1912. 
THE RUR A-I> NEW-YORKER 
686 
THAT 35-CENT DOLLAR. 
A Conference of Interested People. 
At the last annual meeting of the New 
York State Agricultural Society a resolu¬ 
tion was adopted calling for a conference 
of delegates representing producers’ and 
consumers’ organizations throughout the 
State with a view of bringing producers 
and consumers closer together, with a view 
to the cheaper distribution of food pro¬ 
ducts through cooperative methods. Fur- 
suant to the call of President George W. 
Sisson, the conference was held at the New 
York Board of Trade and Transportation 
rooms, 203 Broadway, New York City, 
April 19-20. Among the organizations 
represented were the following: 
N. Y. State Agricultural Society. 
Growers and Shippers Exchange, Roches¬ 
ter, N. Y. 
Western N. Y. Horticultural Society, 
Rochester, N. Y. 
N. Y. Vegetable Growers’ Association, 
Ilion, N. Y. 
Long Island Cauliflower Association, 
Mattituck, L. 1. 
Long Island Potato Exchange, River- 
head. L. I. 
Bermuda Green Vegetable Growers’ Asso¬ 
ciation. 
Monmouth County Farmers’ Exchange, 
Freehold, N. J. 
Hudson River Fruit Exchange,, Milton, 
N. Y. 
State Grange, Patrons of Husbandry. 
Pomona Grange, Ulster Co., N. Y. 
Gienwood Cooperative Stores Co., Brook¬ 
lyn, N. 1'. 
Montclair Cooperative Stores, Montclair, 
N. .1. 
American Cooperative Stores, Ridgefield 
Park, N. J. 
Housewives’ League, N. Y. City. 
Citizens’ Food Committee, N. Y. City. 
Cooperative League of New York. 
Flatbush Taxpayers’ Association, Brook¬ 
lyn. N. Y. 
Tribune Farmer. 
The Bubal New-1'orker. 
American Agriculturist. 
Agricultural Department New York Cen¬ 
tral Railroad. 
Agricultural Education Association of 
Southern New York. 
Long Island College of Agriculture. 
N. Y. State College of Agriculture. 
Columbia University Department of Agri¬ 
culture. 
N. Y. Association for Improving the Con¬ 
dition of the Poor. 
Civic Club of the City of New York. 
The discussions developed the encourag¬ 
ing information that consumers are organ¬ 
izing cooperative stores and marketing 
associations with a view to buying food 
supplies and distributing them at a less 
cost than in the wasteful and extravagant 
methods at present in general use; and 
quite as important that producers begin to 
realize the necessity of cooperation among 
themselves to select, grade and ship goods 
ecnomically and in condition to facilitate 
the transportation of farm produce to these 
agencies and other consumers. 
Resolutions were passed demanding a 
parcels and express post, and also request¬ 
ing the city administration to hasten the 
improvement of terminal facilities so that 
farm products could be more promptly and 
more cheaply delivered in the city. The 
establishment of a chain of public wholesale 
and retail markets was also urged upon 
the city authorities. A resolution was also 
adopted calling upon the State Department 
of Agriculture to assist in the encourage¬ 
ment and formation of cooperative or¬ 
ganizations among farmers, and to make 
this work a feature of the farm institute 
work of the State. 
Perhaps the most far-reaching act of the 
conference was the provision for a State 
Committee of Cooperation to consist of 
representatives of the producers’ and con¬ 
sumers’ organizations, labor unions, and 
affiliated institutions, such as the agricul¬ 
tural press, agricultural schools and col¬ 
leges and experiment stations, other edu¬ 
cational and civic institutions and societies 
for social and material improvement. John 
J. Dillon was appointed chairman of this 
committee with authority to arrange with 
the different organizations for represents 
tiou on the committee, and with authority 
to include not only the organizations rep¬ 
resented at the conference, but any or 1 
ganization which in his judgment may be in 
a position to contribute to the interest of 
the work. There is nothing revolutionary 
suggested or intended by this committee. 
No one need expect to get rich through it 
over night. Its first purpose is to study 
the situation and develop a means of a 
short cut between producers and consum¬ 
ers. The producers now get not to ex¬ 
ceed 35 cents of the dollar paid by the 
consumer for his products. The task of 
the committee is to find a way to reduce 
the 65 cents waste, and divide the saving 
between the producer and the consumer. It 
will not be done over night. The reform 
must be slowly developed. It is believed 
that it can be best accomplished through 
local cooperative organizations of producers 
for packing, grading and shipping in the 
country, and through cooperative stores 
and purchasing organizations among the 
consumers in the cities. It will be the 
duty of the committee to help increase 
and perfect these organizations at both 
ends, and then to develop a means of de¬ 
livering the goods from the farm to the 
city home by a more economical svstem than 
now prevails. The conference believes that 
this can be done at a cost less than the 
present 65 per cent of the dollar, and the 
committee will have the task of finding a 
way to do it. We believe it will have the 
cooperation and encouragement of the best 
people throughout the State. 
LARGE PUBLIC QUESTIONS. 
[Editor’s Note. —Under this heading we intend to 
have discussed questions which particularly interest 
country people. Wo do not agree with all that our 
correspondents say, but we shail give men and women 
who possess the courage of conviction an opportunity to 
say what they think about certain things which interest 
country people]. 
Republican Presidential Candidates. 
Since we printed the last report of the 
political opinions of our readers, many 
more have been received. They now rep¬ 
resent over 12,000 voters, scattered over 42 
different States. We doubt if ever before 
was there a clearer expression of tffb 
earnest wishes of country people. Thus far 
the preferences for the Republican candi¬ 
dates may be expressed on the percentage 
basis as follows: 
Roosevelt . 65 
Taft . 15 
La Follette . 10 
Hughes . 10 
There is no question about the fact that 
the great majority of farmers who are 
willing to express themselves at all, de¬ 
sire a progressive candidate. These re¬ 
plies were grouped in three classes; first, 
the enthusiastic or emphatic statements; 
second, opinions from party men who would 
probably support any fair candidate ; third, 
opinions rather non-committal, without a 
keen choice either way. Out of the re¬ 
plies of those who favor Mr. Roosevelt, 
ab'qut one-third would come in the first 
class. In order to learn the real strength 
of feeling of such voters we selected at ran¬ 
dom a number of names from this first class. 
This selection was made by an outside 
party, who knew nothing whatever of the 
people. To these names we sent a second 
letter, asking what these Roosevelt men 
would do in the event of Mr. Taft's nomi¬ 
nation upon a progressive platform. We 
have also approached some of the stronger 
Taft men with the same proposition as ap¬ 
plied to Mr. Roosevelt, and the following 
replies are entirely typical, and as fair as 
we can select them. The object of this 
canvass is not to boom or help any candi¬ 
date whatever, but to give fairly and 
squarely the real feeling among country 
voters. It must be understood that these 
opinions come from farmers who live in the 
country, that they are freely offered, and 
that we have used no favoritism whatever 
in selecting them. 
I have voted the Republican ticket for 
nearly 50 years, and have tried to keep it 
up to the times, but I would not vote 
for Roosevelt under any circumstances 
whatever. I consider him responsible for 
the unrest and anarchy and disrespect 
which is driving on so many of our peo¬ 
ple. In working for the nomination I con¬ 
sider that he has been unfair to Mr. Taft 
in his arguments and has put his campaign 
on a low plane. I would either vote for a 
Democrat against him. or not vote at all. 
New York. d. d. o. 
My choice would be Hughes. I think he 
is the best man ; honest, upright and would 
look for the people's best good. I have al¬ 
ways been ail independent Republican, but 
not afraid to vote for the best man if I 
know who he is. I shall vote for Taft if 
he is nominated, but not for T. Roosevelt. 
Massachusetts. l. p. w. 
I think the most disastrous course the 
progressives could pursue would be to start 
a third ticket or a4 third party in case Mr. 
Taft should be nominated at Chicago. That 
would be like the South seceding from 
the Union to get their rights. I would far 
rather trust Mr. Taft, with the progressives 
of the whole country behind him to urge 
progressive measures, than any reaction¬ 
ary Democratic administration, for the 
Democratic party is hopelessly reactionary. 
I have never seen but one time in my 
life when I thought a third party necessary, 
and that was in 1856. If Mr. Taft is 
nominated I would have the progressives 
work and vote for him and use all their 
power to swing his administration toward 
the progressive line. The old party is yet 
vigorous, the reactionary barnacles can be 
eliminated jujd the common people are the 
Hercules to perform the Augean task. I 
believe the progressive spirit will so elec¬ 
trify the air at the Chicago convention as 
to insure a fairly good progressive platform 
to be written, no matter who is nominated. 
I would write into the platform strong 
planks indorsing parcels post, election of 
Senators by direct vote, election of dele¬ 
gates to national conventions by direct 
primaries, the Pinchot policy of conserva¬ 
tion of natural resources. m. h. b. 
Virginia. 
If Air. Taft is nominated by the Repub¬ 
licans and Gov. Wilson by the Democrats, 
I shall vote for Gov. Wilson, and I am a 
Republican. I cannot say bow many here 
will do the same. Some will. Our State 
magazine, The Vermonter, has this editorial 
note in its last issue: ’’Truth is, we are 
at the parting of the ways. . . . Popu¬ 
lar, not prearranged, government will 
some day come with a rush.” As to a third 
party, I thought Senator La Follette very 
wise in not letting the machine read him 
out of the party in his long fight for 
better government in Wisconsin, and now 
were I a progressive leader, I should think 
very hard before giving up the fight within 
the party. Let them stick to their party 
and to their progressive principles and so 
have the advantage of party name and or¬ 
ganization, and let us of the rank and file 
with our votes attend to the reactionaries. 
I do not believe in taking time to breed 
up a dairy cow from beef stock when I 
can get a Jersey or a Holstein. Could I 
write the Republican platform, first, I 
would bind the party to a direct primary, 
as simple, if possible, and I believe that it 
is easily possible, as mailing a letter. I 
know the advantages of meeting our fellow 
citizens in caucus and convention and dis¬ 
cussing the issues, but mighty little real 
discussion is done now. The precincts are 
too large in tjio country. This year I must 
go nine miles over high hills, and next year 
the other side of the town must come nine 
miles, so few attend caucus, and practically 
only those who hope to gain personal ad¬ 
vantage control the conventions. A simple 
direct primary vote would change this. 
Second, the party should be pledged to ex¬ 
tend civil service rules till only private 
secretaries and a few such officers would 
be exempt from their control, thus ending 
the menace of patronage-bought delegates. 
These two planks, I believe, are at the 
foundation of any real lasting reform in 
party government, and more important 
than anything else. If they were put in 
force, the initiative and referendum would 
be little needed. Of particular measures 
to which the party should be pledged, I 
would have a parcels post as effective as 
the best in Europe—not a mere pretence. 
Next. 1 would put the remaining natural 
resources of our country under such control 
that they should be used for the best good 
of all, not wasted to satisfy the greed of a 
few. Tbe third measure would be a regula¬ 
tion of corporations, made after thorough 
study, and stated so clearly that the terms 
could be understood by any reasonably in¬ 
telligent man. Doubtless there are other 
things, but if these planks could be put in 
the Republican platform, and then reduced 
to action, it would be enough of achieve¬ 
ment for one administration. I may say in 
closing that I find the sentiment of the 
regular party men who have been talking 
for Taft changing very rapidly to Hughes 
as the more available candidate, c. l. l. 
Vermont. 
I have always bad a great admiration 
for Roosevelt, and have believed and do 
believe that he did more for national right¬ 
eousness than any President that we ever 
have had. But I am very sorry that he 
has again entered the political field, for I 
believe that he could do much more good 
as an independent preacher and worker 
for clean government than he can ever do 
in the White House again. And then he 
gave his word that he had had his two 
terms, and in this explanation of his it 
does not seem quite honest. 1 cannot see 
why we should blame Taft so much, for it 
seems to me that he has done about as well 
as any one could with the Congress that 
be has had, for while he nas made many 
mistakes, he has been far ahead of Con¬ 
gress in his advocacy of right. Far better 
would it be for us to put our zeal into 
electing a Rooseveltian Congress. a. t. 
Maine. 
I voted for Taft in 1908 on Roosevelt’s 
recommendation, have no inclination to re¬ 
peat that blunder, and shall not vote for 
Roosevelt except as a last resort. I am in¬ 
clined to choose Wilson over La Follette, 
mainly for the sake of house-cieanlng. It' 
both parties nominate conservatives, 1 shall 
probably vote tbe Socialist ticket, largely 
as a matter of protest. Platforms cut 
mighty little ice with yours truly just now. 
Tbe immediate problem is to get a real 
cleavage between tbe liberals and the con¬ 
servatives. For several campaigns the Re¬ 
publican party has nucleated about the 
protective tariff, and with that issue gone 
I do not see how it can survive the present 
fight. A good many things in various parts 
of the couutry combine to make me think 
that the future struggle will be between 
the Socialises and the Democrats. As 
growth would inevitably tend to make the 
former conservative as compared with their 
collective ownership doctrines of the pres¬ 
ent, that might work out pretty well. Cer¬ 
tainly things are getting more mixed up 
every day. c. M. 
Maine. 
I am not for Taft under any circum¬ 
stances. He is not made of the right ma¬ 
terial for President of the United States. 
I am a progressive Democrat. I am for 
Roosevelt because lie Is preeminently the 
progressive candidate. I do not think it 
necessary or wise to start a third party. 
The progressives should support the pro¬ 
gressive candidate no matter to which party 
he belongs. If I could have niy choice I 
would place the following in the progressive 
platform : A practical parcels post, election 
of Senators by popular vote, publication of 
the names of campaign contributors before 
election, the government ownership of 
telegraphs, telephones and railroads. 
Kentucky. • j. s, p. 
I am a Republican of long standing who 
is without a place to light. Taft is a good 
man, skilled as a pacifier, but not as a gen¬ 
eral. He is entirely too vacillating. Our 
court decisions are doubtless just, in or¬ 
dinary cases, but cater to wealth, whether 
on account of corruption or fear of in¬ 
fluence, I don't know. I want Roosevelt 
first, Osborn, of our State, next, and think 
Hughes is good, but shall support the can¬ 
didate I believe a progressive of tbe first 
water, regardless of party. We are all tired 
of parties, and platform, and political 
blinds, and a lot of us arc looking for 
men; men who will stand by the square 
deal at all times and in ail official posi¬ 
tions. The President is helpless without 
backers. h. h. h. 
Michigan. 
You ask what I would do if Air. Taft 
were nominated. 1 would not support him ; 
it would not make any difference what kind 
of a platform he came out on, I would not 
support him. There is not more than one 
in 10 that will support him here. I don’t 
know whether the time has come for a new 
party or not, but I know somebody will 
be jarred when the election conies off this 
Fall. The platform of the Republican party 
is good euough. but anything in it that 
would be a benefit to the farmer or laboring 
man is simply ignored after election. 
West Virginia. M. L. z. 
I fear Air. Taft will be nominated ; the 
great reason why I was glad to have Air. 
Roosevelt Injected into the campaign was 
that it might so divide the convention that 
an entirely new candidate might emerge 
from the confliction of the different inter¬ 
ests. I still hope that Mr. Roosevelt will 
be strong enough to make the machine sit 
up and take notice. It had not seemed to 
me possible that Air. Bryan could be the 
Democratic candidate again. If he is and 
against Air. Taft, honestly I don’t to-day 
know how T would vote. I have been a 
Republican ever since a kid of four; I re¬ 
member being held in iny father’s arms and 
watching a “wideawake” torchlight pro¬ 
cession during the first Lincoln campaign, 
but r am very averse to voting again for 
Air. Taft, and I fear I shall be one of the 
renegades who will help elect Air. Bryan in 
case it is between those two men. Still, I 
don’t know ! I cannot yet help hoping that 
Mr. Hughes or some man as near like him 
as possible may come out of the deal. 
Should Air. Roosevelt get the nomination 
in all probability I shall vote for him, but 
I feel that his own position in the public 
estimate would be very much higher if lie 
had refused to be a candidate. However, 
if there is one thing l have faith in it is 
in the decision of the people; ever since 
18S2, when I saw a change from 50,000 
Republican for the former Governor of this 
State to nearly 200,000 for Air. Cleveland, 
just because the people were satisfied that 
Air. Folgor got his nomination dishonestly, 
I have always had the utmost confidence 
that the people were apt to be as near 
right as is possible to be. As to the ex¬ 
istence of the Republican party, if the party 
leaders are so blind that they cannot see 
we are not going to put up with the sort 
of party management that has been dished 
up to us so long, it means that we common 
folks have got to get out and let them 
hunt for recruits to take our places. 
New York. K . l. m. 
My judgment may be of little value, but 
I am for Taft, because I am by nature 
somewhat conservative, and it seems to be 
Taft or Roosevelt; and I cun no longer sup¬ 
port the man who in my opinion has al¬ 
ready had tbe office as long as the business 
interests of tlie country could stand him, 
who quarreled with the Senate which has 
ever divided the party of the President, se¬ 
lected Air. Taft as his successor, and has 
now turned against him. Taft is more 
judicial, less for display, and I think more 
sale. I do not like the Wiley episode, am 
with you ou parcels post, and hardly fa¬ 
vored reciprocity, while I hardly like the 
Ballinger incident as I understood it. But 
Roosevelt as well as Taft continued Wilson, 
perhaps for what he had done, and put 
Ballinger into office. Taft only promoted 
him. With Taft’s evident faults, and they 
appear more glaring than the same would 
in Theodore Roosevelt, he seems to me far 
preferable. I admire W. J. Bryan's strong 
Christian character and outspoken position 
on the temperance question, but when nomi¬ 
nated, his issues have been of such a shift¬ 
ing and visionary character that I tear 
him. I now think that I can vote for any 
Democrat being considered, except Harmon, 
rather than Roosevelt. Jf both are nomi¬ 
nated I shall be in a dilemma. it. e. ii 
Ohio. 
EVENTS OF THE WEEK. 
DOAIESTIC.—April 18 Daniel A. Dugan, 
Jr., of Orange, N. J., was sentenced April 19 
to not less than five nor more than 10 years 
in State prison, on charge of manslaughter, 
having killed a boy Christmas Day in an 
automobile accident. This was the heaviest 
sentence, so far imposed in New Jersey for 
an automobile killing. Dugan, who is the 
son of a city judge, was speeding with two 
companions; he first struck a young woman, 
seriously injuring her, then hurried on, 
killing the boy, and sped away, finally, with 
his companions, resisting and assaulting 
the officer who tried to arrest him. lie is 
now out on bail under a writ of error, but 
there is still the charge against him of 
atrocious assault on the young woman in¬ 
jured. 
Two hundred passengers on the steamer 
Earl Grey were rescued from a fate similar 
to that of the passengers on the ill fated 
Titanic by tbe Government steamer Aliuto 
when the Grey went ashore April 17 off 
Cape Bohn, Nova Scotia. The passengers 
and crew were taken to Charlottetown, from 
which port the Earl Grey had sailed. The 
passengers and crew owe their lives to the 
wireless apparatus installed on the steamer. 
The Earl Grey left Charlottetown, Prince 
Edward Island in a dense fog. There was 
a heavy sea rolling, although there was no 
wind. When two miles west of Cape Bohn 
the vessel struck bottom. The engines 
were reversed and an effort was made to 
back the boat off the rocky ledge upon 
which she had become lodged. It was 
found that the vessel was badly damaged 
and was taking water rapidly. Tbe SOS 
message was picked up by the Alinto off 
Caribou Harbor, which went to the rescue 
and saved those on board, though the Earl 
Grey will be a total loss. 
It is stated that the White Star company 
will have to pay .$625,000 to the relatives o*f 
lost seamen under the employers’ liability 
law. The Congressional inquiry, which be¬ 
gan as soon as the Carpathia arrived at 
New York, shows that the discipline on tbe 
Titanic was absolutely maintained, both 
crew and passengers displaying heroism of 
the highest order. The same may be said 
of the rescue ship, the Carpathia, whose 
captain arranged for all details—food, 
blankets, medical attention, etc., with the 
utmost thoughtfulness, including religious 
services, as soon as the shipwrecked per¬ 
sons were received. The wireless opera¬ 
tors on both ships showed great courage 
and devotion to duty, though mere boys 
in age and appearance. The senior opera¬ 
tor on the Titanic died apparently from 
exhaustion when pulled into a lifeboat; he 
and his surviving assistant remained on 
duty until the ship went down. The Car¬ 
pathian wireless operator was on duty for 
72 hours continuously, and in spite of this 
lias received unmerited criticism from some 
newspapers because he did not send out 
more press despatches. 
Nearly a hundred lives were lost and 
heavy damage to property was inflicted by 
storms which swept sections of the South 
and Middle West April 22. Illinois and 
Indiana were the greatest sufferers. In 
those States 66 persons are dead, 157 in¬ 
jured and nearly 100 families destitute. 
Alore than 100 homes were destroyed, and 
the loss to property will aggregate several 
hundred thousand dollars. Alauy dramatic 
incidents, involving deaths anil thrilling 
escapes, occurred. The town of Bush, Ill., 
is in ruins. At Newbern, Ga., six persons 
were killed and much damage done to live¬ 
stock and property. In Alabama from 12 
to 15 persons are said to be dead. Many 
houses are demolished in that State. The 
cyclone also hit Wisconsin, the damage be¬ 
ing confined principally to livestock and 
farm buildings. 
John B. Conner, president of the Indiana 
Farmer Company and the second State 
statistician of Indiana, died at his home in 
Indianapolis, April 7. Air. Conner was 80 
years old. For nearly 40 years lie had been 
identified with the Indiana Farmer Com¬ 
pany. He formerly was a member of the 
Indiana General Assembly and was a mem¬ 
ber of the Indianapolis Board of Public 
Safety under Alayor Denny. 
