656 'JA\■^xsACT]o^'s of the Americas lysTiTUTE. 



"what the iiiinives might be. It worked, and the honest Jersey man 

 was shorn of his liard-won thousands, while the ring chuckled. 

 Such are some of the abuses in the New York market system. 

 Your committee has no sure cure, no patent medicine for these ills. 

 But we wish to fix the attention of farmers to the subject, that they 

 may combine for their protection. AVe recommend : 1. A thoroughly 

 honest packing on the part of the producer ; no decayed potatoes 

 with the sound ; no frowy butter in the pail with good ; no light 

 weights ; no weeds in clover hay ; no thick plank at the bottom of 

 the half-bushel. Let the farmer inform himself as to the houses 

 that make a special business of handling what he has to ship, and be 

 reasonably sure of their solvency and good repute. 3. Your com- 

 mittee recommend that farmers form clubs in every considerable 

 village, and send their most vigilant and capable man, paying his 

 car fare, if necessary, and recpiesting him to inform himself accu- 

 rately of the best men in the produce and marketing business. 

 4. There is need of some bureau or committee, or commissioner of 

 some description, whose busiiiess it should be to give such represen- 

 tatives of farmers' unions the information they need. In a city 

 where it is reputed that every man has his price, where offense's 

 gilded hand may shove by justice, the farmers may find it difficult 

 to secure a friend too keen to be hoodwinked, not afraid to speak a 

 wholesome, though unwelcome truth, too lofty to soil his fingers 

 witli a percentage ; but the producing class of this country need such 

 friends more than they need a senator or a minister to the court of 

 St. James. 



The Chairman. — This report is not final. The committee on mar- 

 kets Avill continue their good Avork and show up all the M-rongs and 

 mischiefs of our system. We hope they will in tlieir wisdom hit 

 upon some happy exit from all our troubles. 



Mr. Thomas Cavanagh. — I hope they will make an effort for the 

 repeal of an unjust law made in the interest of New York middle- 

 men, wliich authorizes the police to order the farm wagons out of 

 our streets after eight o'clock in tlie morning. Another rascality that 

 ought to be shown up is this. If a boat comes to the wharf with 

 a good cow or a good lot of produce on board, some runner will get 

 on deck and engage his article at a fair figure. Then the owner will 

 refuse genuine offers till the market grows dull. At last, after Avait- 

 ing half a day for the " gentleman " Avho first spoke, he sells low, 

 and goes home quite beat out with tlie evil practices of tliis bad city. 



