TTirlE KUKAt NKW-YORKER 
1039 
What is this Auction System of Selling? 
A Clear Statement for the Public. 
OPPOSITION ENCOUNTERED.—It is important 
tlmt both producers and consumers have a clear under¬ 
standing of the functions of the Department of Foods 
"r.d Markets, and of the reforms it is trying to estab¬ 
lish for the economic distribution of foods. A ‘ good 
deal has been said to discourage and in purpose to de¬ 
feat the work by men who fear it will, if successful, 
interfere with their vested privileges, and by others 
who put petty personal policies ahead of public good. 
Home of the opposition is open and bold; some of it is 
subtle and cautious. The open critics try to inject 
personalities into their arguments as if the work were 
the inspiration, or as they are pleased to term it, the 
folly of any one man or set of men. They adopt the 
familiar policy of throwing dust in the eyes of the peo¬ 
ple they wish to deceive. 
CO-OPERATIVE WORK.—The systematic effort to 
organize co-operative work in the State of New York 
was inaugurated three years ago under the initiative of 
the New York State Agricultural Society. The State 
standing committee on co-operation was organized to 
find a way to lessen the cost of delivering food products 
from the producer to the consumer. This committee 
was composed of representatives of all the farm organ¬ 
izations, agricultural schools and agricultural papers; 
other educational, philanthropic and charitable institu¬ 
tions in the State; and city organizations interested in 
reducing the cost of living. The members of that com¬ 
mittee have attended meetings at their own expense, and 
contributed to the work in many ways. Roth the mem¬ 
bers of the committee and the organizations and insti¬ 
tutions that they represent have responded promptly to 
every suggestion of the chairman to help influence ap¬ 
proved agricultural legislation and to promote the work 
of co-operation in every way. 
REFORMS INAT GT RATED.—This committee was 
largely instrumental in the preparation and passage of 
the law to require the licensing and bonding of produce 
commission men. It secured the law to authorize the 
organization of corporate co-operative associations, and 
another to create a bureau of co-operation in the State 
Department of Agriculture, and still another law to 
create the Rand Rank of the State of New York, which 
is now in successful operation. 
WASTE IN FOOD PRODUCTS.—The committee 
found the finest kind of food in the world wasting on 
the farms of the State and thousands of people in the 
city starving for it and all city consumers complaining 
of the high cost of living. While the farmer could not 
get enough for the food at wholesale to pay the cost 
of selling it, the cost to the consumer was prohibitive 
to people of moderate means. The committee found 
that food products often pass through six or seven 
hands before they reach the consumer. It found that 
when the consumer paid one dollar for a quantity of. 
food, the producer gets on an average :s5 cents, and the 
distributors get 65 cents. In many lines the distri¬ 
bution of New York State products costs very much 
more than this average. After much study and delib¬ 
eration the committee concluded that an economic sys¬ 
tem of distribution would effect a saving that would 
permit a better return to the farmer for his products, 
and at the same time reduce the cost to the city con¬ 
sumer. It felt that this result could be best attained 
through the agency of the State. This suggestion was 
indorsed by practically all the State farm organizations 
and by individual farmers, as well as by organizations 
of consumers, and the State Department of Foods and 
Markets was devised by the committee as the best avail¬ 
able means to accomplish the desired result. 
UNITING PRODUCER AND CONSUMER.—That 
the producers and consumers of food are in accord with 
the methods so far pursued is evident from the fact that 
no word of criticism of the Department or of its work 
has been made by any farm organization of the State 
or by any of the organizations of the city consumers. 
The reason is evident. The whole work has been 
planned and developed from the start by these organiza¬ 
tions. They sLape and approve the work as it develops. 
It is their work. They are responsible for it, and they 
have it in their power to change any plan or policy sug¬ 
gested at will. The men who are actively directing it 
are of their selection. No one of them would or could 
remain in the service after his work had been disap¬ 
proved by them. 
COMPREHENSIVE WORK.—It is dear from this 
indisputable record that the Department of Foods and 
Markets is bigger and broader and more comprehensive 
than any one man or set of men. Its work is more im¬ 
portant to the people than the ambition, the selfishness, 
or the petty jealousies of any one man or set of men. 
1'he members of the State standing committee who con¬ 
ceived the need of the work and who are yet contrib¬ 
uting in various ways to its development have no selfish 
thought in the matter. They simply work to find a way 
to reduce the cost of distribution of food products. For 
the most part they work without pay. If successful they 
can only share the benefits that must flow to all alike. 
AN UNBEATEN TRACK.—These men have no hob¬ 
bies and no pet theories. They have no selfish interest 
to protect and no scheme to promote. They represent 
the education, the culture, and the business and pro¬ 
ducing success of the State. They will welcome con¬ 
structive criticism; and invite suggestion and co-oper¬ 
ation from every source. They acknowledge that they 
are working undeveloped fields. They have no model 
system of distribution to follow. Their only guide in 
this country is the had examples to avoid. They are 
simply applying their best judgment to the experience 
they have in the hope of developing a successful system. 
They will probably make some mistakes and possibly 
meet failures in some lines of their undertaking, but 
there has always been found a remedy for every evil in 
the past, and it is confidently believed that a way will be 
found to reduce the excessive cost of food distribution. 
TERMINAL MARKETS.—These men have planned 
to organize through the Department of Foods and Mar¬ 
kets a system of terminal wholesale markets for the 
City of New York and both assembling and distributing 
facilities for other cities and producing centers, but the 
State has not yet furnished sufficient funds for this 
work. In the meantime the Department is making a 
beginning by organizing an auction market for the sale 
of apples and this departure has brought forth consid¬ 
erable criticism from men who are interested in preserv¬ 
ing the old system of private sales, with low returns 
to the producer and high prices to the consumer. The 
evident aim of these interests is to discourage the pro¬ 
ducer and divide the shipments, well knowing that if a 
large bulk of the apples are shipped to the auction mar¬ 
ket, it will be a great success. They know that apples 
are successfully sold at auction in London, Paris and 
Berlin, and that oranges, lemons, pineapples and banan¬ 
as are successfully sold at auction in New York, yet 
they abuse and attempt to ridicule the men who propose 
an auction market for New York apples. Rut now, 
after they have issued the dogmatic ukase that New 
York apples cannot be sold at auction, a dozen of the 
largest distributing companies have issued a booklet 
urging the auction system for the sale of western apples. 
Why not New York apples as well? 
CRITICISM OF THE PLAN.—Some of the inter¬ 
ested cr.tics who hardly dare openly oppose the reform, 
try to defeat it with cautious suggestions. They “damn 
with faint praise.” They tell us the system has limi¬ 
tations, as if anything human was ever perfect. Of 
course, it has limitations. No one pretends that the 
auction system will work miracles. The private sales¬ 
man cannot sell apples for more than they are worth. 
He often plays favorites and sells them for less. Some¬ 
times he sells them for less because he does not know 
the conditions. The auction plays no favorites. The 
bidding develops the information that the private sales¬ 
man didn't have; and the buyer will pay at least as 
much at the auction as at private sale, and the broader 
competition of the auction may compel him to pay more. 
The cost to the grower for selling is only about one- 
half. He v/ill know just what the charges are, just 
what the goods sold for, and who bought them. He 
will get his money and returns the day of sale. There 
can be no deceit and no cheating. 
ADVANTAGES OF AUCTION SALES.—The 
grower need have no hesitation about reporting his ap¬ 
ples for the auction market. He may watch the prices 
and ship when he wishes to do so. He can put the 
apples in storage, and bring some out when prices ad¬ 
vance. If prices go off he can withhold for a more favor¬ 
able time. If other markets promise more than New 
York, he can ship there. If the auction should be dis¬ 
appointing and not realize the prices warranted by the 
market, then the private salesmen could yet be called in 
to do the selling. No one is going to go on selling apples 
at auction unless they sell for what they are worth. 
This is simply a word of common sense in answer to 
these who would have growers think there is some des¬ 
perate chance in holding for the auction or in shipping 
to it. Otherwise it were unnecessary. The distributor, 
who formerly paid several wholesale and jobbers’ profits 
over the grower’s price, will gladly buy direct from the 
farmer through his auction ; and while paying less than 
formerly, increase the price formerly paid the grower. 
Grade for grade apples will sell at auction the season 
through for more money than they will bring at private 
sale even when honestly conducted. Besides the auc¬ 
tion will make deceit impossible 
The growers, the Granges, and other farm organiza¬ 
tions desire relief from the old commission system, and 
want to try out the auction plan. The consumer awaits 
it with hopeful expectancy. The committee in charge of 
the work believe it will be successful. They are adver¬ 
tising the apples at retail and inducing grocers to 
handle them at a reasonable retail profit. They expect 
to increase consumption in this way. They work no 
magic charm and expect no miracles. They do expect 
to reduce the cost of distributing apples; and they be¬ 
lieve that through this saving the farmer will get more 
money for his apples, and that the consumer will pay 
less than formerly. 
As an economic reform, the plan should benefit every 
one, and hurt no one. How can an open public sale of 
food to the highest bidder injure any honest man or 
harm any useful legitimate business? 
Canning Meat. 
O N page 969 is a note about the business of meat 
canning. We think there is a future in this 
for many a farm household. The conditions in the 
retail meat trade near the large towns are well 
presented in the following no f e from a consumer: 
Our butcher now charges 35 cents a pound for leg of 
lamb—of course we never have any; beef, round steak, 
which is really a cheaper cut, is 30 cents a pound. We 
try all sorts of expedients to lessen meal purchases— 
a single roast now costs as much as our week’s supply 
15 years ago. 
While this condition exists among the consumers 
most Eastern farmers have been driven out of the 
live stock business through inability to sell Tivo 
stock to advantage. Most of them could raise and 
fatten a few animals at small cost and the canning 
business seems to offer them a good chance. 
Strong Boy Wanted. 
Could you find mo a good strong boy, or young man 
about 18 or 20 years of age, who would like to learn 
farming? I don’t want a cigarette fiend, drinker, nor 
one who wants to spend his nights on the street corn¬ 
ers. I prefer a boy with good education, say two years 
in high school or more, and also one who has some 
experience with horses. To one who wants to come up 
in the world and not merely exist, I offer a good propo¬ 
sition. b. E. S. 
New York. 
W E must have had 50 such calls this year, and 
have been able to find only one young man 
who sized up even part way to these requirements. 
There seems to be no shortage of young men, but the 
combination of good habits, education, industry, am¬ 
bition and faith in farming seems to come about as 
frequently as angels’ visits. Much of this is due 
to the boy’s training, lie is brought up to think all 
the “good propositions” are to be found in some city 
office. The truth is that the average young man who 
is waiting to “accept a position,” is simply going 
into competition with women and girls, for they will 
do clerical work better and cheaper than he can. 
This competition is clearly evident to anyone who 
can see around the next corner of history. With¬ 
in the working life of these young men, women and 
girls will crowd them in every industry except 
where exceptional skill or natural ability is shown 
or in such work as farming. Where is the “good 
strong boy” such as this reader wants? He will 
probably say that he can make more at day wages 
working for some contractor. 
New York State News. 
ST AT E FORESTS SAVED.—Almost an entire 
day’s session of the constitutional convention was re¬ 
quired to save the State forests. A heated discussion 
on the subject of forest destruction was participated in 
by representatives of the lumber interests, so it is said, 
and the friends of forest preservation. Louis Marshall 
led the opposition to the amendments which menaced 
the forest preserve and his speech created a sensation. 
Lp to the time that he spoke the amendments seemed 
in a fair way of being adopted but the conservation 
article was finally advanced to a third reading, the con¬ 
vention sitting as a committee of the whole. The con¬ 
servation article provides for a Department of Conser¬ 
vation composed of nine members, to serve without 
compensation and to be appointed by the governor. It 
retains the section that provides that the forest pre¬ 
serve shall forever be kept as wild forest lands, not to 
be leased, sold, exchanged, removed or destroyed. The 
Department is, however, given the power to remove 
dead trees for “purposes of fire protection and reforesta¬ 
tion solely.” 
A LIVING WAGE—\\ HAT 18 IT?—Some enlight¬ 
ening figures from the Factory Investigating Commis¬ 
sion were used in the report of the committee on indus¬ 
trial relations of the constitutional convention. The 
Factory Commission said that a living wage for a 
woman living independently in New York City should 
be $1) a. week. Out of 45,000 department store em¬ 
ployes 13,000 women, 18 years of age or over, received 
less than $5 per week. Fifty-three per cent, of all fe¬ 
male employes of 18 years or over, in stock and sales, 
received less than .$0 a week, and 4,000 women em¬ 
ployed in industrial lines were getting loss than $8 a 
week, and averaged $5.79. One half of the people dis¬ 
covered in the investigation received less than enough to 
live properly and independently. The average expendi¬ 
tures of a girl who received $8 a week were $8. 
FARM BUREAU EFFECTS.—The results that are 
being obtained f:< in the work of the farm bureaus of the 
State are gratifying. In Cortland County 100 tons 
more of chemical fertilizers were used in 1015 than the 
year before. Farmers in that county have used 5.000 
tons of lime this year as against 3,000 the year be¬ 
fore. Three dollars worth of lime per acre has given 
an increase of cured bay on different soils varying from 
1.800 to 4,200 pounds. A total of 340 farms wer ■ 
visited by the agent. 
AYRSHIRE CLUB AT GOUVERNEUR.—The 
Pilot Ayrshire Club, of Gouverneur held a meeting at 
the county fair grounds August 10 which was attended 
by a large number of breeders and farmers of Northern 
New York. The speakers were Dr. John A. Hess of 
Auburn, Me.; Geo. II. Converse of Woodville, president 
nf the Northern Federation of Ayrshire Breeders; ('. 
M. Winslow, secretary of the Ayrshire Breeders of 
America ; Dean II. E. Cook of the Canton Agricultural 
School; Chas. S. Phelps, manager of the county farm 
bureau, and Lett Hall of Gouverneur, a prominent 
Ayrshire breeder. j w ,, 
Government Crop Reports. 
The latest estimate puts the Winter wheat crop at 
650,000,000, or 0,000,000 below previous estimates 
There are expected to be about 307,000,000 bushels of 
Spring wheat, or a total of 066,000,000, which is 75 - 
000,000 above last year. 
Corn indications are for 2.018,000,000 bushels; oats, 
1,402,000,000; rye, 44,000.000; barley, 217,000,000; 
buckwheat, 18.000,000; hay 75,000,000 tons, about 5.- 
000,000 more than last year; white potatoes, 431,000,- 
000 bushels. 5.000,000 more than in 1014; sweet po¬ 
tatoes, 63.000.000 bushels; apples, 205,000,000 bushels, 
and peaches, 60,000,000 bushels. 
