The Nonpartisan Leader Newspaper, August 2, 1917, Page 11

{ l P — B e T prices. If the cheese dealers succeed- ed in tipping the market down while they were buying and up while they were selling, as_they often did, their profits were proportionately greater, CHEESE TRUST ACTS AGAINST FEDERATION The cheesemakers were so worked up by this time that something had 1o happen. What did happen was half the cheese factories in the county got together with Krumrey and organized the Sheboygan County Cheese Pro- ducers federation. They built a cold storage warehouse at Plymouth cost- ing $25,000, subscribing themselves and R e e e R - borrowing the rest. This was done only after the cheese dealers and other business men allied with them had vlaced every possible obstacle in theih way. ‘When the producers’ warehouse was finished and began filling up with cheese, the Cheese Trust showed :ts hand again. The Plymouth board re- fused to allow the federation to offsr its cheese on the exchange and on top of that adopted a rule penalizing any member for buying this cheese off the board. The federation turned to-the pack- ers ‘next. The packers generally buy from the cheese dealers. Not a packer would purchase cheese from the fed- eration warehouse. It wouwld be a long story to tell of all the struggles of the federation. They had to send their salesmen oat to build up trade among the whola- sale grocers. Finally, when they had made a good start in this direction, word was brought to them that one of the big packers was ready to break away from the Cheese Trust combina- tion and handle their products. But all the time that the cheese deal- ers were fighting against the federa- tion' they were compelled to pay bet- ter prices for cheese. They couldn’t manipulate the market any more. Incidentally the federation ware= " house is handling cheese at a charge of 14 cent per pound, as against 3-4 cent found by the university investi- gators to be the average dealers’ pro- fit and charges. On this charge they are paying all expenses of operation, interest on their investment and are building up a big surplus. But the most important thing they have done is to free the markel from influences which prevented a fair price. Only the members of the federation have shared in the saving in cost of handling the product, but the gain in price to the producer has been reflected all over the state. - Explains New N. D. Grain Act J. A. McGovern, Former Grain Man for Equity Exchange, Now N. D. Grain Inspector, Believes New Law Will Be of Great Benefit to the Farmers | ) ORKING on the theory that the milling test is the only true test of value in wheat, J. A. McGovern, designated by President E. F. Ladd of the North Dakota Agricultural college, as chief deputy inspector of the North Dakota grain grading department, this week told the farmers how he viewed the act passed by their representatives at Bismarck last winter. “After a careful study of the act, I am satisfied that the law is a merit- orious one,” said McGovern. “It is practicable and can be worked out to the satisfaction of all concerned. “For many years the farmers and their organizations have asked for government inspection of grain. While they didn’t get government inspection they got government grades, a stand- ardization of grains, with rules and regulations laid down whereby grain may be judged. Now, if graders of grain follow the standards and can interpret them correctly, they give the grain a uniform grade. But all under- stand that the judgments of men are not always the best test when it comes to ' fixing the correct grades. Hence the lawgivers of North Dakota, wisely, in my opinion, made it incum- bent upon the commissioners of rail- roads to appoint a member of the fac- ulty of the North Dakota Agricultural college so that all grain could be given a chemical analysis and a milling test, which is theé true test. Thus the pro- ducers of grain will be given the grade their grain is entitled to, providing they ask for it. The old -haphazard guessing on grades is a thing of the past. REVOKE LICENSES OF DISOBEDIENT “All' graders of grain In this state must procure a license from the state; they are subject to the rules and reg- ulations and grades furnished for their guidance by the state inspector of grades and a refusal to obey the rules will invite a cancellation of their license. “Weights and measures are just as important as grades and will have the eareful attention their importance de- mangs. ‘‘State-owned marketing places are feasible and can be worked out to the great advantage of the producer. I ap- prehend it will take time and a careful study to work out this part of the law but it is bound to come in the near future and is one of the wise pro- visions of the law. ‘“The inspection of licensed ware- houses is a very important and com- mendable proviso. That the warehouse is ‘properly cared for, insured for the ‘ protection of all interested parties that may have grain stored therein, that the business management be con- ducted in an honest and proper man- ner—this part of the act will meet with the approbation of very citizen, I am sure. With the co-operation of the producer, buyer and state inspector’s office I know of no reason .why the law should not work out to the satis- faction of all concerned.” ) "Mr. McGovern also appeared last week before the meeting of the Direc- tors’ and Managers’ Association of Farmers’ Elevators, explaining the workings of the law. He said to them: FARMERS WANT JUST GOOD, SQUARE DEAL “I have been doing business with farmers all my life ard I will say this for them, that the farmer does not want any more than is coming to him.* #You will have no trouble with the -t Part of a League Crowd at Bottineau This photograph was taken at the fain Thomason, Wood and Stair spoke. farmer who knows what his grade should be,” added Mr. McGovern, “and it will be ‘the object of this department to assist the farmer as well as the grain buyer to know the value of his grain. We will furnish any farmer a grade on a sample. of grain.”. There was an attendance of about fifty at the session of the Directors’ and Managers’ Association of Farmers’ Elevators, held in the Commercial club rooms at the auditorium. They were welcomed to the city by City Attorney Shure, in the absence of Mayor Stern. Secretary J, A. Axtell of Fargo made the response on behalf of the associa- tion. Other speakers were G. H. Bruns of Oriska, treasurer, and President August Nelson of Crosby, who presided at the sessions. The principal address of the day was made by Mr. McGovern. EXPECTS BUYERS TO CO-OPERATE ““We will expect the hearty co-opera- tion of every licensed grain buyer in the state of North Dakota,” said Mr. McGovern in explaining the aims and objects of his department. “You will be, furnished with a copy of the law under which you will be governed in the handling of grain, It will stand you well in hand to familiarize yourself with the provisions of the grain grades law. “You will receive a copy of the North Dakota grades. The federal grades have been adopted for North Dakota. An application- blank will be mailed you. This will be an application for a state license which every buyer and grader of grain and seeds must have before he enters upon the duties of grain grader and buyer. Fill this blank out at once and return it to the State . Inspector of Grain, Agricultural Col- lege, Fargo,~North Dakota. ‘“When you receive your license from the state, you are-then authorized to buy and grade grain and seeds “under the grades rules and regulations fur- nished for -your guidance by the state grounds, Bottineau, N. D., where a League meeting was held recently, Messrs. inspector of grades. This work of “grading grains and the correct dock- ‘age will be of the most vital import- ance to the producers of grain, and every citizen within the state. The state of North Dakota must have uni- form grades and the law provides a ‘way to get them. ANYONE CAN GET HIS GRAIN TESTED “All disputes between buyer and sell- er over the correct grades and dockage shall be submitted to the/state insfec- tors of grades for decision. Such sam- ples of grain taken on appeal should be with the consent of both parties to the controversy and the sample should be “not less than five pounds of the grain in dispute, with the names and post office address of the parties accom- panying the sample. Both buyer and seller should keep a sample, “Any person may send a 5-pound sample of grain to the state inspector’s office and have it graded. The state inspector’s office is fully equipped to give every sample of wheat the chemi- cal analysis and milling test which all grades of wheat are based on. “The state inspector and deputy will hold a federal license.issued by the United States secretary of’agriculture and under that license are authorized to inspect, grade, and certify~ the grade of any grain of the kind men- tioned in his license, providing the con- ditions permit the taking of a repre- sentative sample or samples from a car or bin. ISSUE CERTIFICATE OF WHEAT GRADE “If a shipper wishes to have a car of wheat graded at the loading station and a certificate issued by one holding a federal license, he can do so by send- ing a representative sample of that car of wheat to the state inspector’s office and he can issue a certificate: that is good in any state &nd can be changed only on appeal to the United States district supervisor, PAGE ELEVEN . “The state grain inspector's office, from time to time, will call on every licensed buyer for samples of grain taken from farmers’ wagons, giving the grade, dockage and variety. Also the farmer’s name and postoffice address that the sample of grain was taken from. And I hope you will respond promptly. “The question has been asked and some correspondence has been received in regard to the matter of establishing market places, also appointing. deputy inspectors of grain where grain is mar- keted. The law provides for both. I am informed' that the officials who have charge and can put into effect that part of the law do not think it feasible to put in operation this season more than one or two central markets for the display of samples of grain, and for this crop it is not planned to ap- ‘point deputy grain inspectors to be placed at stations where the grain is marketed. The whole aim and force of the state inspector of grain grades, weights and measures will be to first establish uniform = grades, correct weights and measures, and then an- other season central markets and dep- uty grain inspectors can be put in force,” MEETING IN RANSOM A big Nonpartisan league picnic has been arranged by Ransom county (N. D.) boosters of the Nonpartisan league, to be held at Idlewild park, in the county, on August 4, according to plans an- nounced by R. W. Craig of Lis- bon. Mr. Craig announces he has obtained Governor Lynn J. Frazier and Attorney General Langer as the chief speakers. Ransom county was one of the banner counties in sthe First _district in the special election when Baer went to con- gress. Nearly everybody in the county~—almost—voted for Baer. The picnic promises to be a big event. IPEAGN