The Nonpartisan Leader Newspaper, January 20, 1916, Page 3

~ . nearly ,$30,000,000 THE NONPARTISAN LEADER THREE Worst Says Farmers Gouged--Gives Remedy This Thursday evening, Jan. 20, before farmers from North . and South Dakota and Minnesota, as- sembled in Fargo this week for the big annual convention of the Tri- state Grain Growers’ President J. H. Worst of the State Agricultural college, .also president of the association, delivered an ad- dress which recognized and gave im- petus to the opening of the new era for the farmers of the northwest now dawning. President Worst heartily indors- ed the move of farmers to organize for the purpose of capturing the po- litical machinery of the state throug their preponderate ~ voting strength; he denounced in spirited language the present marketing and distribution system, which he said robbed the farmers of millions of dollars annually; he ended by out- lining a program, to be carried out through organization and coopera- tion, which he gave figures to show -would put over $50,000,000 more .annually in the pockets of North Dakota farmers. : This program contemplates farm- ers taking over the milling industry through a great cooperative organi- zation and manufacturing into flour in North Dakota all the grain pro- duced in North Dakota. Precident Worst estimates this would save farmers of the state over $2,000,000 annnally lost to them now througn dcckage, which mills convert for their own profit; would save over $17,000,000 annually in by products such as bran and shorts, return for which the farmer does mnot get through the unfair grain grading system; would save $3,200,000 freight on grain to Minneapolis and on our and feed back from the .present mills to North 1akota. In addition to this Pres. Worst outlines a plan for farmers to go into the packing business and the extensive raising of cattle. The cattle industry would absorb the feed produced by the mills and produce in the state the fertilizer-now badly needed, says Mr. Worst, to renew the farming lands of the state. This would mean an additional profit to the farmers of North Dakota of annually, -the speaker said, and with the savings through the ‘taking over of the mill- ing industry makes the- $50,000,000 which the program as a whole would distribute -among the farmers of North Dakota. in addition ‘to what they are now getting. Mr. Worst’s speech in full fol- lows: For seventeen years the farmers of North Dakota and South Dakota and Minnesota have assembled an- nually in Fargo under the auspices of the Tri-State Grain and Stock Growers’ Association. The purpose of these gatherings is for the dis- cussion of questions of vital interest to the farmerg of-this northwestern country. These conventions have been well attended and the enthus- _iasm they have awakened has gone a long way toward promoting better methods of farm management, the breeding of improved livestock and developing a more satisfactory rural business and social life. Such prac-- _ tical question as cooperation, molis- - ture and soil conservation, market- ing, livestock, dairying, agricultural education, plant and animal dis- eases, home making, fruit culture and tree planting, have from time to time been .given consideration by professional experts as well as by experienced farmers. The First Convention. The first of these conventions was called by Hon. Bud Reeve of Buxton, Traill County, in 1898. Since then the interést has grown and the at- tendance steadily increased until the present date. Among its earliest and most enthusiastic supporters, were its first President, Hon, J. A. John- son, then mayor of Fargo, but long since passed away, and Secretary T. A. Hoverstad, then superintendent of the Crookston Minnésota Farm School, but later and for many years superintendent of Farmers'Institutes for North Dakota. Farmers Excursions. - It was during one of these early: conventions that James J. Hill, after: delivering one of his masterful ad- dresses, offered to give free transpor- " tation to fifty farmers ‘from ~any county thru which the Great North- ern was operated, for the purpose of visiting the agricultural college and association, . President of Grain .Growers Association Shows Hugh Losses to Growers by Unfair Grading and Wheat Speculation--Declares Farmers Should Organize to Take Over Milling Industry. . Great Northern, and later the North- ern Pacific also, continued these an- nuallexcursions; which enabled thou- sands of farmers to visit the college committees and vice-presidents, to whom duties are seldom, if ever, ascigned, consisted of J. A. Johnson, the present incumbent, T. A. Hover- President John H. Worst and station at little or no cost for transportation. : Peculiarities In Organization. The Tri-State Association is pe- culiar in this, that it has neither lies.” mouth."” a part of the farmers’ share.) sum, the $7,000,000,000?2"° system.”! experiment station that they might ‘constitution nor bylaws, charges no receive first-hand knowledge of the ~work that was being accomplished for the : encouragement of better ' farming. For a number of years the organization, membership fee and s absolutely. democratic in purpose ‘and charac- ter. Its officials, all told, since its: _exclusive of execiitive PRES. WORST URGES FARMERS TO CAPTURE STATE Extracts from J. H. Worst's speech to grain growers: “The remedy is in your own hands. you; if the constitution stands in the way; if public officials are not sympathetic, commanding 80 per cent of the voting strength of the state as they do, farmers need not be told where the remedy *“When farmers hint at organizing for the purpose of managing their own business, or even choosing from their own ranks congressmen, governors and legislators somewhat in proportion to their voting strength and vested interests, it comes with poor grace for certain other interests and professions to criticize, since they themselves have effectually monopolized the offices in county, state and nation for lo! these many years.” ‘“Mr, Farmer, if you ever hope to enjoy justice in selling or buy- " ing it will come mainly thru your own cooperative efforts. As long as you depend upon the pretended friends of the farmer for emancipation from speculative intrigue, the .bit will remain in your “Farmers often must take for their products what a manipulated or speculative market offers, without any regard for the law of supply and demand. For as long as the captains of industry have the power to fix their own compensation for services rendered they will be generous to themselves and appropriate for their own use .~ “President Yoakum of the Southern Pacific railway system asserts that the consumers pay $13,000,000,000 for what the producers receive $6,000,000,000. In other words it costs $7,000,000,000 to distribute $6,000,000,000 worth of farm products. - We know who receives the $6,000,000,000, but who gets the larger “It wauld be folly to expect the originators of the present system voluntarily to improve it. If improvement is made it must come through the efforts of the producers themselves, moved by the same selfish impulse for profit-making that originated the present “To make progress farmers must stick together. belief prevails that farmers will not stick together. Farmers them- selves have come to believe this fallacy. - This is not at all surpris- ing since this doctrine has been most vigorously promulgated by . these interests, political and otherwise, which are best served by cultivating individualistic instead of cooperative effort among farmers. Farmers, therefore, must organize.” stad and the present secretary, W. C. Palmer. ° How Funds Were Provided. The funds necessary to meet the expenses of the association were If the laws do not suit The general formerly contributed by the busi- ness men of the city, but now and ‘for a_.number of years they have been provided by the commercial. club of Fargo. For about sixteen years the pre- sent incumbent has been either president or secretary of this asso- ciation, and upon retiring from the presidency at the close of this con- vention, which is contemplated, he wishes now and here to express his gratitude for the uniform courtesy which has been accorded to him and his coworkers during his long ten- ure of service. The ardous labors incident to pre- paring the programs and presiding over these gatherings have been a real pleasure when the growth, character and influence of the Tri- State Grain and Stock Growers’ As- sociation, as it is today, are taken into consideration. The apprecia- tion of our humble efforts by the thousands of farmers who annually congregate in the city to attend these conventions is indeed most gratifying. Association On Enduring Basis, 1 sincerely trust, therefore, that this association of farmers and stockmen is now upon an enduring basis and will continue its sessions and maintain its democratic simpli- city thru coming years. - It has ac- complished much already, but its mission is continuous and its use- fulness should extend far into the future. Aside from the social advantages it affords to farmers and their fam- ilies during the mid-winter season, when work is slack, its educational influence is far-reaching and bears directly upon the problems of the farm and the home. But this association has still a larger misison than heretofore re- cognized, if the farmers that gather here from time to time will make use of their opportunity. Farmers Must Do Team Work. Farmers have not yet learned to do effective team work; to act ™ a collective capacity; to engage har- moniously in constructive propa- ganda. But little can be accomplished, however, until farmers discard su- spicion and jealousy of each other and learn by heart the omne great and first lesson—that _of trusting each other and working together as brethren—without. which every plan must fail and every attempt to se- cure a ‘“square deal” come to naught. When farmers rise above their indi- vidualistic habit of thot and breathe freely the cooperative atmosphere, then team work will weld together and thus unify and protect the in- terest of all, and that, too, without injuring any other legitimate busi- ness. Otherwise, the farming class, dis- oragnized and disunited as it always hag been, falls an easy prey to or- ganizations vastly inferior to one which they themselves could main- tain and direct without violating a single law, human or divine. But until farmers learn to trust each other, to work together for their common weal, to cooperate honestly and always on the square—all ‘ef- forts to better their condition will prove a delusion and a snare. And mark you, Mr. Farmer, it you ever hope to enjoy justice in selling or buying, it will come main- ly thru your own cooperative ef- forts. As long as you depend upon the pretended friends of the farmer for emancipation from speculative intrigue, the bit will remain in your mouth. As long as the demagog with one blast from his face can scatter your forces, precipitate you ~into antag- onistic factions and thus dissipate your strength—just so long will you have a grievance. The therefore, is in your own hands. If the laws do not suit you; if the con- stitution stands in the way; if pub- lic officials are mnot sympathetic, (speaking for North Dakota), com- manding eighty per cent of the vot- ing strength of the state, as they do, farmers need not be told where their remedy lies. Cooperation - with Other Agencies. Our complex business system, however, compels farmers to cooper- ate with middlemen and transpor- tation companies, as well as among themselves. This is unavoidable. In fact it is desirable, but the coopera- tion must be real—must be so real that each factor in the whole busi- ness of production, manufacture and distribution, shall receive fair com- pensation only for necessary services actually rendered. Unnecessary middlemen and speculators obvious- 1y not only dissipate profits, but at the same time, they minimize, if not destroy, the farmers control!of their own business. Only by doing team work, there- fore, can farmers ever hope to re- remedy, * i i i b