Henry Baird Favill, AB, MD, LL.D., 1860-1916, a ... - University Library

474 HENRY B A I R D F A V I L L
rigid standards of dealing as are indispensable if
the public
sale is to become a permanent and reliable factor in our
agricultural calculations.
There has been too much tendency for the managers of
sales to say that the public must take its own chances,
assuming that they assert nothing that is untrue. As a
gambling proposition, that is undoubtedly reasonable, but as
applying to the serious question of developing a phase of our
public welfare problems, it is indefensible.
There are two essential elements in the makeup of a
public sale. One is the quality of the stock offered; the
other is the ideals dominating the sale and all that pertains
to it. As between a sale of poor stock with good ideals
and a sale of good stock w4th poor ideals, the sale with poor
ideals will do infiniteh' more harm.
There is
a natural pride which sales managers entertain
as to the results of a sale measured in money or average
price.
It is perfectly right that a management should desire
to present for approval stock which the public will
accept
at a high valuation, but cunningly to devise methods whereb}^
the average sale price shall be artificially exaggerated,
with all its attendant injustice, is worthy only of condemnation.
Not only is it hard upon the purchasing public,
but it absolute^ blows out the foundations from the institution
which we are trying to erect.
I repeat, the foundation of the public sale in the long run
must be confidence, and confidence can be built up only
b}' unwavering allegiance to honest methods.
In this indictment I have not in mind specific sales. I
have in mind in some degree or other the whole sale business
as it has been up to this time conducted. There are degrees
of departure from that which ought to be. Some
sales are worse than others, but it does not lie in the mouth
of anybody engaged in public sales to make charges against
others unless he can come into the field with absolutely
clean hands.