Newspapers / The Carolina Union Farmer … / April 10, 1913, edition 1 / Page 8
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Page Eight THl OABOUHA UNION FASMES E,, E - :! I 1' -'ii It’' WHERE THE PRODUCER COMES IN. Prices received by producers of the United States for staple crops aver aged about 22 per cent lower on March 1 than on that date a year ago; about 10 per cent lower than in 1911; 19 per cent lower than in 1910, and 10 per cent lower than on March 1, 1909. The average of prices in creased one-sixteenth of one per cent from February 1 to March 1 this . year. A year ago the increase for the same period was 3.2 per cent, and an average increase of 1.9 per cent during February of the last five years. The above figures would present a strange contrast to the cry of the high cost of living during the past three years if there were not other factors that play a more important part in the cost of living than the prices paid to producers for staple crops. The staple crops are sold as raw materials and the great bulk of them must pass through a more or less extensive process of manufactur ing before being ready for the final consumer. There has been no decrease in the number of unnecessary middle-men handling raw materials between the producer and manufacturer. And the unnecessary distributing agencies be tween manufacturer and consumer will never be less than they are at present until they are forced out by a reform that will establish as nearly as possible a direct economical meth od of distribution. Direct market ing and direct distribution of raw materials and manufactured prod ucts would eliminate a great army of millions of men who are now living off the labors of the producers and consumers and adding nothing to the wealth of our country. They are parasites sucking their wealth from the blood of two classes, the producers and the consumers; and these classes make up the bulk of our population. Understand that I speak of unnecessary middle-men and more than half of them could well be eliminated. The manufacturer converts the raw materials into the finished products and thereby enhances its value. This is a necessary expense attaching to all raw materials that require manu facturing before being consumed and this includes the great bulk of all crops. But manufacturers have combined to form monopolies and thereby ar bitrarily fix prices on their products. This is an artificial and oftentimes an Illegitimate increase in the cost to the consumer because the value or usefulness of the commodity is not correspondingly increased, and it does not depend upon the natural law of supply and demand. The National Government has been trying in a way to break up these unrighteous monopolies, but so far it has not resulted in relieving the consumers from the burden of fic titious values. We may hope for re lief when the tariff wall is broken down and some of the trust magnates are sent to the penitentiary. While the manufacturers have re sorted to illegal combinations that they might exact unjust and unearn ed tribute from the consumers, the distributers have made use of meth ods equally as Indefensible, unjust and not right. They have establish ed an unnecessarily expensive meth od of distribution and maintain and enforce it by unlawful means, the boycott. Through the power of their organizations they prevent the manu facturer, and the wholesaler as well, from selling direct to the consumers, even in large quantities and for cash! This rule is enforced against manu facturers and wholesale dealers of fertilizers, farm implements and ve hicles, hardware, clothing, shoes, gro ceries, etc. Some manufacturers are selling their products now under fic titious firm names to the farmers’ 'vt'arehouse companies to avoid boy cott by merchants. I happen to know that just re cently the approval of contracts for several hundred tons of fertilizer to be delivered direct from.the manu facturer to the farmers for cash was held up by the home office of the company pending an investigation. Other contracts of the very same character had just been approved. It became known later that two or three merchant dealers had communi cated with the manufacturer and, we presume, had threatened to boycott his goods. It may be said in defense of the action of these merchants that they were simply living up to the rules of their organizations and protecting their own Interests, but it was a threatened boycott in restraint of trade to the extent of preventing a manufacturer from selling direct to the consumers. Of course, transportation is an item of expense that must be met. It ob tains between producer and manufac turer and from manufacturer to con sumer. It is a necessary expense. When the rates are just and equit able no one will complain; but in North Carolina the rates have been discriminating and unnecessarily high. It is to be hoped that the committee appointed by the Legisla ture will secure from the railroads rates that are fair and reasonable. This article was begun by a state ment of the fall in prices of farm crops. No attempt has been made to explain the reasons therefor. We wanted to show that the farmers are not responsible for the high cost of living. He gets only forty cents out of the consumers’ dollar; the other sixty goes to a part or all of these other agencies. The majority of far mers are not making any money be yond a scant living. These other classes with the bankers are gather ing in the wealth of the country, a generation ago the farmers owned nine-tenths of the wealth of the na tion; to-day they own less than four- tenths. H. Q. ALEXANDER. Saves Seed Half [Thursday, April 10, 1013. the Labor of Planting Plants Cotton, Com, Peas, Beans, Peanuts and other seed. Applies Guano at same time. Gives Cotton a Quick Start— 2 Chances At a Big Crop. At one trip it smooths the bed, opens a furrow, mixes guano with the soil The Cole Planter No. 7 below the seed for cot ton just above the seed for corn—the way it oughtto be. prev^'!ft!.e*rrti’r ‘be seed fn 'ert'lizer being too strong and injuring their power to grow. Just as soon as the seed sprouts the young plant IS stimulated and fed. ^ any other time. Your crop grows off thrifty and vigorous «uff ‘ban puny, slow-growing dav ^ "’“'e -very planting day by distributing guano while planting .v,th the Cole.^ j Coulter breaks the crust —throwing the ‘b® middles. The long^stx-' sword presses out a firm V shaped furrow. hen J.h ®.if“"’P’ '"“‘b ‘° become compact just beneath the seed, creating what is known as capillary at- Box 900 The Cole moisture from the earth to the T’’® ' a°l® ®“"a "’“'®b. that retains mois ture around the seed. The co^tton comes up in a straight line without bunches. Thus it can be chopped to a sund much faster Uon^ess'^^'^ accurately, making the cost of cultiva- The Cole is economical on seed—gives you a quick even stand with as few seed as it is safe to plan" '^bor will more than pay for the machine the first season. Write Us for Catalogue and Name of Dealer rh.ny'K® and get the name of a home mer- chact who can supply you with a Cole Planter, backed br a double guarantee. Buy direct (freight prepaid) at low- est cash price i f you prefer. Mfg. Co. Charlotte, N. C. fflITS Made To Measure $10.50 up. A NEW SIDE SHOW. Tommy had been to the circus with his father and was telling moth er all about it. “But,” he said regretfully, “there was one side show we didn’t see.” ‘How do you know you didn’t?” asked his mother. “Well,” explained Tommy, “just as we were leaving I heard Mr. Jones tell papa that he’d better stick around so as to see some of the pretty chickens.”—The Popular Mag azine. ress or Parcel t Charges Paid IT WNOIESAIE FKES TO HEMBERS Of Ask the Secretary of your Local to show you our line of woolen samples. If he hasn’t it, write to us at once. We will send it to you FREE. Fit and satisfaction absolutely 'guaranteed. No risk to you. Practically every Division of the F. E «& C. U. of A. has made contract with us, and we refer to the officials, or to the Corn Exchange National Bank, Chicago, Capital and Surplus, Seven Million Dollars. Bacon “This paper says there is a spring In Nevada whose waters taste like chicken soup.” Egbert—“Well. I’ve often had chicken soup that tasted like spring I water.”—Ex. TAR HEEL SKETCHES. (Continued from page 1.) town, and predict that he was mak ing a bad move, but 1 have never known that kind of farmer to fall in other lines of business activity. It requires closer economy and better business management to farm suc cessfully than in almost any other occupation.” Thft lawyer was then running a six-horse farm and im proving It every year and he knew what he was talking about. The Idea that farming as a whole can become a successful business without a sane and sensible co-operative marketing system will always remain as It Is now—an empty dream. Producers & Consumers Alliance (r"™!) Chicago Feed Your Cotton What It Needs lafgeSts. S®* big Virginia-Carolina High-Grade Fertilizers I Virginia-Carolina immaCainlinaM Chemical Co. ^iempQ' Co: “ Box 1117 RICHMOND - VIRGINIA
The Carolina Union Farmer (Charlotte, N.C.)
Standardized title groups preceding, succeeding, and alternate titles together.
April 10, 1913, edition 1
8
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