The Nonpartisan Leader Newspaper, August 3, 1916, Page 7

Sy & 7 i B B i This photograph shows the new Repuklican county central committee of Burlei Nonpartis “ O MATTER what is done s about the terminal ele- vator the railroad freight rate question will be one . of the most important ‘problems in con- nection with the marketing ‘of our So declares Charles W. Bleick, Repub- lican nominee for member of the state railroad commission, who, .with the other nominees, Sam J. Aandahl and M. P. Johnson, has begun a study of the questions which will confront the mem- bers of the commission after they are elected and have entered office. “Railroad freight rates are at the root of the whole matter of establishing industries. within the state of North Dakota,” continued Mr. Bleick. “It is the duty of the railroad commission to try to get such adjustments of rates, both: interstate and within the state, as will help to bujld up our industries. “Especially if we decide to have state- “owned- grain- terminals within the state it ‘will ‘be important that we get rates on grain which will not discriminate in favor of the Twin Cities, Duluth and other points. PRESENT RAILROAD RATES FAVOR MINNESOTA CITIES “As-rates now exist, so far as I have .looked into them, and:I have examined several . schedules, the transportation system so far as freight charges are coneerned is- mot in favor of elevators, mills . or packing plants in’ North Dakota, but. in favor of their location.at i is and. St. Paul and other points without the state. “The matter of railroad rates is. vital * to_the. success of ‘industries. of this kind ~in . North . Dakota, whether . these indus- tries are owned or -controlled by the state, are owned by cooperative com- panies or are privately owned. “For instance, it is doubtful if a big packing house would. be successful any- where in North Dakota under. present railroad .rates. -The: existing rates have been.made to favor the location of such “plants in Minnesota and: other outside cities. 'These plants - outside ' the - state can ship> in _live stock from North Dakota at rates in most instances less than a plant in North Dakota could secure live stock from the same point in North Dakota. And these plants’ out- . side the'state-can ship the dressed meat . and other packing house products’ back - “toNorth 'Dakota for consumption as ‘cheap or cheaper, in most instances, :than'a North Dakota plant could ship to “the same North Dakota consumers. “With a’ situation like this it is plain that a packing plant in North Dakota. ~would have a hard time to make 'a ‘suc- .- ‘cess, regardless of whether it was a controlled: plant, a - . icooperative plant or privately owned - ‘plant. When - plants_ outside “ of ~ the. .. state can .get their.raw. material and ship back their finished products cheaper state-owned or ! : League were in the majority on the committee and selected loyal fri indorsing the program of the League. The picture is furnished by courte 980000000006000000 B T T B S T XS N W T E ends of the people’s cause sy of the Palladium, Bismarck Right Action by Railroad Commission N-ecessary to Build State’s Industries than a home plant, the competition would. be too heavy for a home plant to buck up against. ’ GRAIN RATES UNFAIR TO NORTH DAKOTA CITIES “What is true of the packing plant situation is more or less true of the terminal elevator propesition. The rates on grain must be such that a ter- minal elevator in North Dakota can exist on the same freight rate basis as terminals :in Minneapolis and Duluth.. ‘Many of .these rates on grain are now such - that they would discriminate against a terminal elevator operated in North Dakota. “It will be up to the mnext railroad commission to make-an exhaustive inves- tigation of this situation and get the advice of competent rate experts. Then it will be up to the commission to do what it can to get equitable rates se far as rates in the state are concerned, for they come directly under the juris- diction of the North Dakota commission. Wherever an interstate rate is con- cerned it will be up to the North Dakota commission to get the matter properly before, the Interstate Com- merce Commission and present evidence -sufficient to: énable that commission to make the necessary changes to permit ‘the proposed North Dakota industries mentioned “'to do -business on a fair freight rate basis. s “Personally I believe that the failure of North Dakota to build: up terminals, packing - plants and mills to, handle its own raw. products is' due largely to the unfavorable freight rate situation. Why “ papers against them, and lying and members. ; ¥ % pretty tolerably well. 7 We gave you the m(':?;;y’to spend, and judging by the results you spent it 1ank “you! Everybody pleased and determined ' to stick here. Even some of the, business people’ are becoming convinced that the League is a good thing for them as well as for the farmers. Well, I hope you are able to carry the work on and that the League candidates will “stick” as well as the League members have. You have my good will and best wishes, ‘and may the so-called “Big Five” continue to spend the SMsuckers’ ? ‘money ‘for many years if they can get as good value as they have this time.: PAGE SEVEN . should- a condition exist whereby a plant hundreds of miles - distant from the state can consume North Dakota raw products and manufacture and distrib- ute them back in North Dakota cheaper than the same plants could do located in the ‘state? North Dakota needs the independence, the self-reliance, the profit, the increased population and the other substantial benefits that will come as a result of. developing these-indus- tries in the state. We have too long neglected this side of our development as a state. PROSPERITY OF STATE HINGES ON JUST RATES “It should be needless to have to con- vince anybody that a policy is necessary to be adopted by the legislature and the railroad commission to encourage these industries—to make conditions such that industries- of this kind can prosper in North Dakota, whether they are privately or - cooperatively owned, or whether the state- itself finds it neces- sary to own or control them. It should also be needless to have to convince anybody: of the advantages of building up this side of the state’s activities. “North Dakota producers, when these industries are developed in the state, will be able to get the full value for their products, whether live steck or grain, without having to sell under the rules and conditions of a foreign market, outside their state and their jurisdiction, and the consumers of the state will be able to buy the finished products at prices much lower than those at present existing. This policy ........0........0’..‘...‘..'.0.Q.-.....0.“..........0..’00.. ] NORTH DAKOTA FARMERS SATISFIED Mr. A. C. Townley, President,” Nonpartisan League: ; Dear Sir: = Well, I guess- we stuck some .all right, and the antis lost their money and the ‘suckers are going to make a few thousand per cent on the investment if they continue to work together like that. : We haye you largely to thank for these results, as the thing would never have been started without you, and it would have been of very little use if the _state hadn’t been so completely covered. You have made a. piece of very interesting North Dakota history, and should feel proud of it, whether you do or not. I'believe you have organized more farmers than were ever organized “in one.year in the history of the country, if not the world. The “Townley gang” are some organizers, when: they can cover a whole state in 15 months, and._get ‘every man: on their ticket nominated with nine-tenths of the news-s 000000000000000000000000000000000000000 doing. their “derndest” to divide the GEORGE R. WHITE. gh county on the ‘steps of the courthouse at Bismarck. Members and friends of thig , for positions of responsibility and also passed resolutiong . Freight Rates Need Attention 4 is the keynote of the farmers’ program in North Dakota and it should—in tim¥ . will—have the support of every honesf ' citizen of the state. [ “Reasons for building the terminal elevator in the state of North Dakota have been well stated by President Ladd of the Agricultural college and othex competent authorities. In the firs§ place the building of the plant in thig state will assure the handling of the grain under grades fixed by this statey doing away with the abuses incident t4 its handling under the obsolete and unfair grades of other states and undeg conditions made for the benefit of thg grain buyers and speculators, who gef abnormal profits and cheat the farmerg through grain mixing, ete. ELEVATOR WITHIN STATE WOULD HELP. FARMERS “With a well equipped terminal in this state the “farmer will be able to get some return for his dockage, now a total loss 1o him but a means of great profit to the terminal elevators in other statesy This dockage, or screenings, is a valua able stock food on which the elevato: make a substantial profit. A termi elevator in this state, working under. rules made by this state, can put a proper value on screenings and pay the farmer for his share on what is now dockage and a dead loss to him. Then the screenings will be available right here in. the state-as.a cheap stock food to encourage our live stock industry, which needs encouragement. Stock foods would ‘be cheaper and raising liva ‘stock more profitable to-the farmers. ; “Then- there is the -practical certainty that a terminal elevator in North Dakota: would develop the. milling . industry here. The grain, cleaned and ready for milling, will -be available on the spot' to supply mills, fair gradeg guaranteed: “Another big argument for the loea< tion of the elevator in the state is that it .is practically certain to raise sub< stantially the price of North Dakota grain in the world’s market.. Such an elevator would be handling exclusively the fine spring wheat of this state, the finest wheat in the world, and it would be grading and distributing it without mixture with other wheat of less value, It would establish a reputation for North Dakota grain in the world’s markets and it would raise the price. “As it is now it is difficult if not im< -pogsible.for American and foreign millg -to get straight, unmixed, North Dakota .hard spring wheat, because the terminalg -in other states, where North Dakota grain is now shipped, resort to the prac« -tice of mixing, as has been proved time and. time - again. They simply use, under present conditions, North Dakota grain: to bring up the quality of grain of less value from other localities and the price of this mixture governs the price of North Dakota grain.” 2 i i, ¥ ¥ § 4