Worcester Democrat and the ledger-enterprise., 1938-09-23

MARKETING IS
MUCH FAVORED

should there be farmer-conJrOlleu
marketing through one selling a
gency?" is an Interrogation to which
there has been emphatic and favorable
response from Eastern Shore farm
ers and business men.
So definite is this desire to remedy
present economic conditions, and so
numerous are the requests for clear
picture of what is proposed, that a
meeting (Friday, September 23) to
draft a tentative program which will
fully comply with the legal and bank
ing statues governing all cooperative
organizations.
At this conference in which Federal
and State representatives will be pre-
sent, an effort will be made to draft
a program which will meet all mod
ern requirements, and basically will
be a Producers program.
AS soon as this tentative program
is in proper shape, it will be placed
before the producers for their consid-
Grafton and action, as well as those
agencies which are affiliated with
the farmers in producing and selling
their crops and others who are direct
ly dependent upon the farm income
for their success.
Intermingled with the general de-
mand to "do something, there is a
healthy, alert inquiry, as this to be
real cooperative movement"
In a casual survey of opinion "a
mong the business men, as well as the
farmers in the two counties, it is re-
vealed that most of the producers
have the attitude that they can set
up their own cooperative marketing
association if given free hand, and
are definitely self-confident that they
can make it work. However, until
they secure complete assurance that
it is going to be producer-controlled
marketing program and not merely
a transient Association, or clearing
house, they are preserving an atti-
tude of watchful waiting.
There seems to be no question rails
ed by any groups as to the need of
reform in certain practices, but there
is an insistent demand from the farm
ers that the program must assure
them of materially better returns for
their produce, and that there can and
must be a reduction in the present
high cost of marketing. Conserva-
tive men believe that such practices
as have made Shore farming unprofit-
able to the producer should be eliml-
mated. No alternate plan appears
feasible, or has been suggested to
them as compared to sound coopera-
tive marketing program.
Following the meeting (Friday),
there will be conferences in which
farmers, business men, selling agen-
cies, fertilizer companies and supply
dealers will discuss the tentative pro-
gram in all its details. There will be
subsequent group meetings at which
CIlGTO Will NC OpCll OloCOoolOll OAAOSCOu
towards the final establishment of
democratically-g organization
for the selling of Eastern Shore farm
commodities.
This attitude of willingness to work
for a program of cooperative market
ing has been expressed by many who
are not actively engaged in farming.
In the words of one of the oldest busi-
ness men on the Shore, eve don't
want to go back to the late Nineties,
when market prices and cut-throat
competition brought most of the pro-
ducers to the door of bankruptcy. 1t is
up to tn business elements to carefully
consider and whole-heartedly support
any sound cooperative marketing pro-
gram set up by the farmers of the
Eastern Shore of Virginia"