63 



your products and have profited thereby, but where a few 

 have accomplished this thousands are less fortunately situat- 

 ed and less fortunately equipped that cannot do likewise, and 

 it is to this great body that th6 commission merchant is ab- 

 solutely necessary, and I am not sure but what the best net 

 results would be given if all products were handled through 

 the commission merchant. The commission merchant is in- 

 dispensable because in no other practical way can the thou- 

 s.inds of packages that daily pour into our markets be quick- 

 ly and directly delivered to the ultimate destination of 

 consumption. Years of training and observation are re- 

 quired to accomplish this. The commission man must know 

 his buyer, must know the financial standing of his buyer, 

 he must know the goods and know the values thereof, 

 friends, fruit and produce salesmen are not made in a day. 

 More than an oily tongue is necessary to quickly sell tho 

 products of the farm and orchard. In my opinion there 

 must always be a class of merchants whose function it shall 

 be to receive from the farm and orchard the products there- 

 of and with skill direct the distribution of the same. None 

 are better fitted to do this than the commission man. This 

 sounds a bit egotistical, but what may be suggested as the 

 alternative? Farmers' cooperative stores? Direct sales t^ 

 consumers? Now, let us take up the farmers' cooperative 

 stores analytically. Favorably located stores must be had. 

 skilled labor is necessary, capital is essential. In short, 

 farmers' cooperative stores must incur all the expenses now 

 incident to the commission merchant's business, which 

 amounts to quite 75 per cent, of the commission earned. T 

 ask, would a saving of one quarter of the commission paid 

 compensate you for the added cares and risks that w^ould 

 attend operating cooperative .stores? As to direct sales to 

 consumers I can only speak of the experience of those who 

 have tried it; complaints of breakage, loss of contents, de- 

 lays, collections of bills, all contributed to the impractica- 

 bility. Analysis of alternatives points to the legitimacy of 

 the commission merchant. I contend that the commission 



