OCR Text |
Show CONSUMER'S MONEY WANTED Co-Operatlve Selling Is Live and Burn. Ing Question Many Such Organizations Organ-izations Are Expected. The question of the hour from the farmers' standpoint seems to be bow to get farm products from the producer pro-ducer to the consumer with less expense ex-pense so that the producer may receive re-ceive a larger share of what the consumer con-sumer pays, even though the consumer consum-er should pay less than what he Is now paying. This has been a fruitful theme for discussion at every farmers' farm-ers' meeting we have attended this winter. Furthermore, we note that it Is an assigned topic at most institute meeings In this and other states. The high cost of living by high priced food products has not in a general way advanced ad-vanced the price of farm products when increased cost of production Is taken into account, because It must bo remembered that labor costs more thsn It did formerly on the farm. Other things which the farmer needs in order to enable him to produce crops and live, costs much more than formerly, so that even though be dots receive more money now for crops than be did several years ago, he is not much better off. If, then, this tremendous tax of getting get-ting his crops to the ultimate consumer consum-er could be lessened he would realize more than what now Is the case. The co-operative selling Is a live and burning question and we expect to see such organizations established In every community. The government at Washington has saen the necessity for action along this line, and are endeavoring en-deavoring to furmulate plans by which such organizations can be established upon uniform plans and working along the same general lines. All these efforts are encouraged and we believe that the farming public generally are ready to support auch associations when It can be ahown that the methods upon which they are to be operated are businesslike and practical. In this connection we copy some sound logic upon this subject sub-ject by Mr. II. F. Yoakum from the Dry Farming and Rural Homes, aa follows: Mr. Yoakum baa figured that the mechanic who makes plows, hoes, harvesters har-vesters and reapers works three hours to earn one dollar; wagon and harness har-ness makers, three and one-half hours, and railroad employes engaged In hauling farm products to market, two and a half hours. The farmer, based on last year's value of all farm products, prod-ucts, works ten hours to earn that dollar. dol-lar. la auch a division of the prduct of labor falrT asks Mr. Yoakum. Have the men whom these six and one-half million farm owners elected to represent repre-sent them in congress given them due consideration? A farmer when be bas raised bis crop bas performed only half bis duty; the other balf is selling, which determines deter-mines bis profit for the year's work. It Is Just as Important for the agricultural agricul-tural producer to know what the markets mar-kets are as it Is for the lumberman, the coal and ore producers, or the manufacturer to know what his goods are worth In the market and what competition be must meet In bis selling. sell-ing. It would be possible to organize the entire truck growing territory of the aouthwest into tones of distribution and to control the output in auch a way as to prevent congestion and wasteful prices by overcrowding the markets. In reducing the high cost of selling we have one of the biggest questions that must be answered in formulating a constructive program for the betterment better-ment of agricultural citizenship in this nation. It Is a good basis upon which to proceed to save as far as possible the CO cents on the dollar, as ahown by the department of agriculture as an unnecessary wasteful expense In passing products from the producer to the consumer. |