Thirty-sixth Annual Convention 903 



situations needing attention, and prepared at all times to suggest, 

 to aid, and to instruct. 



Such things are proper functions of your association, and their 

 practical and successful working out will demonstrate the true 

 usefulness of your organization. 



Then, aside from the production of pure, clean and healthful 

 products, your association must very properly concern itself with 

 the economic problems of the transportation and distribution of 

 these products to the consumer. This must be done in self 

 protection, for, having once turned out a superior article, for the 

 quality of which the state holds you more or less responsible, 

 you should demand that those other agencies that intervene be- 

 tween you and the protected consumer shall be held equally ac- 

 countable for good service, careful handling and a delivery in 

 good condition. And even more, you should see that this is done 

 in a manner and by methods that eliminate every unnecessary 

 expense or unfair profit, to the end that the consumer's needs 

 may be served at the lowest possible cost consistent with a fair 

 price, a price commensurate with the cost of production. 



Producers of farm food stuffs of all kinds have given too little 

 attention in the past to these problems of transportation and dis- 

 tribution, and just now they are receiving a good deal of attention 

 as very important factors in the high cost of living. The whole 

 problem of marketing and market facilities and agencies needs 

 most careful study and a thorough overhauling. We know abuses 

 exist, we know that methods are too indirect, we know that there 

 is too wide a discrepancy between the price we receive and the 

 price the consumer pays. But how shall we correct these things? 

 Here is a broad field for cooperative effort on sane and practical 

 lines. Dairymen have proven the success of cooperative effort in 

 the producing end of their business. Why not apply the same 

 methods to the marketing end ? Some practical plan, truly co- 

 operative, that shall bring producer and consumer into closer ref- 

 lation will not only save unnecessary expense and unearned profits, 

 but make for a better mutual understanding and feeling between 

 the two most interested parties. 



I believe that for years we have been putting all our forces, and 

 the state, by means of education and extension work, has been 



