HINDRANCES 47 



our farms. It has resulted in an over supply of 

 men for the various businesses, trades, profes- 

 sions, common labor, and the founding of all man- 

 ner of devices and schemes for the eking out of 

 an existence with all their attending crimes and 

 evils. It has given us the excess of middlemen 

 and thus presented one of the alleged problems 

 and hindrances to the business of farming. An 

 ample supply of middlemen is a necessity and a 

 benefit to the business of farming; but an over 

 supply leads to the practice of dishonest tricks 

 of trade, resorted to by so many of the commission 

 men whose ranks are so over crowded that some 

 of their number must resort to dishonesty in or- 

 der to live. 



We hear it said so often that "the time has 

 come in this land of ours when more men must 

 be producers and fewer live on the work of those 

 who do produce. " This is good philosophy, but 

 what would happen if all men were producers! 

 From whence would we secure the people to con- 

 sume our products! What we most need is the 

 removal of the barriers thrown between the pro- 

 ducer and the consumer the barrier of exces- 

 sive freight, the exacting, dishonest commission 

 men, wholesaler, and retailer. And we need the 

 betterment of labor conditions so that the labor- 

 ing men of our cities may receive a living wage, 

 for he is the great consumer of farm products. 

 So when you put these farm products at his door 

 and at the right price, and he is receiving ample 

 wages, he will purchase them in such quantities 

 that the farm will have to hump itself to produce 

 them. Our produce will command the price that 



