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Show ! DAY HAS NOT ARRIVED FOR ABOLITION H OF THE MIDDLEMAN . H H Many and devious arc the methods devised to H H shorten the route from the farm to the table. H H But most of them don't fit in with the conveni- H ence of tho consumer nor the necessity of the H H producer. 'For instance, one state official has H H made the suggestion that farmers set up signs H H alongside- the roads, and indicating thereon what HlHJ - they have for sale. Autoists from the city could H H then see at a glance what they could purchase j from farms as they passed. Hj H In isolated instances this probably would be a H M good plan. The Sun doubts, however, whether H it would be of general utility. At the best, about Hj II 5 per cent of the farm produce could be disposed H flK of in that manner. Tho main difficulty lies in K y the fact that the truck farmer cannot tnke H IJ chances on selling his stuff in that manner. P I When things arc ripe they have got to be sold, B and he is perfectly willing to sell to automobile H El parties if they put in an appearance, But he H n N can't risk spoiling his produce to wait, even with H 9 .a signboard alongside tho road. PH 8 He will probably rush them to town and take PH jH lesVi from a middleman than ho could get from PH Hj automobile parties if they arrived. That's why PPJ tho middleman existshe is in close touch with PPJ M th'e great body of (onsumers and furnishes a PPJ II ready ;narket on a large scale. That isn't saying, PH IJ liowever, that tho middleman should be a specu- PPJ U lator'or a profiteer. He's entitled to a reason- PH fj nble return for his service to producer and con- H w eumer. Ppi IK Thday may come when wc will be able to get PH gloiiwithout him. But it is not iiere yet. |