THE FARMER'S PROFIT

Otago Daily Times, Issue 22114, 18 November 1933, Page 9

THE FARMER'S PROFIT

TO THE EDITOR. Sir, —If Mr M'Millan thinks the farmer is making 30 per cent, clear profit, he has a lot to learn. Can he tell me who makes the other 70 per cent.? IE he cannot, I will tell him that it is the middle man. This latter is the man that requires to be fetched down and put in his place. This is the man who has always ridden the high horse, and now that there are a few chain shops about us, he is crying like a calf. Mr M'Millan says that the Ottawa Conference has helped the farmer. Can he state in what way? He as good as tells us where and from whom we should buy our goods. We prefer to patronise the countries that patronise usi and the one that can produce the article we want is the one we will buy from, whether it bo yellow, black or white, and I don’t think we will ask Mr M'Millan’s advice. Mr M'Millan also makes reference to the farmers and their “ flash ” cars. How many business men are without their “flash” cars? Ninety-nine out of every

hundred have them, and did they get them by honest work? If the farmer does not do honest and hard work for his, there is no one else that does. In my opinion, the middle man has always had “ the easy end of the stick,” and he has to come down a lot yet before he will be on the same level as the farmer. I think the producer is entitled to two-thirds of the profit. One little item I would like to mention for Mr M'Millan’s benefit. From December last the dairy farmer received 4|d per lb for his butter. Can Mr M'Millan tell me what the twb middle men made? Of course, they bought the cows, helped to put in the crop, milk the cows seven days a week. —I am, etc., A. Pedersen. Mount Cargill, November 14.