TWENTIETH ANNUAL MEETING. 211 



The specialist can cut many corners. Aside from those 

 already mentioned, he can market his crops at a lower cost of 

 transportation. He is known and recognized by the large 

 dealers who pay high prices for large lots of uniformly packed 

 produce than for small, irregidar quantities. He would thus 

 be able to sell direct to dealer and avoid commission men, who 

 are believed by many farmers to be an important factor in 

 making their profits uncertain. 



Some of the claims made by shippers being : That, while 

 in most cases honest returns on the basis of cash received is 

 not questioned by the shipper, it is sometimes charged that 

 the receiver fails to take proper interest in securing top prices 

 for him. This may be true in many cases, while in others 

 due to a biased opinion of the grower in favor of his goods, 

 or to a lack of knowledge on his part of what constituted the 

 market standard of first quality on the day his shipment was 

 sold. Another complaint is that some commission dealers who 

 also buy and sell produce on their own account, sometimes 

 make low priced leaders of commission goods, on the strength 

 of which they hope to make larger sales or greater profits on 

 the goods they own. 



And again, it has been said that in the case of a rising 

 market, returns are sometimes made the shipper at market 

 prices on day shipment was received, while the same goods 

 were in the possession of the receiver several days later, and 

 being sold at an advanced price. Whether these statements 

 are well founded or otherwise, there is certainly need of 

 closer business friendship between grower and commission 

 dealer, but such a change is unlikely to develop except through 

 progressive and specialized eflforts on the part of the former. 

 As commission men are human, and therefore not infallible 

 it is not to be expected that where the opportunity is so great 

 some will take dishonest advantage of shippers ; this, however, 

 should not lead to the belief that honest commission men are 

 not to be found. From my own experience with such dealers, 

 I can say that I have found and dealt with many whom I 

 believe to be absolutelv honest ; of others with whom I have 



