Island County Farmers to Seattle: Stop Skinning Us Through Middlemen

A representative of The Ranch was making a tour of Island county a short time ago and learned that better roads, lower freight rates to Seattle and other markets and a city market reasonably accessible were three of the things much desired by the people of the islands. This is a community where the people are in good circumstances; they own their farms and homes, and they raise large quantities of produce of the best quality. It would be well worth the effort for either Seattle or Bellingham to make it a point to give the Island county inhabitants every facility to dispose of their produce cheaply and quickly.

There is steamer connection with the islands from Bellingham daily except Sunday, while the service between the islands and Seattle is only tri-weekly, and the rates charged from the latter city for both freight and passengers is prohibitive. Seattle merchants, if they appreciated the importance of the trade with the islands and would take its future growth into consideration, would not so utterly disregard the necessity of getting the steamer lines to give better service and better rates between the two points. Bellingham seems on the point of going after the trade of the islands, and she will undoubtedly get it unless Seattle bestirs herself.

Some of the merchants of the down-sound city are talking about giving better service between their city and the islands, but they evidently do not take into consideration all the points that should enter into the matter. In the first place, the people of Island county demand a free wharf at Bellingham and "a city market where producers could sell direct to consumers without being skinned by middlemen." This is a commonsense view of the matter and a reasonable demand on the part of the island people. If Bellingham or Seattle will not see it that way, perhaps the Island county farmers and stock raisers will make overtures to Everett or Tacoma, or even Victoria, for what they should have.

With the proper encouragement on the part of the big markets for the development of the productive area of Island county will come even greater necessity for improving the roads over the islands. The people will at the same time receive more for their labors in the field and can better afford a little more taxation for the purpose of building better highways. By all means, let the big markets do what is fair and reasonable in assisting the island communities to secure better returns for their produce—and indirectly they will be helping them toward the goal of better roads and more and better produce from the islands to the big markets.