The Nonpartisan Leader Newspaper, May 24, 1917, Page 4

| | F e i s A S R — “Now the question is not whether more than fifty-five millions can be saved for the farmers of the state, but how can it be done? Is the farmer of sufficient importance to make it worth while to help save this amount? Where will the money come from to promote mills and terminal ele- vators and packing plants? If only five cents per bushel can be s off twenty-five million dollars ‘worth of bonds merce and boards of trade in other states fix for them. -—-—-——'—'—'—_—fi-—-———'— - ( “B l » It is a notorious fact that a very The WorSt u l large number of men make immense - fortunes out of this wheat without adding anything to its value or per- forming any useful service. They are simply speculators who manipulate prices for their own advantage and what they make comes out of the producers and consumers of the coun- try. The recent discussion in congress ‘where they are referred to as ‘“rob- bers,” “pirates” and “skunks,” would indicate the esteem in which they are held by congressmen when their meth- ods are exposed, and yet the farmers of the Northwest have been compelled to submit to their dictation for years. Any attempt to improve these condi- tions is met with open ridicule by a portion of the state press that toadies to this form of “Big Business.” But now that this systematic robbery has soaked into the craniums of congress- men, and the country has awakened to the fact that much of the high-cost of living results from business piracy, steps may be taken to cure the evil. THE PARAMOUNT QUESTION: A BETTER WHEAT MARKET The question that most concerns the wheat growers of the Northwest is, can the marketing of wheat be con- trolled within the state? If not en- tirely, then can it be controlled to such an extent as will expose market manipulations and secure to farmers a much fairer proportion of the con- sumer’'s dollar without injustice to the consumer? This presupposes the elimination of needless middlemen and speculators that reap so abundantly where they do not sow, by engaging in manufacture and distribution as well as production. To estimate the value of the by- products lost by the present system, take dockage for a beginning. Fol- lowing are extracts from the address of last year: “Doctor Ladd tested 652 samples at the college mill, representing all classes “The “bull” cartoon as it appeared in the Grand Forks Herald: ‘This amazing production and the disgusting language which accompanied it has alienated a large portion of the small support which still remained to the official organ of the anti-farmer movement. Together with others of the series of grossly abusive - and grades of wheat. This wheat was °2rtoons printed by the Herald.it has assisted in further discrediting this publi- sent in by farmers for the purpose of cation and rendering its attacks on the farmers futile. determining the loss in cleaning. The loss ranged from nothing to over 38 “Bran also is an . important per cent; the average being 3.99 per item. For the same period Dr. Ladd cent. On a 100,000,000 bushel crop the tested 649 samples of wheat, repre- dockage would be 119,700 tons. For senting all grades, and found an aver- this the farmers receive nothing and age of 12.7 per cent. On a 100,000,000 actually pay the freight on it to the bushel ¢rop this would represeng 381,- terminal market, after paying for 300 tons, which, at twenty dollars per threshing and hauling it to the local ton, (now about $30.00 per ton) repre- elevator. This dockage is ground up sents a value of $7,626,000. and sold for stock feed at about twen- “From- 652 samples of wheat, Dr. ty dpllars per ton, (at present it sells TLadd found an average of 15.15 per for considerable more per ton) amount- cent of shorts, representing 454,500 ing to approximately $2,394,000. ton, which at $22.00 per ton (now -« $32.00 per ton) represents a value of $9,999,000. ~ “The total value of the three by- products; viz, dockage, ~bran and shorts, which our farmers usually send away and pay the freight on besides, have a commercial value of not less than—$20,019,000. “All these by-products should be re- tained in the state and fed to live- stock. The profit derived from feed- ing the same would not be less than 25 per cent on its value, which would How It All Came About (Continued from page 3) TOIL IN THE HEAT AND DUST OF THE FIELD IN MIDSUMMER AND IN THE BITTER COLD OF A NORTHERN WINTER IN ORDER THAT THEIR FAMILIES MAY HAVE A BARE LIVING. 5 * % % and the farmers in this state.” As president of the Agricultural college he conceived that to be his chief mission and he was faithful to it. This address showing the evils to which the farmers were subject aroused the ire of the powers that control in North Dakota and a board of regents subservient to the will of masters behind the scenes, SUMMAR- ILY DISCHARGED PRESIDENT WORST FROM HIS POSITION A VERY SHORT TIME AFTERWARD. Not daring to show the real motive behind that action they employed as Dr. Worst’s successor the scientist upon whose caleulations Dr. Worst had based his conelusions. That they have since planned to dischatge President Ladd from his position because of his strong friendship for the farmers’ fight for justice there is abundant evidence. -~ The facts shown by Dr. Worst in his famous address have been a factor in arousing the farmers to the need of organization and state action to do what Dr. Worst advised them to do—build up in this state the industries by which the real value of their produects might be re- tained to enrich the state. - = N * * * FOR THE STATE’S PROSPERITY Dr. Worst was and is a believer in the resources of the state of North Dakota and anxious to build up for the state a greater prosper- ity. As an agricultural scientist he knew how that could and should be done. He was preaching the gospel of diversified farming. He was showing a ' way by which the farmers of the state could retain the value of their produet and at the same time conserve the richness of the soil of the state instead of ROBBING THE SOIL OF THE STATE .OF ITS FERTILITY IN ORDER TO ENRICH FOOD PIRATES OUT- SIDE OF THE STATE. He believed in building prosperous farm homes and schools and thriving ecities in the state of North Dakota in- stead of building mansions in Minneapolis and Chicago and supporting steam yachts and palatial winter homes for millionaries OUT OF THE MONEY EARNED BY THE SWEAT OF THE FARMERS WHO aved, in five years it would pay .’—Dr. Worst. add to our farmers’ income, as previe ously estimated, $5,000,000. The freight also must be taken into account. The 955,500 tons of by-products under cone sideration, at an average carrying charge of $3.35 per ton amounts to $3,200,000. NOTE THE BIG ITEM THE MANURE VALUE “But this is not all. = Allowing one and one quarter tons to the animal, these by-products. would support, annually, 764,400 adult cat- tle, or other livestock in proportion, The roughage these cattle would need in addition, such as alfalfa, clover and corn, could be grown to advantage, for the improvement of the soil. The value of the manure these animals would make, according to experiments conducted by the Cornell University experiment station, has a commercial value of $29.27 per animal, or eight cents per day. The value of this manure, according to the figures quot- ed, would approximate annually, the sum ‘of $22,373,988. “The farms of the state need this amount of manure every single year to maintain the fertility of the soil, ‘Without it farming resolves itself into a mining proposition—mining out its fertility and selling, at a tremendous discount, the heritage of our children, The future wealth of this state depends upon the amount of manure that pres- ent day farmers apply to the soil. “Livestock, therefore, is as essential to confinued agricultural prosperity as sunshine or moisture. “The following table, therefore, rep- resents approximately the advantages that might be derived from exporting flour instead of wheat: “Dockage or screenings 119,- 700 tons at $20 .......... $ 2,394,000 “Bran, 381,300 tons at $20... 7,626,000 “Shorts, 454,500 tons at $22 9,999,000 “Profits from feeding, 25 per cent s Izl S vt ter s Sate s 5,000,000 “Freight saved on 955,500 tongiats§3:3b 5 DN 3,200,000 “Value of manure 764,400 cattle at $29.27 .......... 22,374,000 Total .........:5.......$50,593,000 SOME OF THE LOSS IN BAD GRADING “In addition to the foregoing, I quote further from the findings of Dr. Ladd: “‘The present system of grading wheat was inaugurated at a time when screenings had no commercial value; when the price of wheat bran and shorts was from eight to ten dollars per ton, and, therefore, there may have been some justice at the time the grades were established. But at the (Continued on page 5) NOW COMES THE G. F. HERALD Dr. Worst was thinking of all these things when he put forth these indisputable and conservative figures and preached the gospel of soil conservation, of home industry and of building up the state. Now then, comes the Grand Forks Herald, official organ of the Anti-Farmer union, organized at Grand Forks a few weeks ago, official organ of the interests that prey in North Dakota, representing every element of hostility to prosperity and good government _in North Dakota, the champion of wealth and special privilege, the foe of every man who works ~for his living in the state—this Grand Forks Herald after more than a year has elapsed comes forward to ridicule Dr. Worst, to further attack the farming interests of the state and to belittle every honest effort for greater agricultural prosperity. * - % % AGAINST DECENC With this article the Leader toon printed in its issue of Friday, ment that went with the eartoon, decent publication anywhere in th Y AND PROSPERITY reprints a Grand Forks Herald car- May 4. 'We do not reprint the com- because its allusions are such as no e world would print or would make. Only one other publication which disgraces the state of North Dakota \yould print s_uch'an item. If anyone is at all interested in the sort of literature which is ordinarily barred from the United States mails we should advise him to get a copy of the Grand Forks Herald of May 4 in order that he may know just what sort of publication it is that at- tacks the farmers—one of the publications, in fact, which attacks an officer of the law when he brings proceedings to close up disorderly and law-breaking resorts and to punish violators of the law—one of (Continued on page 5) FOUR | % N