The RURAL NEW-YORKER 
Death of Albert Manning 
LBERT M1ANNING, of Orange County, New 
York, died at Iris home in the city of Middle- 
town on Monday of last week. His age was 60 
years. He had not been in his usual health for 
about a year, and for recent months showed marked 
indications of illness. 
Mr. Manning was one of the founders of the old 
Dairymen’s League, and its secretary from the time 
it was organized without interruption until his 
death. In this capacity in the early days he had 
charge of the canvassers or organizers who secured 
the memberships and formed the nucleus of the or¬ 
ganization. Though the organization was inactive 
during 1915, his records and his co-operation con¬ 
tributed materially to the development of the new 
birth of the dairy spirit which culminated in the 
defeat of the milk dealers in the 1916 tight. That ad¬ 
venture put the League on its feet and Mr. Man¬ 
ning has served as secretary continuously since. 
Tie was also secretary of the Dairymen’s League 
Co-operative Association from the time of its organ¬ 
ization continuously to the time of his death. 
Early in life he became a member of the Grange, 
and served officially in many capacities. He became 
Master of the State Grange in 1921 and served in 
that capacity until his successor was elected in the 
recent meeting at Buffalo. 
Albert Manning was not what is popularly called 
an aggressive man of affairs. He was conservative 
in manner and speech, reserved in matters of action, 
courteous and considerate in his relations to his 
associates. He had no rivals, many friends and no 
enemies. 
Albert Manning was an honest man. That was his 
strongest characteristic. He carried the imprint of 
integrity and sincerity in his calm unruffled face. 
He was one of those men who, without flights of 
fancy or ambition to touch the stars, patiently did 
his work from day to day. 
Men sometimes rise to sudden eminence and rest 
content with worth-while accomplishments without 
the fatigues of many days and long journeys. Albert 
Manning accomplished his purpose through persist¬ 
ent conservative effort. He labored continuously, 
intelligently and faithfully through a useful life to 
the end. 
The Pacific Apple Crop 
I OFTEN wished to know about the apple industry 
on the Pacific Coast, seeing the fancy fruit care¬ 
fully selected, wrapped and packed, entailing ex¬ 
pense for labor, packages and freight. Apples sold 
in the markets in this section at from five to seven 
cents each might lead to the belief that those West¬ 
ern growers were reaping a rich harvest. On page 
258 the contribution by Mr. Berrang of the ox-team 
express affords the information that many of your 
readers no doubt wished to know; the actual facts 
from personal observation. w. h. stout. 
Pennsylvania. 
It. N.-Y.—We have been told that barely 40 per 
cent of the Pacific Coast apple crop is boxed and 
sent East to market. The volume is kept at home. 
A Successful Fruit Exchange 
HE Hudson Fruit Exchange, with headquarters 
at Milton, N. Y., started off in 1912 with re¬ 
markable success the first year, and has been im¬ 
proving the record since. 
The 1923 report shows sales of $375,835.52. It 
shipped 29 carloads on F. O. B. oi’ders, and the total 
F. O. B. orders amounted to $20,855.93. The products 
were small fruits and apples. 
The exchange owns and operates a factory in 
which are made 2,225,678 packages for patrons dur¬ 
ing the year It also bought for its patrons 600 tons 
of fertilizers, 76 tons of insecticides, 14 tons of nico¬ 
tine sulphate, and 3,500 tons of manure, totaling an 
investment of $119,743.81. 
Nine members retired during the year and 10 new 
members were admitted. 
The capital stock of the exchange is $8,100, and 
the surplus $31.95S.4S. The net profits for the year 
were $6,039.51. 
The exchange made a most attractive exhibit at 
the apple show in New York City during the Winter. 
A box of apples from this exhibit was selected as the 
best package of apples in the show. 
Mr. George Hildebrand, who at one time super¬ 
vised sales of farm products* under the development 
market work of the State Department of Foods and 
Markets, is general manager of the exchange. His 
report, both in fullness of detail and in business 
achievement, is a credit to his particular association, 
as well as an example and an encouragement td all 
farm co-operation. 
Farm Population in New York 
ROF. G. II. WARREN of Cornell University gave 
the following figures during “Farmers’ Week.” 
They show that the population on New York farms 
declined 3 per cent during the past yeai*. The read¬ 
justment of labor to the farm job has resulted in an 
increase of production for each man: 
Reports from 3,612 New York farms indicate that the 
population on these farms is 97.2 per cent of the popu¬ 
lation on the same farms a year ago. On this basis the 
number of persons living on New York farms is esti¬ 
mated at 741.000. The United States census gave the 
number, in 1920, at 801,000. 
During, the past year 40,500 men left farming for 
other occupations, and 14,200 left other occupations to 
go to farming. At the present time prices that farmers 
receive are-so far below the wage level that less than one 
farm in seven has a hired man. 
The production per man is being increased so rapidly 
that the total output of agriculture has decreased very 
little. The maintenance of buildings and fences, and 
improvements such as the laying of tile drains are being 
neglected. 
They Are Thinking About It 
'All the letters of Mr. Berrang are very interesting, 
the last one particularly so, as he states in clear English 
how he sees the “basic industry,” the business that “won 
the war for democracy,” the “man that feeds them all,” 
exploited and ridden, his business affairs assumed and 
manipulated by salaried and pseudo agriculturists. 
There are near 19,000 of these agricultural boosters at 
Washington, D. C., many of whom are also on travel¬ 
ing expenses, pushing production at the behest of the 
consumer and “big business,” but we all pay the bill. 
Each State also has a few hundred of these agricul¬ 
tural parasites, “riding on the back of the farmer, 
weighting him down in humility and spirit to the plane 
of the European peasant.” Mr. Berrang has not men¬ 
tioned any of these National and State agencies that 
by political activities secure immense sums of money for 
missionary services among the farmers, telling him how, 
when and where, doing some things for him and a lot 
of things to him. It is time all the farmers get together 
and as men in other business, manipulate their own af¬ 
fairs. This is fast sinking into the mind of the tiller of 
the soil, and when more men like friend Berrang “speak 
right out in church,” as the boys used to say, we will 
wadie up the farmers who are asleep at the plow and 
reaper. 
Again, we must have an agricultural press that is 
honest and fearless. The writer has reason tp believe 
that we do not have an agricultural editor in Pennsyl¬ 
vania who would have published all the sentiment as 
expressed in Mr. Berrang’s letter. These papers, as 
well as the city press, have their “sacred cows” to 
protect and shield, the people representing the 70 or 
more per cent of our population. Traveling by ox team 
is slow, but the traveler has time to think and express 
good honest thoughts when not bothered with clutch, 
brake, steer wheel, etc. d. ii. watts. 
Pennsylvania. 
Wants A Milk Arbiter 
After producing milk for 0 everal years much below 
eost, the condition and the position of the dairyman to¬ 
day are very serious. To what is this condition going to 
lead? It is going to lead to radicalism among the once 
conservative farmers. When we consider the farmers’ 
present high standard of education, to reduce their 
standard of living to that “enjoyed” by the European 
peasant cannot help but lead to radicalism, and rad¬ 
icalism of the worst kind. But what is to be done? 
“We must do it ourselves,” or words to that effect, as 
President Coolidge informed the present Congress, Let 
us do it—we are able and we are capable ! 
A new and a better protective milk-producing co¬ 
operative price-fixing organization, free from any ex¬ 
ploitation of the dairyman’s pocketbook and resources, 
should be organized at once, and the membership of this 
new organization should be open to all milk producers 
supplying New York City and its environs, regardless 
of to what organization they now belong. I suggest be¬ 
low a few points which I think should be incorporated 
in the constitution of the new organization for the ab¬ 
solute protection of the dairyman and the consumer. 
1. That a per year cost price, plus a profit, be estab¬ 
lished by the dairyman. 
2. That only authorized dealers be permitted to sell 
the product, and at only such an increase over and 
above the established price to the dairyman as the dairy¬ 
man shall authorize. 
3. Failure to negotiate terms on Point 2, above, to be 
followed by a milk strike. 
4. That the cost of all condemned cattle and the cost 
of all new requirements imposed by the New York City 
Board of Health, for the the benefit of the consumer, 
be added to the established price to the dairyman, and 
the organization adjust the claims of the member dairy¬ 
men. 
5. That the organization have at its head as supreme 
arbiter and counselor some'nationally prominent man. 
(Mr. Herbert Hoover, Secretary of Commerce, for in¬ 
stance), with a salary commensurate with his ability. 
Delaware Co., N. Y. wm. g. miller. 
Orleans County First in Field 
Orleans County Organizes Branch of New York State 
Rural School Improvement Society 
Feb. 16 400 taxpayers and rural school patrons gath¬ 
ered at the. courthouse to hear the report of the Orleans 
County Committee sent to the Syracuse Conference, 
This interesting report was given by the chairman, Miss 
379 
Ella Bacon. The plan of organization of the New York 
State Rural School Improvement Society was explained 
and the Orleans County Branch was launched. A con¬ 
stitution was adopted, which shows the object of the 
society to be the preservation and constructive develop¬ 
ment of the existing schools in common school districts 
along lines approved by the majority of the taxpayers 
and patrons, in co-operation with the educational'au¬ 
thorities, the retention of the fundamentals and tra¬ 
ditions of the common school education, the promotion 
of the convenience and welfare of pupils, the stimulation 
of interest and pride in school buildings and grounds, 
the maintenance of a tolerable State, county and district 
tax rate for. school purposes, the proper appreciation 
of the necessity of the value and possibilities of the one 
and two-room school in the open country. 
The officers elected were: A. D. Ostrander, presi¬ 
dent; first vice-president, B. II. Miller; second vice- 
president, Geo. Simpson ; secretary, Miss Ella Bacon; 
treasurer. Herbert Hill. A chairman in each town: 
Barre, Albert Watson : Hulburton, E. E. Root ; Carlton. 
Dr. Ben Howes; Albion, Carl Barker; Gaines, Miss 
Katherine Rowley; Ridgeway, Fred Rorick; Shelby, 
Riley Smith; Yates, C. II. I. Potter; Murray, Arthur 
Rhodes. District chairmen are to be appointed in each 
school district by the town chairman. 
The resolutions adopted at Syracuse were passed 
unanimously; also a resolution opposing the Downing- 
Porter bill because it is a consolidation measure and 
takes all control from the people, placing it in the 
hands of the Department of Education at Albany and 
the local politicians, all under the veil of State aid, and 
equalization of taxes. Also that the weather conditions 
in New York State are such' that consolidated schools 
would be no improvement over the present system where 
children are within walking distance of schools. The 
society also strongly condemned the efforts of those who 
are attempting to have this bill passed, and commending 
the action of our Senator, W. W. Campbell, in oppos¬ 
ing its passage, and assuring him of support in so doing. 
Dr. Lattin was unable to be present, and requested 
that any question which the people wished to have 
answered be forwarded to him. A vote was taken ask¬ 
ing Dr. Lattin to state how he expected to vote if this 
bill comes before the Assembly. o. 
More About Ohio Schools 
I live in Northern Ohio, and know just what you 
folks are going through with the school business. We’ve 
been where you are now. What you have on your 
hands this minute is a case of “Cheer up, the worst is 
yet to come,” and you have our sympathy. These agi¬ 
tators that are among you are working for the central¬ 
ization of your schools, and unless you have far better 
roads, more money than you know what to do with, and 
children that can stand several times the hardship our 
youngsters can, you do not want centralized, schools! 
Our township has been centralized for several years 
and we grow sicker of it each year. The vote for cen¬ 
tralization was taken when—owing to a local oil boom 
—we had a large number of transients. The better 
school agitators had done such good (?) work that 
everyone of them turned out and voted for centraliza¬ 
tion. These people were among us for from six months 
to two years and never paid taxes on anything except 
their automobiles and dogs, still they voted for an $80.- 
009 building and a number one high school for us to 
pay for. 
If $80,000 would only pay for that building we 
would all be glad — it was supposed to be fully 
equipped—'but the children have been giving suppers 
and plays to get more equipment, until the parents are 
thoroughly disgusted, and the end is not yet. 
These educational agitators, promoters and whoopers- 
up. as they are called here, got quite a vote from the 
tenant farmers and their wives by telling them that 
when the schools were centralized the books for all 
schools in the county would be alike, and all wonld be 
graded alike, so that the children would not lose out if 
moved from one township or county to another during 
the school year. This has not been (lone, nor can*we see 
any hope of its being done. When we go to the town¬ 
ship superintendent about this he refers us to the coun¬ 
ty superintendent, he tells us that “they are trying out 
different methods in different places to see which are 
the better books.” When will this trial work be over? 
They have been at it six year now. 
As a part of our newer education we have the junior 
high school. Our 12 to 16-year-old boys and girls have 
11 studies, and are required to do two hours’ studying 
each evening, and to read and write reviews of eight 
books. These can be read and the reviews written Sat¬ 
urdays and Sundays if they can’t find any other time, 
the teacher tells them. 
Find time! That is one thing these youngsters would 
like to find more than anything else on earth. Those 
living in the outer part of the township have to be 
ready for the school wagon at 7 :30 each morning, and 
do not get home until between 5 and 6 each evening. 
Don’t you think for a minute that these children have 
the same show in school that the ones living within two 
miles of the school have. They are worn out and tired 
out being hauled over all kinds of roads in wagons I 
asked the doctor of our next town how their school was 
going this Winter. “Oh, first-rate; we have excellent 
teachers this year, but we have had two cases of pneu¬ 
monia from that mudhole west of town; the wagon was 
in to the hubs and the horses to their knees, and the 
children stood out on the bank in the wind and sleet 
till they were chilled through. No town has any busi¬ 
ness with centralized schools until the roads are so that 
every child in the township can be got to school in less 
than an hour in the worst kind of weather. I am in a 
position to know what it means to the children.” 
My neighbor told me she had not seen her girl in day¬ 
light for three weeks—this was in December—as the 
driver of their “kid route” had such miserable old 
horses that he had to start early and rest his team 
often, and then was often late. Her girl left at 7 a. m. 
to go 4)4 miles. From February on there are lots of 
the children that have had to ride from four to seven 
miles each way to school trying to get a place to board 
near the village. They can’t stand the long drives; 
there is an almost unbelievable number of cases of ap¬ 
pendicitis, kidney trouble, stomach trouble, etc., brought 
on by the long rough rides. The promoters do not pay 
doctor bill for your children, sit up with them nights 
when they are sick, or pay surgeons, either. I haven’t 
forgotten our own experience in that line, and most 
heartily wish that I might save others from a like ex¬ 
perience. After all I have told you so few of the dis¬ 
advantages of centralization ; of the advantages, the 
children, so far as I have been able to see, must live 
within two miles of the school to get them. 
A WESTERN RESERVE MOTHER. 
