62 THE AGRICULTURAL BLOC 



ington received $587. It was stated in a hearing 

 that even if the flour was given to the baker 

 his bread would still cost 7 cents a loaf. 



While the price of a single pair of shoes may 

 keep one person in bread for a year, the hide 

 of a steer a year and a half to two years old 

 supplying enough leather for six or eight pairs 

 of $12 shoes, brought the farmer only about 

 $5. A pair of calfskin shoes frequently cost 

 more than the farmer got for the live calf, 

 hide and all. Somebody in between got what 

 is paid for the veal, while the calfskin alone 

 would make several pairs of shoes. These 

 inequalities in prices and values in costs are 

 due in many cases to increased middlemen's ser- 

 vices which must in some manner be reduced if 

 the real remedy is to be developed. 



The farmer's attempt at the solution of these 

 distributive problems, through the organization 

 of better marketing systems under his own con- 

 trol, met with opposition from commission men 

 and others who have sought to drive farmers 

 from the field of distribution. When Ohio 

 farmers who were selling milk actually below 

 the cost of production attempted to practice 

 collective bargaining, they were arrested and 

 thrown into jail on the charge that they were 



