No. 6. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE. 46^ 



All other industries are at the mercy of the great calling, till- 

 ing the soil. The issue of the day is better government for local or- 

 ganizations. Local farm organizations have been started in many 

 places and have proven beneticiai; with few exceptions the farmer 

 has not received his portion of the dollar in the disposal of his pro- 

 ducts, as yet these organizations have more efficient buyers than 

 sellers. The most direct road to dispense with the middlemen's 

 profit, is through more direct buying from the manufacturers, this 

 end of the problem has been fairly well solved. 



The Lancaster County Farmers' Association which we started five 

 years ago, was of very humble origin, the first season ending in 

 1911. Thoy did a business of |1 22,000.00, paid 5% on the capital 

 stock and conducted the business on a 2^% basis. They have capi- 

 talized at 175,000.00 and have 1,000 members in good standing, 



A very important feature of this organization is that all business 

 is done on a cash basis. It is the duty of the General Manager to 

 receive prices on all lines of goods to be purchased. If any mem- 

 ber refuses to pay cash, he is denied the privileges of the associa- 

 tion and cannot deal with it. 



This organization has a main office, with four branches, its 1,000 

 members ordering all goods through the General Manager; but 

 each branch is responsible for its own indebtedness and should any 

 of the branches fail it cannot in anv wav affect anv of the other 

 branches. 



At present two of the branches here built substantial brick build- 

 ings for stores, costing about $1,000 each, the two branches carry- 

 ing about 118,000.00 worth of goods needed on the farm, coal, feed, 

 flour, seeds, oils, implements and farm machinery in general. You 

 can buy nearly everything needed on the farm from a tack to a four- 

 horse wagon. As mentioned before the way to eliminate the middle- 

 men is by direct selling to the consumer. If the members of an 

 organization, like the one in Lancaster county, would unite in dis- 

 posing of their crops in carloads, having some responsible man to 

 whom to ship to regularly, it certainly would be of immense benefit 

 to the producer. 



The thousand members could create a demand for first-class pro- 

 ducts, and to a great extent, solve the problem of dividing the 

 dollar between the producer and consumer, without the assistance 

 of the much talked of middlemen. 



But in selling direct as "well as purchasing there are many prob 

 lems of importance to be met, and right here is where the public 

 schools are deficient in not giving the pupils an education on a 

 more substantial bread-winning basis. Had the new school code 

 of Pennsylvania given us this much needed training for the men and 

 women of the future, we might excuse the remainder of that vol- 

 uminous document. 



In direct selling, there must be a confidence established between thfr 

 seller and purchaser, of the highest standing; and great care should, 

 be taken that this confidence should never be misplaced. 



Oh I hail the day, for it is near at hand, when the onward move- 

 ment of Local Farm Organization will be heard all along the land,, 

 and the elements of resistance that are defying our advance, will' 

 listen and take warning, when many of the shackles "wM, be c,aj8.*c 

 asnndtr. 



