The independent. [volume] (Elizabeth City, N.C.) 1908-1936, 1928-06-08
HOGS Will GET
I HEIR BELLIES
F ULL O. SPUDS
Because Growers Agree Not
To Market Anything But
No. l Potatoes This
Season

The greatest experiment in
cooperative marketing ever
taken by produce growers and
distributors in Virginia and
the Carolinas was undertaken
this week when dominant fig
ures in the potato movement
of North Carolina and South
Carolina and Virginia combin-
ed to regulate shipments and
stabilize prices on the new po-
tato crop.
The immediate effect of the COM
bination has been an advance OF
% to 30 cents a barrel in the price
of spudS. One Of the first steps
taken by the potato men was an
agreement to offer nothing but No.
grade potatoes for sale and to
ship no, potatoes on consignment.
This means the removal from the
market of 5000 cars of low grade
potutoeS. giving the first grade
stock n clean market. The 5000
ears of off grade potatoes that Will
not be permitted to emharrass the
market will he fed to hogs or plOw-
cd back into the land.
Local produce brokers are work
ing band in hand with growers In
the big cooperative movement which
was inaugumted in Elizabeth city
some weeks ago with the orgnniZ:l'
tion of the North Carolina Produce
Association.
This Is one # those all too fire.
uuant years when potato growers
! without an organization are all out
of luck. New Irish potatoes from
the South Atlantic Seaboard bring
| the growers big money when the
crors me off just right. When
! Florida. South Carolina. North
Cnrplina and Virginia can move
their crops in order, Florida clean
ing ND, before South Carolina gets
Ipntler way and the North Carolina
crop not ctming off until South
Carolina Is ont of the way. every
| thing goes we'll with the growers
But this year. as in too many other
| Years, crops in al four states ma
tured about the same time promls'
ing glutted market and unprofitable
! sales.
Ordinarily the growers in all foul
states pile their produce on the
market without regard for one an
other. The middle men in the mar
ket ccntrrs get more potatoes than
they can sell to advantage. The
situation il further embarrassed by
eager shippers throwing thousands
nf cars on the markets on con$1sn'
ment to he sold nt ANY price the
middle men may fix. The result
is. tbe middle men in their anxiety
to keep stuff moving, sell at almost
any price offered.
If j. to the advantage OF the
! midile man to sell at high prices
! he Is working on II percentage BASIS
and obviously makes more money
ON one barrel of potatoes Mt Sl'
thpn on several barrels ut 10"
price. The retailer is hardly t.
| he considered In the transaction. a.
be keeps his prices about the same
no matter how low the wholesale
cost 70 him. And to the consumer
who never receives any conSidera
tion mt all. the price the farmer
gets for his potatoes Is OF he
moment The city retailer charges
the consumer IL dollar peck tol
pptatoes. whether the retailer buE>
Them at ST 90 Il barrel or Slo.W
That is one of the vicious things
about our disorlered economic SyS
tenn.
All eyes are on the new and hoio
experiment of Carolina and Nlr
ginia growers to have a hand II
determining fair price for thfl'
produce this summer. All depends
upon their stickability and SINGER
Ny: most cooperative movements
fail because large number Of thell
member, haven't the CUTS, tne
honesty or the sense to play fall
/ with thnir pSSOriatpS.