The Nonpartisan Leader Newspaper, May 31, 1917, Page 7

. Meeting the War Emersgency Northwest Farmers in Convention Declare for Government Guarantee of $2.50 Wheat, Government Operation of Marketing Facilities and Abolition of Future Trading in Foodstuffs EVEN delegates representing the spring wheat growers of the Northwest are at Wash- ington, D. C., this week, meet- ing with congressional com- mittees in an effort to get a square deal for the producer in the food con- trol act, now pending in congress. The conference of representative farmers, held at Fargo last week, which elected the delegates, directed them to work for three main objects: A government price guarantee for the 1917 grain crop, the conference expressing the opinion that a basic price of $2.50 per bushel for No. 1 Northern at northwestern termi- nals, would be fair. Government operation of rail- roads, terminal elevators and ware- houses. Prohibition of trading in grain futures, not as a temporary war measure, but as a permanent gov- ernment policy. There was comparatively little dif- ference of opinion among the grain growers when it came to settling what would be a fair price for the 1917 crop. While the figures of $2 and $2.25 were first proposed, it was pointed out that ‘the prices of every-material the farm- er needs are being increased and prob- ably will be increased still further if it- becomes apparent that the farmer will get a fair price for his crops. GOVERNMENT CONTROL— THAT WAS THE RUB It was the plank that proposed gov- ernment operation of railroads, termi- nal elevators and warehouses, with a view toward taking control of food -supplies out of the hands of the grain gamblers, that uncovered the only op- position of the Fargo meeting. This opposition didn't show itself in the open meeting, but only behind ther closed doors where the resolutions committee met. J. G. Gunderson, a banker-farmer of Aneta, N. D,, and a former state sena- tor, was one of the delegates who at- tended the meeting. Gunderson was active and was appointed on the reso- lutions committee. John M. Anderson, president of the Equity Exchange, who presided over the meeting, called the attention of the grain growers at the meeting to Gunderson’s occupation. “lI am appointing on the resolutions committee one banker-farmer (Gund- erson), one educator (President McVey of the University of North Dakota) and one lawyer (Benjamin Drake, attorney for the Equity exchange),” said Chair- man Anderson, announcing the com- mittee. “But I am appointing four real farmers on the committee, and if they A group of the spring wheat growers who attended the Fargo conference, caught outside the auditorium where the meet- ing was held. The conference declared for a $2.50. wheat price guarantee, government operation of railroads and grain elevators and permanent prohibition of trading in.grain futures. don’t control the committee, it will be their own fault.” The real farmers named on the committee were Magnus Johnson of Kimball, Minn., Howard R. Wood of Deering, N. D., Charles E. Drown of Page, N. D. and Pete Suhumski of Lisbon, N. D. GUNDER?QN SAYS IT IS “SO;C]ALISTIC" Why a banker-farmer was present as a member of the resolutions com- mittee at a farmers' gathering was made evident when the resolutions committee got'down to business. When Farmer Woed and Attorney Drake of the Equity Exchange proposed that the farmers’ meeting go on record in favor of government operation ‘of terminal elevators and warehouses Gunderson raised his voice in protest. Wood and Drake offered a resolution providing: “We earnestly suggest that in line with the course of other warring na- tions the government shall immediate- ly prepare itself to seize and operate, whenever and wherever necessary, all transportation agencies and terminal elevators and warehouses.” Gunderson wouldn’t hear to this. He advanced all the old standpat argu- ments—such a step would be revolu- tionary, socialistic, interference with legitimate enterprises, etc., etc. It was nothing to Gunderson that every other warring nation has found it necessary to take charge of a large part of the machinery of food supply and that government operation of railroads has been an established fact in most of - Europe for generations. BANKER ONLY ONE TO OPPOSE POLICY Gunderson proposed, instead, a nice, sugar-coated plank providing that the government “regulate” .terminal ele- vators and warehouses, a plank that would mean nothing at all. But the farmers on the committee wouldn’t Lear to any such substitution. They knew what they wanted and they re- membered the injunction of Chairman Anderson ‘when the committee was ap- pointed that they had a majority on the committee and were-responsible for its actions. “We'll stick,” they said, and they did. For more than two hours Gunderson and the other members of the commit- tee fought it out in the resolutions committee room. Then Gunderson came out, alone. He had”bolted the committee and refused to sign its re- - port. A little later the other members of the committee came out with a unani- mous report, except for Gunderson. The .only thing to be added to this recital of what happened is that the conference adopted the resolutions pre=- pared by the real farmers on the reso- lutions committee without a dissenting vote, Gunderson didn't attempt to raise opposition to public ownership and operation of grain elevators before the conference after he had been beaten in the resolutions committee. He knew better. SEVEN DELEGATES GO TO WASHINGTON The seven delegates who were se- lected to go to Washington, to appear before the agricultural committees which are considering the food con- trol bill, were: 3 Howard R. Wood, speaker of the house of representatives at the last session of the North Dakota legislature and Senator Thomas Pendray, repre- senting North Dakota; J. M. Anderson and Benjamin Drake, representing Minnesota; former Senator J. E. Kelly, representing South Dakota; - C. F. Lowrie, president of the Montana Equity, representing Montana, and a representative of the National Agri- cultural Organization Society, which has its headquarters at Madison, Wis., to represent this society and also the state of Wisconsin. Cattle Commissions Go Kiting South St. Paul Sell Artists Will Grab\$185,000 Extra for Disposing of the Farmers’ Livestock OT air, like bread and beef, is more costly than ever. The high price of talking and thumping a steer’s ribs with . a hickory cane, is taking its place right alongside the high cost of living—in fact is becoming a part of it Hot air is what the commission man pses when he sells Johnson’s load of . pteers to Brown, hot air and psy- chology. The psychology comes in the way he thumps the steer’s ribs, and in uwsing a convincing tone of voice. If. it takes, Brown buys Peterson’s cattle at the price named and Peterson pays the commission man for the hot air and psychology. If it doesn’t take, Brown simply byys some other load of cattle, which means that some other brand of talk and niental strategy suo- ceeded where that of the first commis- gion man failed. But with the war putting the kite to Great numbers of calves are being sent into the South St. Paul stockyards, so the commis- sion men raised their toll for selling them from $12 to $18 per carload, minimum. everything, it was natural that the price of talk and psychology should go up too. It went up May 1 to the tune of 16 to 50 per cent at South St. Paul, the place that holds the greatest sup- ply of that commodity for the livestock growers of Minnesota, the Dakotas and Montana. It is going to cost the farm- ers who raise cattle, sheep and hogs $185,000- more to market their prod- ucts this year than it ever has before, for the commission men raised their charges $2 to $6 per carload and five. to ten cents per animal where sold out- side the carload. A REAL LOSS IN HARD CASH On the basis of the business done in 1915 (the Leader has not the official figures for 1916) it will cost the farm~ ers §$185,000 more in commissions, be- ginning May 1, than for previous years. There were, according to the official report of the St. Paul Union Stock- « yards company, 58,890 carloads of live- stock sold on that market in 1915. The commission on cattle has been in the past $10 per carload as the mini- mum charge, plus 5 cents per 100 pounds for all weight in excess of 22,- 000 pounds, which is the minimum carload weight on cattle up to a maxi- mum of $14 per carload. The new charge is $12 to $15. On hogs the charge has been $8 per carload in the past, plus 5 cents per 100 pounds for all weights in excess of 17,000 pounds, and this is now raised to $10 and the extra 5 cents. TFor double deck loads of hogs the minimum charge has been raised from $12 to $15 per carload with 6 cents added both in the past and in future for all weights in excess of 22,000 pounds. On sheep the rate per singie “deck (Continued on page 14) There arem hogs. Their latest was to r&g the year her ways in which the Cattle Combine offsets the much quoted top prices on steers and ce of hot air $250 per day above its former price for every r, Sundays included. | |