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Show CO-OPERATIVE BUYING BY CONSUMERS. Co-oporativo buying by consumers is a system that has been tested with too much success In many parts of Europe to make necessary foolish or half-considered argumenL With characteristic char-acteristic Jorulneas for panaceas, we are inclined to discover In every experiment ex-periment results that stagger the mind. A western city throws open the municipal park to food venders and Immediately price? drop by 50 per cent. The representatives of a farmers' co-oporatlve movement In Pennsylvania complain of the vast profits' that go to the middleman Tho latter may, indeed, take more than he Is ontitled to. but what proof Is It to adduce the facts that tbo farmer geLs only ?2G,000.000 for products that thv consumers pay 40,000.000 for or that only one-half the money paid for "'ggs by-consumer- reaches the farra- or' i"ei sohoolbo. with a, smattering smatter-ing of economics hns learned the meaning of place value antt the Im-Kfrtauco Im-Kfrtauco of railroads We pay four times aa much for, a ton of coal as It costa at tlie mine, but in the case of coal tho elomont of carriago ! obvious. It is present In all commodities. commod-ities. The question Is not what (he difference is between tho price paid bv tho ultimate consumer and the price obtained by the producer, but whother tho prolits of tho middleman and cnrrlei- aro moro than lby should be New "York Eenlng PobI, |