No. 4.] RIGHTS OF THE PRODUCER. 109 



diiccr and consumer will bo brought together, the rights of 

 each established, and our institutions made secure, because 

 faith will inspire, hope quicken and brotherly love sweeten 

 the hours of toil and strengthen the spirit of devotion to 

 the highest conception of loyal American manhood. 



Secretary Ellswoktii. Mr. Chairman, I would like to 

 add a word. I was at a banquet at the \Yaldorf Astoria last 

 fall, given by the president of a western railroad. President 

 Brown of the iSTew York Central Railroad gave a very ex- 

 haustive and w^onderfully written paper that he had pre- 

 pared, to show just how production was not keeping up with 

 the increased population. Following that, Dr. H, W. Wiley 

 said, " That is all right, Mr. President, but when you pay 

 us for increased production we will increase it. We have 

 millions of acres of land in the United States that isn't 

 worked because it doesn't pay to work it." It isn't very 

 often that you have two after-dinner speakers contradicting 

 each other at the same place, but that was a fact there. Dr. 

 Wiley hit the nail on the head. He said, " A farmer, having 

 steers, sells them for 9 cents a pound, and for the steak he 

 must pay $0.75 or $1.50 a poimd on the table." The middle- 

 man has to be supported. It is necessary to have some mid- 

 dlemen, but the large cities have 10-story blocks full of 

 people who are living on the farmers. How is that going to 

 be changed ? That is the problem, and the most excellent pa- 

 per by Dr. Twitchell gives us the entering wedge. It is 

 largely by co-operation. And how" can you get the people to 

 co-operate ? They will do it when they are obliged to. We 

 are very independent people. He referred to the Oregon 

 fruit growers. I have been there on two different occasions. 

 I visited the Hood River Apple Growers' Association this 

 last year, and their system has made for those people a very 

 handsome profit. Before that system was adopted they were 

 helpless. They couldn't sell their products to advantage. 

 They were growing apples 3,000 miles from the principal 

 markets. The shippers and the sellers were taking all there 

 was in it. They organized an association. They put $50,- 

 000 into the association. About 80 per cent of all the 



