The Nonpartisan Leader Newspaper, January 6, 1916, Page 16

Nearly 150 farmers comfortably fill- ed the o:era hLecuse at Hillsboro, De- cember 27 at one of the most suc- cessful meetings of the Farmers’ Non- partisan Political League in the series now being held over the state. Interest was keen from start to finish and for two hours the audience listened to spealers who told of the work the league has done and what it intends to do. When the plan of operation of the league during the coming campaign was described it brought from tke listeners their en- thusiastic approval. Questions from the audience were frequert and sev- eral members of the league voiced their orinions upon matters under discussion. Considering the fact that there was a mistake in advartising the meeting, causing a mixup in dates, the turn- out was remarkable. Otherwise the hall, comfortably filled as it was, would not have held the crowd. Speakers told how farmers in North Dakota had been 40 years behind every other group of men in organiza- tion. but how, at last, this had bcen corrected through the League, in which farmers of the state are organ- ized in a compact mass and for the first time presenting a united front. It wa3 told how every activity and - group of men fixing prices and con- ditions for farmers had becen organi- zed and united in associations—grain buyers, barkers, merchants, and even b4 boot blacks. are organized, and now that farmers have realized this great principle and have nearly 80 per cent of the votes in North Dakota the world is open to them to get what they want. Qutside of townsprople present -4 nearly every one at the meeting was a member of the league and most of e The 1915 wheat, flax and small grain crop has perhaps been the most satisfactory cropy produced dur- ing the hListory of the state insofar i a3 quality and yield is concerned. g But how about marketing and grading weights and dockage? I THE NONPARTISAN LEADER Hillsboro, Wolford, Leeds, League Speakers Enthuse Large meds Rollette, Thorne, Churches Ferry and Tagus Have Splendid Meetings--Bankers and Politicians Are Answered and Squelched--Women Turn Out in Large Numbers. those who were not ‘oined before the 1:.eeting broke up. Skeptics among bankers and busi- ness men of Hillsboro gained an im- pression of the strength and assured- success of the league that will not wear off soon. No meeting in years at Hillsboro has brouglt in such a splendid representation of farmers, and this despite the mixup in dates which cut down the attendance. Fairmers Interested At Wolford, although the weather was stormy, the farmers began gath- ering early and the hall was full to ' capacity at the meeting. Much inter- est was taken in the demonstration on the blackboard showing the loss on the pre ent way of handling grain and other farm products. The Leeds meeting was a good ans- wer to the ones who had said, “tkat is the last you will ever hear of them fellows—they will never come back.” They have changed theu‘itune now and are beginning to t)‘y te show a friendly attitude to the farmers organization when they see its strength. Ban':er Makes Sorry Mess The Rolette meeting was of special interest on account of the opposi- tion of the local bankers. speaker had gone to the bank before the meeting with several checks tkat had been returned to the or- ganization unpaid. He requested the banker to make a notation on each check why it was not paid. The Loss of More Than $7,700,000 To the Farmers of This where samples of grain certified to The- banker admitted that some of the men whose checks: were presented had open checking accounts with balances sufficient to pay, but he re- fused to pay the checks without talking it over with them. The speaker explained the situation at tke meceting. The banker being fpres- ent, got up and tried to explain why he did not pay the checks, but he made a sorry mess of it as the crowd was in no humor to listen to excuses from a man who tried- to interfere with the farmers in- their efforts to organize. The meeting at Thorne was made up almost solidly of men who were members, as that country is well organized. - Many of them brought their wives and, that is ~what all members should do at the meetings, as they are just as much interested in better conditions as the men. Politicians Shown Up The Churches Ferry meeting was a specially good one as several of the old line ppliticians were there in hopes tc be able to criticize or find some fault with the speaker or organization. They interrupted sev- eral times, but - from the prompt manner in which they were shown, up they had to drop open interruption and resort to whisppring. Their only comrlaint was tkat the farmers were. bnilding a big political machine and they were being left out in the cold. That pleased the crowd. ~ North Dakota Should Inspect, Grade and Weigh Her Own Grain State Through Grading and Dockage Alone. By F. 0. HELLSTROM, Bismarck % haven’t talked with any grain buy- how production .can be enhanced, er of standing, ability and experi- but no one has ventured to point out ence who has not made the unquali- how the grading and marketing can fied statement that if he had follow- be safeguarded, against loss. ed the usual and ordinary rules of State Should Inspect. buying and grading that he would The state of North Dakota should have gone bankrupt. Grain that at test, grade and weigh every bushel other times would grade One North- ern, this year kas been graded Two and Three Northern. Where one pound of dockage would heretofore b2 sufficient, two and three pounds have been taken this year. What is t:e meaning of this and what does it cost the North Dakcta farmer? Farmers Lose $7,700,000 North Dakota preduced about 140,000,000 bu-hels of wheat this year and if this has been sold one grade below the actual grade it means a loss of $5,000,000.00 to tke farmers. If one pound '~ of over- dockage has bzen exacted it means a loss af $%,700,000.00, or on the two items alcne there has been a losss cf $7,700,000.00. Does any person familiar with the grain busines: be- licved that this is an overestimate of the cost to the farmers on account of these two items? I am sure that my estimate is far too low; that the loss is more than double what I have estimated. How long will the good. people of North Dakota continue to produce the best wheat and other small ‘grains and seed crops and take no state inspector -provided for every local market where there is sufficient interest to procure suitable scales and bousing for a state inspector. Let the :tate pny his salary and in turn a fee should be charged for his services which should be accounted FRANK 0. HELLSTROM. of wheat that is grown on North for and turned into the state treas- sterp to correct the evils that beset the marketing of their crops? The marketing of grain is just as im- portant to the producer as the production. Slack methods at either end of the line is liable to result in disaster. Everybody, even . 'the bankers, harvesting machinery manu- . facturers and the railroads have ‘all 'volunteexed treir services to - show Dakota soil. ' The state pure food ury. It should, be the duty of the commissioner should determine what inspector to properly wexgh md constitutes the proper ingredientsof grade each load of grain the different grades of grain, seeds, to him for inspection, also deter flour, etc., then he should ‘be clothed mine the dockage and to- wsue ce with’ power - fix and estab lsh hficate under the seal ot state mspectors, who shall “not he mterested m ‘the parchase or sale of - Gy s ' One of the most surprising events of the -speaking tour was the recep- tion received at Tagus, a little town of scarcely two hundred peogle.” The day was none too pleasant and when 1 o'clock arrived and but a score or so of people were at the meeting the speaker bagan to think that this was to be a failue. But the loyalty and determination of our membership has not been correctly reconed for by the time talking began the people streamed in and they kept streaming ir, until the Tagus Opera House was full. This unlooked for attendance in so smal la place certainly was in- spiring, but it is simply a repetition . of the reception received, every where. At Stanley the weather was beast- ly stormy and the wind blew a gale, notwith:tanding this fact a well at- tended meeting was had and new members added. There seems to be a force behind this movement that is undescribable. It is inspiring both to the speakers and to the audiences and everybody takes hope for a better North Dakota. Elevator ManSquelched A meeting of the League was held at Thompson on the 27th and altho the roads were in bad shape owing .to the storm on the previous day there was a good attendance. The manager of the “socalled” farmers elevator at this point had been opposing the League, making it difficult for the organizer to work earlier in the season.. He was at the meeting and butted in a few times. He was finally made the laughing stock of the crowd when his own figures were used -showing that on every 70 bushel load of wheat sold by the farmers there is a loss of $29 as compared with what was rece:s:d for a cimilar load 50 years ago. transfer and the head of the lakes, by the state of North Dakota shall : be exposed for sale by a state ‘in- T spector and the grain sold under a iy _guarantee - of grade for ‘the benefit of the producer.- Every car of grain consigned to either of these markets to be inspected and graded before it “leaves the shipping point and a progerly certifled stamp sent by mail to the market. In this way North Dakota 'grading and inspection can besmade effective, as all grain offer- ed in this market will-be sold long before the car arrives and the des- tination of the car can be changed to suit the customer. % “STORING GRAIN” A:‘Writer:in a recent issue of the Nonpartisan Leader. shows conclu- sively the folly of" “storing” graim in the el_evator and l}oldmg for higher prices. As a matter of fact the grain is not stored "at all. It is dumped onto the market and cold to supply the demand, thus keeping the fgrice down.. The farmer merely gets a slip of paper, while in the meantime the grain combine has both the wheat- and. the money. The only way to store’ ) wheat with the prospects of an ad- ! vance is to keep it off the market. This is not done by exchanging it at the elevator for a storage ticket.— Bottinean Courant. THAT’S DIFFERENT THOUGH If a farmer should go to Minneapo- lis and pay six thousand dollars. for a membership - in the Chamber of ' Commeerce he would be given the glad hand by all the big financiers, but for him to pay six dollars for a : membershi : farmers causes him to be regarded” as sueker by the big 1ellows. 1f