that money
to carry on his business3 Many COM
mission men were said to be crooks,
but this fellow seemed to be honest
And then that statement they call an
account sales"-the car number was
right, yes. and the number of sacks,
but here they claim too much short
weight (maybe those scales weren't
just right and. let's see. the car sold
for so much at Dallas, Texas, and its
very easy to see that the figures arc
correct where the freight and other
charges are deducted. Guess it must
be right. but, darn it all, I'd like to
know the name of the fellow that
bought that car of spuds so / could
find out if that rs all he paid for them.
and why he didn't pay more. The
cards were not all on the table. There
was too much mystery. then came lack
OF confidence out of all the darkness.
A live cash market seems hard to
beat when there is lot of buyers out
trying to purchase your product. aud
then is when the farmer has some fun
just sitting back and waiting for
Them to come to him. But they don't
come every year and, if they do. they
ire not always eager and fighting each
other for stuff. And why are they so
lager to buy? Have they some infor-
nation on short crop or something
hat the producer doesn't have, The
sports say spuds are selling for ST. I
n Chicago, the freight is about 90c.
md Csc cwt is all the cash buyer can
'ay. he says. Looks like lot of pro-
it. If this profit could be added to
hat Csc, it wouldn't be so bad to
aisc all these fine spuds. If the pro- I
ucer was sure he had as good infor-
nation on the nations crop rs the
uyer, he would know more about =
that to do. And then, if he had his
hired men" in the markets-men who :
new rs much about selling as the
Their fellow, he would feel confident of
square deal and it would be pleas
Mt to work fifteen to twenty hours
day and to raise better spuds than
IS neighbor. Markets would some
mes be weak and prices poor, but
AWAY. he would be getting all there
as to get.
A lot is being said about distribu-
On, but, whatever it is, that's a prob Z
m of the commission man or the r
sh buyer and doesn't concern the ~
oducer. just minute,-if the COM =
ssion man doesn't use proper meth "
s of distribution, that car OF produce
,ich belongs to you may reach
ltted market, If the cash buyer does
I know enough to keep away from
: big markets and sell in the small
towns it may be true that he can't
y you the price. il is reported the
neral market warrants. Why should
bulk Of Idaho's prune crop. of
m 1900 to $500 cars. be sold in Chi
20, New York and few more of
large markets. Don't the people
the smaller cities and towns eat
nes' Or must they all 60 thru
big markets with additional cost
ore the residents of the smaller
ces can have a chance to taste
m' Texas is big market for Ida
potatoes but when dozens of ship
) arc shipping cars Of potatoes by
dozens TO Texas, many times un- As
!. is il any wonder that thrifty UN
ans sit back and wait for glutted ~