The Bismarck Tribune Newspaper, April 21, 1931, Page 2

NEW INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCES MIGHT HELP GRAIN FARMER Farmers Have Raised More; Than Can Be Used, But Many Still Go Hungry URGE LIMITED PRODUCTION Next World Wheat Conference Will Be Held in 1932, Prob- ably in Canada London, April 21.— (NEA) -— “Give ‘us this day our daily bread.” For 1,931 years this prayer has risen from the lips of all Christian peoples. And, in a lesser degree, from pon- Christian folk as well. And the striking fact in the world of the present hour is that the busy farmers of the grain-raising countries of the world have raised so much wheat that the supply exceeds the demand, although in many places on the globe thousands are hunery for lack of just this daily bread. The wheat farmers of the United States, Canada, Australia, India and the Ar- gentine cannot dispose of ail their supply. On the other hanc, in a country like England, wheat is down 40 per cent compared with pre-war prices, while flour is 15 per cent above those prices, and bread 25 per cent above. Everywhere the wheat - producing countries are vastly troubled by the plight of their farmers and every- Wheat Problem Becomes World Wide While broad acreages like these in the Sacramento Valley (above) and the Missouri Valley (below) gorge the world’s markets with wheat, statesmen of many countries ponder the increasingly difficult problem of surplus production. Howard Ferguson (upper left), Canada’s High Commissioner to Great Britain, has sponsored a con- ference of wheat-producing countries. to be held in London in May in an effort to obtain regulation of the wheat market and exports. of this. Added to this, what Russia tal of 25 per cent of the needs, there remaining 75 per cent to be divided where some solution is being sought Already three great international conferences have been held and two more of importance are on the sched- ule. There has been much eloquence, much production of figures—but so far nothing in the way of a solution has been found. Danubian Nations Confer In the first place, some months ugo the Danubian wheat-raising countries held a conference. It was stated that the combined debts of the small grain exporters of the Baltic states, Poland Hungary and the Balkan countries amounted to nearly a billion and a half dollars. These countries lived mainly by agriculture. Their confer- ence wound up by an appeal to the other European countries to give them preferential treatment .n their purchase of grain. Next, a European conference was held at Paris under the indirect aus- pices of the League of Nations. It really was part of the series of con- ferences started by Aristide Briand, Foreign Minister of France, in his scheme for a United States of Europe. All European countries except Russia ‘were represented. The plea of the Danubian confererice was listened to. but it was at once objected that preferential treatment could not given the Danubian countries, be- cause many of the European nations, in their commercial treaties with the world, had clauses for the must fa- vored nation. Thus, if Belgium had such a clause in a treaty with the Ar- gentine, it could not bar Argentine wheat for the benefit of Danubian wheat. The conference wound up by adopting some pious vesolutions. Next, a conference was held at Rome under the auspices of the In- ternational Institute of Agriculture an institution which grew out of the money. the dreams and the life-long work of an American, the late David Lubin. This conference was far more representative than the one in Paris, ‘because not only was Russia Deavily represented, but so were three of the four countries which account for about 90 per cent of the surplus wheat now in the market—Canada, Australia and the Argentine. The United States had an observer. As ‘was caustically said—“The American attended, but did not pay for his seat.” Limited Production Urged The Rome conference immediately showed the cnormous diffculties to be encountered in seeking a remedy for a world situation. The French thesis . was stated by M. Masse, who said that dumping and similar evils could only be solved by limiting wheat yroduc- tion, beginning by stabilizing it in the great producing countries. He was immediately put in his place when other delegates: pointed out the insuperable difficulties of getting wheat countries to agree on a fixed program. Each would want the max- imum allotment of acreage ‘or its own country. M. Perez, representing the Argen- tine, said one of the great troubles was that Russia was dumping in the and Australia. The obvious idea of presenting these figures was that the great wheat-producing cvuntries should reduce their acreage and pro- duction accordingly. Russia, Argen- tine, Canada and Australia tnrough their delegates said this would be im- possi! ible. But one big thing did come out of the conference, sponsored by Howard Ferguson, head of the Canadian dele- gation. It was agreed that a confer- ence of the wheat-exporting countries should be held in London on May 18 to try to reach an agreement for the regulation of the wheat market and wheat exports. The conference wil! be held under the chairmanship of Ferguson, who is the Canadain High Commissioner to Great Britain. The world wheat pool, participated in by the United States, Canada, Australia, Argentine and Russia. The main points of the agenda will be based upon five proposals by the Hungarian delegation to the Rome meeting: 1—That each exporting country ereate a body of experts to control ‘all-wheat exports. 2—That annual estimates of re- quirements be reported to exvort- ing countries. 3—That there shall be an inter- national commission to appertit quotas for each exporting «cun- try. 4—Exporting countries to agree to prevent. any increase in wheat acreage. 5—Superfluous grain shail be used as fodder. May Confer in Canada The London conference wil carry its decisions—whatever they may be— to the next world wheat congress to be held in 1932 and in all provability in Canada. The wheat question, amonz other agricultural problems, will a'so be tackled in still another conferenec to begin June 5 at Prague in Czechoslo- vakia, when the 15th International Congress of Agriculture will hold its sessions. Ninety-two agricultural as- sociations, representing 27 countries, will have delegates there. SENTENCED FOR Ni UPPORT Fargo, N. D., April 21.—(#)—L. L. Hanson, Cottonwood, Minn., found guilty in Cass county district court on a charge of non-support of his wife, was sentenced to two years in the state prison by Judge A. T. Cole. Sentence will be deferred on condi- tion that Hanson support his wife. could spare for sale would make a to- | between the United States, Canada | goal aimed at will be some sort of) —A Series Explaining the Contract Bridge System— | By WM. E. McKENNEY | Secretary American Bridge League | In our preceding articles we have | explained the pitch count for valuing | no trump hands. | When this system is employed, tt] will be found that three points will average to take a trick. Of course you will note that a combined count of 24 generally produces game and | while we say that three ponts will average to take a trick, then a count of 24 should produce only eight tricks | but our readers must remember that they are entitled always to count one trick for the play of the hand up te and including a game going declara- tion. In other words, if there are five probable tricks in your hand and | three in partner’s—tivat is eight prob- | able tricks which will, in the larger | Percentage of cases, produce nine tricks. It has often been stated that a | dummy without a trick is at least two | tricks worse off than a dummy with ‘a possible in-card. The in-card will | take a trick and will then allow the | declarer to take a finesse which may | assist him to establish his suit before | opposition gets theirs established. | The count system of valuing no | trumps is perhaps the most popular system in the country today. While it is used entirely for valuing hands for no trump bidding in the quantl- tative showing of tricks, our readers must not attempt to use the count system in valuing hands for suit bids which naturally are played under totally different conditions. Suit Bids When the quantitative showing of tricks system is being used, original suit bids should convey the following information to follower: e 1—That your hand contains a cer- tain number of probable tricks if the | hand is played at the suit declaration you name, 2—That your hand contains a cer- PEOPLE’ ON PUBLIC OWNERSHIP. Bismarck, N. D., April 20, 1931. Editor, Tribune: Thinking the following article may be of interest to your readers I ask that you kindly give it space in your valuable paper. In submitting this exceedingly in- teresting and instructive write-up for | your consideration, I feel prompted to offer the following commentary: We are living in the machine age with its attendant problems of mass production; chains and mergers of corporations are the order o! of gain- opoly. On the other hand, when the people demand state ownership in preference to private monopoly, some- one will cry “Socialism, Communism!” This is the burning question con- fronting our people today. te private monopoly or shall certain public utilities and all natural re- sources be operated and owned by the governments? Mr. Mason's article gives the answer, as do the state own- ed enterprises in North Dakota. Truly az President Hecht says, “it is all a matter of education.” ‘The article follows: « Great state owned enterprises preeone those of North Dako- * * * By NELSON A. MASON “Equal Opportunities to All; Special Privileges to None,” in a nutshell summarizes the plans, purposes and policies of the Board of Commission- ers of thé Port of New Orleans, charged with the responsibility of ad- ministering the affairs of public property valued at $100,000,000.00. Historical 1t was away back in 1896, in the days of “Gold Standard and Free Sil- ver” that tie legislature of the Com- monwealth of Louisiana created a commission of five to handle the business of the Port. The law read: “They shall be-empowered to and it shall be their duty to take care of and administer the public wharves of the Port of New Orleans, to construct néw wharves where and to erect sheds thereon, etc,” Numerous acts, greatly increasing their powers, were subsequently passed. In 1910 a constitutional amendment was pro- posed authorizing the Port 'Commis- ston to erect and operate warehouses tain number of high cards or quick tricks. The most important of the two re- quirements for original suit bids are the quick tricks. This information is absolutely necessary to your partner in case he wishes to bid another suit and can therefore count on these high cards to assist his hand, or in case partner wishes to make #& busi- ness double. He will then know that your hand can be counted on to’ take a certain number of tricks against the opponents. : Another important reason is that supposing the opponents play the hand at no trump, he can feel rea- sonably sure that there is a possibility of. quickly establishing: the: suit that you originally bid, or he can make an advantageous lead against a suit dec- laration. Card valuation is always 4 matter of common sense and naturally the value of your hand will increase or decrease depending upon the bids, of your opponents. 4 When you open with a suit declaras, tion of one, you contract to take seven tricks, but it is not expected that you take all of these tricks your- self. Your hand is supposed to fur- nish only four or five of the tricks contracted for. Supposing that your hand is likely to take four tricks. This will give you four tricks, ‘There are nire tricks left to be dis- tributed in the other three hands, With a normal distribution, your partner will hold three of these and if he holds three tricks and normal sup- port in your trump, he is entitled to give you one raise as there is one trick allowed for the play of the hand, Quick tricks are high cards that can be depended upon to take a trick the first or second round. Probable tricks are long cards that can be counted on to take tricks. (Copyright, 1931, NEA Service, Inc.) commerce of the Port of New Or- Jeans; and granting the authority as continuing, so that the erecting of the first warehouses did not exhaust their power. The amendment became & part of the State Constitution in Upon the expiration of then existing leases the board commenced active administration of the Public Wharf System in May, 1914. Con- struction of the Public Cotton Ware- house commenced in January, 1915, and the plant: started operations August 1 of the same year. Public Grain Elevator Construction of the great Public Grain Elevator was undertaken Aug- ust 1, 1915, and the plant was form- ally opened February 1, 1917, exactly 29 days after:the launching of the Nonpartisan League administration on a similar program in North Dako- ta. It is this enterprise with which we are particularly concerned. Situ- ated at the apex of the great bend of the mightly Mississippi fo: the contour of the “Crescent City” the gigantic terminal occupies a com- manding position in what local boost- ers call “America’s Most Interesting City.” This elevator has a storage capacity of 2,622,000 bushels, and is a BETTORS ARE TAXED A 10 per cent tax will be levied on all race track bets in Australia this year. It is estimated that the meas- ure will net $10,000,000 a year to the government, WANT NEW SCHOOL Grand Forks, N. D., April 31.—(7)— The Grand Forks city comm! will be presented Wednesday with a request by the board of educaticn for for a new junior high school build- ing. The plea will be made as a re- sult of action taken Monday night at a board meeting. The total of the proposed bond issue is $200,000. The new building would be ready for oc- cupany by Feb. 1, 1982, and work would begin this summer. an on equal terms to all. The plan! served by a wharf 2100 feet long, of- fering five berths for. shi for the discharge of barges or ocean vessels at the marine leg, one for Yoading at the mechanical sacking Plant and three for loading under the spouts. Unloading capacity of ele- vator is 200,000 bushels a day from railroad cars, and 80,000 a day from barges or steamships. Loading into ships or barges is performed at the A Woodville, 8. C., bank which closed its doors in January has been lquidated and depositors received 100 a special bonding election May 12 To see ALL THE FEUCS WE ©UG uP AT THE OLD ANOIAN RUINS, WE SusT DuG ANDO » Db baw WY OUT OUR WAY By- Williams rate of 100,000 bushels an hour, En- tering the elevator, which is of re- inforced concrete and absolutely fire- proof and free from accumulations of dust, one is impressed with the neat- ness and order everywhere. The very basement is high, light and airy. Safety devices of most modern type prevail throughout the building. All weighing is done by licensed weighers and warehouse receipts, based on these weights are issued. Grain is jompetee both upon receipt and de- very. Financial A specific charge per bushel is made for each operation on grain handled, and a complete system of ac- per cent, ‘ting reconcile investigation started to learn why. Superintendent Clarence Sears, formerly of Saint Louis, is authority ¢ | for the statement that the elevator Fditor’s Note.—The Tribune welcomes letters .6n sub; Letters dealin ith contro aL relleigey: pubiects, high. Steask inaie mn firat Red your own Ba serve the right to delete such parts Teoessary to contorm to this policy one and other structures necessary to the, THE BISMARCK TRIBUNE, TUESDAY, APRIL 21, 1931 Supply and Demand for Wheat Create a Problem S FORUM . g008 taste and fair play will MUST be siened. 1¢ you wish to, use eo beneath’ it, policy. recreation after hours for the em- ployes, of which there were about sixty in the main plant'in this slack season. The bulk of the grain comes down from as far north as Kansas. After all perhaps an elevator is not so complicated, for, as the foreman said, it was mostly bins,’ belts, legs. and spouts. The writer acknowledges indebtedness to Mr. Carl Giessow, executive genéral agent of the Board, Superintendént Sears and Foreman Cerise for the opportunity to inspect this wonderful plant and for the re- ceipt of needful data. Public Cotton Warehouse The Public Cotton Warehouse, built. at a cost of over $6,000,000 and offer- ing 33 acres of covered warehouse space, just adjoining the grain eleva- tor grounds, is the largest cotton warehouse in the United States. Stor- age capacity is in excess of 400,000 high density bales, with concrete fire walls dividing each section, and there are gigantic compresses that reduce the original bales to less than half their former size for shipping. Like the elevator all machinery is elec-' trically operated. As many as 8,000 Negotiable single bail warehouse re- ceipts are issued daily in the busy season, Coal Tipple ‘The Public Coal and Bulk Commod- ity Handling Plant also adjoins the elevator property and has a storage capacity of 25,000 tons. Its hourly loading rate into vessels is 400 tons. While primarily designed for ‘coal, much ore, sulphur, sand, gravel and stone are handled. Wharf The Dock Department during the year ending August 31, 1930, reports more than 15,000 vessels arriving at the Port of New Orleans. The ba- nana conveyors unloaded 20,287,203 uimches of bananas and 29,048 of plantain from: 729 vessels, 64 ship- loads of coffee brought the equivalent of every third cup of coffee drunk in the United States. That terminal alone, newly completed, cost $2,000,- 000.00. There is also a vegetable un- loading plant. Besides the original facilities there have been constructed by the Board seven miles of modern wharves and six miles of steel transit sheds. These facilities are open on equal terms to all and are reached by the services of ten trunk railroad lines which enter the port and have access principally through the New Orleans Public Belt Line Railroad, a municipal body which operates in close cooperation with the Port Com- mission, The present port limits un- der the jurisdiction of the Board in- clude a river frontage of 41.4 miles and an industrial canal frontage of 11 miles, leading to Lake Pontchar- train. On this canal is a lock to al- low for an approximately 15 foot drop from the river to the lake. Sites are leased for factory, or other industrial purposes. A rent fire-tug, The Deluge, protects the dock properties of the commission, There is also leased from the United States Gov- ernment one of three Army Supply Base buildings-and from sub-leases a comfortable margin is obtained, and also has an option on the other bases when available. Insurance Department The Insurance Department of the Dock Board has accumulated a fund of $1,274,916.21 and last year’s profits exceeded $100,000.00, The Workmen’s Compensation fund is approximately $988,020.96. Financial Totals The total gain as result of the oper- ation of utilities for 1929 amounted to $87,415.70 and for 1930 to $86,164.27. Total assets of the Board without reference to the lands occupied are $55,624,313.17. Its surplus is $6,362,- 025.32. What Other Ports Are Doing Public ownership and operation of docks is not new under the sun. In various forms the custom exists in many of the world’s largest ports in England, Germany and France. Deputy Head Tibbitts of the Mar- ine and Fisheries Department of the Dominion or Canada said: “My observation in an experience of over a decade as an officer of the Canadian government supervising the affairs of its Harbor Commission has convinced me beyond question that public ownership and operation of port areas and facilities is the most successful assurance of their Proper development in the public in- terest and I look on the conservation of harbor waters and frontage to the public use as the most sacred duty of the country’s legislators.” Mr, W. 8. Lincoln, president-of the Port of Seattle, sald: “The water front of a great seaport isa in the hands of the world; hence the aggressive and ever insistent effort on the part of transportation’ companies and other ptofit-seeking corporations and inter- ests to secure control of this valuable Property.”> * Louisiana is so far from North Da- kota we are apt to averlook its pro- gressive features. Even in the days of the lottery. the act of a noble offi- cial is recalled. Governor Nicholls while vetoing in 1890 the proposed constitutional amendment extending the State Lottery Charter took occa- sion to say: “At no time and under no circum- stances will I permit one of my hands degrading what the other was lst in seeking to uphold,—the Honor of my: Native 6tate.” Attitude of Officials “But,” you ask, “What has been the P Saks of those charged with need of ‘administering these util- President R. 8. Hecht, speaking in 1998, for the full commission, said: “There have now been ten presi- dents of this Port Commission, and as you well know, they have belonged to various political factions,-and suc- ceeding officials frequently differed with their preaecesgors ou many suh- jects. But if someone would under- take to get every ex-president of this Board into @ meeting—and it is gratifying to be able to state that ne of the ten are alive and could Tespond to such a call—there would be at least one subject on which they could unanimously agree, and that is that the underlying principle of pub- )« llc ownership and public control gov- erning our port administration is as sound and right today as ever, and should not be changed.” Attitude of the Public “And,” a prominent official of the Commission was asked, “What is the public re-action?” “Fine,” he said, “It’s all a matter of education, It always pays to take tise people into your confidence on public business.”—I tfully sub- mitted, JUNIOR COLLEGES Bismarck, April 20. 1931. Editor, Tribune: In a recent issue of the Junior Col- lege Journal there is an article en- titled “Development of the Junior College in fowa” by Clara Wallace. This article presents significant evi- dence concerning the growth and status of the junior college in Towa. It reveals that there are 28 junior colleges in Iowa. The largest of these enrolls 138 students, and the smallest enrolls 14 students. The median en- rollment is 47.5. Eight of the high schools in the systems of which these junior colleges are a part enroll less than three hun- dred pupils, and. twenty enrol] less than five hundred pupils. Seven of the junior colleges are lo- cated in cities of three thousand or less, and thirteen in cities of more than three thousand but less than six thousand. The rest are distributed among cities ranging from six thou- sand up to between twenty-four thou- sand and twenty-seven thousand. The, writer makes the point that many of these junior colleges are too small and are located in cities of in- sufficient size to properly support them. But as many of them are of relatively recent eétablishment, they -| will probably grow to become stable units. . “The junior college,” the ar- ticle says, “is destined to affect pro- foyndly the organization of education in this country.” I hope that some of this informa- tion is of interest to Bismarck people, C. W. LEIFUR. INCUMBENTS REELECTED Grand Forks, N, D., April 21.—(7)— Less than 150 votes were cast in the Grand Forks school election and P. M. Onstad, Charles Johnson, W. G. Bek and C. M. Sorbo were reelected. None of the candidates had opposi tion which accounted for the small- ness of the vote. HIT, RUN DRIVER CONFESSES Sioux Falls, 8. D., April 21—(7)— W. A. Coombs, proprietor of a lunch room, confessed, police said, that he was the hit-and-run driver sought in connection with the death of Rose Habeger, 33-year-old ‘Coombs said he thought it was 8 | bus minor accident so he did not stop. SLOPE: SINGERS T0 APPEAR AT CHICAGO Practice Monday Night for Parts in Gigantic Presenta- tion Next June Slope area gathered at the Trinity Lutheran church in Bis- marck Monday night for a song ses- sion under the direction of Rev. Alvin A eee oral enter- prise which will reach fruition at Chicago June 17 to 21 at the sixth in- delegates were served with refresh- ments by the Trinity Lutheran La- dies’ Aid. Mrs, Steffen and Mrs, A. Fie A ie Ue vaee i Bismarek; C. Harold C. Leppart, Arnold Larson, Earl Johnson, Clifford H. Fylling, O. O. Andvik, all of Mandan; and G, H. Plamann, Dele Deroun, Walter Eggers, Henry Skatvold and Ralph Luhman, all of Dickinson. Zo SEVEN PERSONS HELD Fargo, N. D., April 21.—(#)-—Seven held in connection with an alleged drinking party Sun- day during which two men were severely wounded were being held in default of $1,000 bond each by Judge Paul Paulson. pascal NITE BEND One of the seven hills upon which Cincinnati is built is being levelled to make room for the new $42,000,000 railroad terminal. NOTICE TO POLICYHOLDERS OF ‘THE. WoSTERN MUTUAL ve “ANSURANCE COMPANY AND. MIDWHST MUTUAL LIFE INS! ANCE COMPANY, AND TO WHOM IT MAY CONC! You are hereby notified that the Western Mutual Life Insurance q any of VACHS North Dakota, the idwest Mutual Life Insurance Com- Bente “corporations Oe neg unser ing ‘oor! 3 of the Btate of North Da- the life insurance we of such ae, ko B*praving for an order te. sat the’ Cormmnlanioner as rovided for under the provisi of Seetion 4891, Compiled tet of North Dakota for i913, authorising the con, solidation of said Western Lite Insurance Company with and tr er of all of the assets of said We rn Mutual Life Insurance Com- any to the sald Midwest Mutual Lite Fnsurance © Company” and the sald we n Mutual Life Insurance Com- pal ind the sald Midwest Mutual Life Insurance Company have presented to the Commissioner ‘of Insurance of the State of North Dakota a gentrect cr ting forth the terms and conditions of such proposed consolidation and pro- viding for reinsurance by the said ilawer dail sansa any of the life an a H by the sald Western Mutual Life Insurance Compan: a Providing furt! paw of said m id Mut! consol! forth oper Western jotual te. ef Ne Lod a, you are further notified Western Mutual Life Insurartce Com: surance Com: nd the said Midwest Mutual ‘aid Commission at 4 na im lace designat and be geese rence to eon consolidation or reinsurance. ' Com: mien tee a TAKEN UP. iP PeaNee, bette rene eee set 400" Ibe. Owner may ‘have same: by paying con! ent, okay ae ee" ( hone 995. XY wv