The Key West citizen. [volume] (Key West, Fla.) 1879-current, 1945-03-31
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ment and attaining the Presi.
dents goal of 60,OOO,OOO jobs.
The new loan administrator
was discussing the postwar per-
lod and used the 60,00O,O 900 job
llgure only as a statement of a
goal He favors a higher national
Income than we ever had in
peacetime. with higher prices for
agriculture, higher wages for
workers and profits for business.
We thoroughly approve the
general principles outlined by
Mr. VinsOn, whose appointment
as Federal Loan Administrator
hardly raised a ripple on the pol
itlcal sea. His detectives, how
ever, are practically identical
with those espoused by Secretary
of Commerce Wallace.
Mr.. Vinson quite properly
stressed the fact that he intends
TO follow the law closely and
take his policies from Congress.
This is the proper attitude for an
administrative official and, in
fact, is the attitude adopted by
the vast majority of the men
who compose the executive de-
partment of our government.
Why Do Food Prices Soar
Between Farms And Cities
The late Hampton P. Fulmer,
who was chairman of the House
Committee on Agriculture, in
stigated an investigation to dis
cover why the consumer pays
several times as much for food
as the farmers receive for pro-
ducing it.
The idea of the Congressman
is being kept alive by his sue
cessor, Rep. John w. Flanagan,
Jr., of Virginia. who points out
that last year the Federal Trade
Commission, after making a sur
vey in 1886, reported that con-
sumers are paying from three to
ten times the price received by
farmers.
Mr. Fulmer's idea, as we I'M
derstand it, was an up-to-date
marketing system from rural reg
ions through local, state and ma
tional agencies, under a farm
cooperative program that would
provide facilities for proper grad
ing, storage and other essential
services.
MIR. Flanagan points out that
every time a handling charge is
added to a farm product, after it
leaves the farms, the charge
comes off the farm price or is
added TO the consumers cost. He
thinks that an efficient farm
marketing system would bring
the farmer and the consumer
closer together and says that
both groups should be rescued
from the existing system. 4
We have no doubt Of the fact
that excessive handling of farm
products has added unnecessary
increases to the cost Of food and
we suspect that what the farmers
receives for most of his food
crops Is adversely affected by
close cooperation between those
who buy them, handle them and
pass them along to the public.
We hope the investigation will
be- pushed and that Mr.. Flanna-
gan will take every precaution
to prevent any undue pressure
being applied to the inquiry. Ger
talnly, without the investigation
no man can definitely assert that
farmers and consumers are be-
ing taken to ride but there are
signs that such shakedoWn is
underway. '.
OF course, growers of food
crops should not get the idea that
all the money added to the price
paid by the consumer represents
Profits. There are distinct Serv-
ices rendered by some middle
men and if they were not func-
tioning the grower would have
10 render the service and charge
for it. An investigation, intelG-
gently conducted, will give us
the facts, which is the first step
IN securing the remedy.