Smyrna times., 1926-03-31
". 7. OERICESON NAMED HEAD
MIDDLE STATES MARKET BODY
HEAD OF STATE BUREAU MARK
ETS HONORED AT CONVENTION

Many Problems of Agriculture Chief
of Which Was the Standardization
and Regulation Roadside Marketing
The Middle States Marketing Offic-
ials embracing Delaware, Maryland,
Virginia, New Jersey, Pennsylvania
and New York states, conferred an
honor on Wilmer T. Derickson, direc-
tor of the Bureau of Markets of Del
aware, last week, when it elected him
as president of the organization at
the annual meeting held in Baltimore.
Mr.. Derickson had been the secretary
of the organization, and in his place,
B. w. Sherburn, of New Jersey, was
chosen. One of the most important
items of constructive business trans
acted at the meeting was the passage
of motion authorizing the president
to name a committee of three, to pre-
pare regulations and standards for
roadside marketing, such as all the
states in the organization might
adopt. Roadside markets, which, with
the advent of the automobile, have be-
come an important industry in all
states that possess improved high
ways. In but one State is there any
roadside marketing association in the
east, and that is only in one county
Middlesex, in Massachusetts. How
ever, the success of this organization
with one year to its credit, has been
so marked, that a description of how
it functioned, and the SPLENDID results
obtained, attracted the attention of
every one at the annual meeting. An
drew Phillips, secretary of the Farm
ers' Roadside Stand Association, of
Middlesex county, reported for the or
ganizatiOn, and many ow the things
he had to tell the members might
easily be applied by the farmers of
Delaware if they choose to take ad-
vantage of the plan. That it is eco
lnomical, and has good business meth
DIS, and is able to offer better merch-
andise to the public, cannot be doubt
ed from Mr.. Phillips description. The
Massachusetts association started
with ten members, and in order to
give it a fair chance, and not try to
offer solutions for various problems
before they had been given trial, the
regulations under which the assOcia-
ton operated were kept confined to a
small membership of farmers. During
the first year it operated at gross of
more than $1,000,000, and now, so
happy has been the result of the trial,
that efforts are under way to organ
llZe the entire state. Mr.. Phillips said
because the farmer, in selling stuff he
has raised himself, saves commissions
transportation and handling charges,
that it was due to the consumer to
have offered the goods at a price be-
tween the wholesale and retail figures
That in doing so, and because the mo-
tOrist has to drive to the roadside
market to get the goods, he ought to
be allowed a margin below the retail
price. One of the chief regulations is
that 60 per cent of what the roadside
market man sells shall be raised on
his place, and not consist of stuff
which the roadside marketeer has
bought from some farmer, and hauled
it in a truck to some place along the
road and offered it for sale. Both
Pennsylvania and Delaware represen-
tatives at the meeting told of the ex-
perience Of these two states in the
matter, and how they were hoping to
improve market conditions in this
particular line. Among others who
spoke were C. w. Harris, of the New
Jersey State Farmers Roadside Mark
citing Association.