HINDRANCES 59 



"But his ensuing trip to the draper's for enough homespun 

 cloth to provide him with a winter suit, atoned for the high 

 price of the grain for he found that stout homespun cloth 

 was selling at twelve cents an ell, or nine and three-fifths 

 cents a yard. 



"The farmer had no trouble in carrying his wares home in 

 his wagon. For the wagon was large. He had driven it to 

 London full of firewood, and this wagon load of wood he had 

 sold for thirteen cents. 



"The foregoing prices are all accurate. The high cost of 

 living had not yet hit England. For, you see, all this hap- 

 pened several years ago. 



"In fact, it was the beginning of the sixteenth century." 



There are abuses in the marketing of products 

 that must be corrected even if resort to coopera- 

 tion that results in loss, becomes necessary. 



For instance, there are commission men in 

 scores of cities who solicit consignments of pro- 

 duce which they agree to sell as choice products, 

 and at the highest prices that can be obtained. 

 However, when farmers get their returns for pro- 

 duce shipped, language is used not conducive either 

 to the spread of religion or strict belief in the nat- 

 ural law of supply and demand. Produce of the 

 choicest quality is shipped these commission men, 

 the returns from which do not meet the cost of 

 production, and in many cases the shippers are 

 called upon to pay alleged losses. The excuse of 

 "overstocked markets " is made to cover a multi- 

 tude of sins committed by these commission men. 



A recent investigation in New York City re- 

 vealed criminal conditions. The truckers of Long 

 Island had been shipping their produce to these 

 New York City commission men,' with not enough 

 returns to pay expenses, and they received so 



