The Nonpartisan Leader Newspaper, October 28, 1918, Page 12

How League Fights for Dairy Farmers Mill By-Products Kept at Home Means Lower Feed Costs—North Dakota First to Outlaw Unfair Competition TS /7 210 ONE has to tell the farmers of the Northwest of the im- portance of dairying. They well know the value of diversified farming in crop returns and in building up farm values. That such is the case is amply proved by the importance of the dairy _ issue in the program of the ° organized League farmers. Why have the farmers of North Dakota been fighting for state-owned ele- vators and mills for nearly 10 years? They wanted to escape the gouging of the grain combine, but along with this they wanted to keep the mill prod- uets of North Dakota wheat at home. Mill by- products, free from the freight charges to and from Minneapolis and free of the profiteering of the grain interests, would make dairying profitable in North Dakota. That was one of the very. big things they saw and no amount of propaganda by the special interests has been able to turn them away from the light. Cheaper mill feeds, more stock, more dairying, depleted soils restored by home produced fertilizers, prosperity—a splendid, common sense, farm-business vision now approach- ing reality. Kansas farmers, for instance, can appreciate this fall better than ever before the value of state- owned elevators and mills. largely a failure and the grain traders have al- ready shipped more than 65 per cent of the mew wheat out of the state. The bran and shorts from their own wheat would have been very valuable for carrying over their stock. f But while this fight with the grain combine is nearing victory, the League farmers are mnot over- looking other special interests that act as brakes to the dairy industry. The League members of the North Dakota legislature were able to get through some splendid laws to protect local cream- eries from unfair competition by centralizers and they improved the laws governing co-operative enterprises. Every one connected with the mar- keting end of the dairying business was licensed and the sum of $500 was appropriated for “the use and benefit of the North Dakota Dairymen’s as- ' sociation in publishing its annual proceedings, to- gether with such information as may be of gen- eral interest to its members and generally promote the dairying interests of the state.” THE FIGHT AGAINST THE PACKERS Along with these steps to promote dairying the League farmers have turned their guns on the packing trust, for they know what some dairy ex-. perts appear to forget, that there must be a free market for butter and that the unfair competition of the camouflage butter of the packing trust must be eliminated. In a few years the output of oleo- ' margarine of various kinds has grown until it equals one-seventh of our output of butter and . the packers are using every means at their com- mand to increase it. Lobbyists at Washington and "at the state capitols, tools of their own in state offices, fake farmers’ papers and associations, na- tion-wide advertising and special propaganda, dis- plays of their products forced on local merchants, pressure brought to bear on purchasing agents for the army—such is the tremendous drumfire they ‘have set up against the farmers’ butter. . More than this, they have entered the centralizer field,, they have vast interests in cold storage plants, and they are more or less openly striving to get the same control of the butter production that they A country shipping yard, where the cows take the s train when special interests make 3 dairying unprofitable. Their corn crop is_ v '|. manufacture or shipment be delivered at the now have of stock rais- ing. Their secret pur- - pose is to kill off the butter market as fast as they can increase their own production. The recent report of the federal trade com- mission, which shocked the nation and brought down upon the Wash- - ington administration a vicious attack by the United States Chamber of Commerce, was mild as compared with what the facts would war- rant. The League farm- ers took up the cudgels against this huge trust at the very beginning and they will continue to fight it with all the strength at their com- mand until this worst and most powerful enemy of dairy farming is eliminated. SUPPORT FOR : CO-OPERATIVE CREAMERIES All the dairy experts appear now to agree that the local co-operative creamery is one of the se- crets of successful dairying. By eliminating the private profits and the waste of the long haul for cream, the well-conducted farmers’ creamery is RESOLUTION TB REDUCE CREAM 5 ' SHIPMENTS ) R (Passed by N. D. Defense Council.) On July 8, 1918, the North Dakota State Council of Defense passed the following resolution: ; “The North Dakota -Council of Defense, realizing that great and needless waste of shipping—space, man power and food-results from present methods of handling and ship- ' ping dairy products in the bulky, highly per- ishable raw state, do hereby submit the fol- lowing resolution to the federal food adminis- trator for his consideration: “Whereas, there now occurs in this state, and in other states as a result of cream ship- ments originating in this state, an actual loss and waste of human food in the form of cream and butterfat, occasioned by fermen- tation and mechanical loss due to excessive and unnecessary length and, delay in ship- . ment of cream, and 3 “Whereas, large amounts of valuable food for livestock, with the accompanying fertiliz- o ing value, are wholly lost to the state, or lost, wasted or unevenly distributed from, or among, communities of this state as a result” of shipping gream fof manufacture into but- ter excessive and unnecessary distances with- in or out of this state, and “Whereas, it is the patriotic duty of all parties producing, handling or manufactur- ing dairy products to protect and conserve foodstuffs, and 2 “Whereas, the present method of long and unnecessary shipment of a bulky and highly perishable food product is not in accord with the requirements of our national government as regards shipping space and shipping fa- cilities. 7 s : “Therefore ‘be it resolved, that this body, the North' Dakota - Courdcil of Defense, re- quest the federal food administrator of the: state to issue a statement advising the public of the aforesaid wastes and losses and rec-’ ‘ommending that all cream intended for local local creamery or shipping point in a fresh, unfermented condition, and that the same be protected from unnecessary deterioration and delay in manufacture for shipment and that where shipment is necessary such shipment be made as far as possible and practical to . the nearést manufacturing plant.” et | PAGE TWELVE The dairy barn and what it implies is an indispensable link in the chain of long-time farm profits. The farmers know this better than anybedy else and they would never be soil miners if business conditions would allow dairying and cattle raising to be profitable. able to pay several cents a pound more for butter- fat, that is, to set the market price, and in ad- dition the by-products are available for local use. But in spite of these facts the so-called central- izers are allowed to compete unfairly with the farmers’ creameries, and railroads and express companies allowed to give rates to- encourage long hauls in the dairy states. By cutting down the cream receipts of the local creamery, thig unfair competition cuts down the farmers’ returns and drives many out of dairying. Wherever central- izers get a clearfield they put prices so low that farmers have to give up dairying. Federal inves- tigations have shown this. Is it allowed because there is no way to stop it? no means.” The League legislature of North Dakota in 1917 found the way to stop unfair competition. All that is needed is a law-making body that puts the inter- ests of the farmers and the prosperity of the state above that of a few centralizers, a few railroads, and the smokestacks of the packing trust. Here is what the League legislature enacted: “Any person, partnership, firm, corporation or association-engaged in the business of buying milk, cream or butterfat, for the purpose of manufacture, who shall, with the intention of creating a monop- oly or destroying the business of a competitor, dis- criminate between different sections, localities, com- munities or cities of this state, by purchasing such commodity at a higher “price or rate in one locality than is paid for the same commodity by said per- son, partnership, firm, corporation or association in another locality, after making due allowance for the difference, if any, in the'actual cost of trans- portation from:'the locality of purchase to the lo- cality of manufacture, shall -be deemed” guilty of unfair diserimination and upon conviction thereof shall be. punished by a fine of not less than one hundred dollars ($100.00) or thirty (30) days’ im- prisonment in the county jail, or both, for each ad- ditional offense.” The farmers’ representatives not only put. this splendid piece -of legislation through, but they re- . fused to waste any time in putting it into effect, so they tacked the following provision to it: “(Emergency.) Whereas, it is necessary for the. preservation of the public peace, health and safety, ' that this act take effect and be in force immedi- ately after its passage by reason of the necessity . of properly and duly enforcing the laws on the . statute books concerning dairy products and for. the due administration of the duties of the dairy commissioner; therefore, this act shall take effect and be in force immediately after its passage and - - approval by the governor.” - ELIMINATING THE LONG 'HAUL FOR CREAM Supplementing this statute'is one which provides © that every tester or samplér must pass an exami- nation or must have completed an accredited dairy “course, and if he is caught in practices violating ” the state laws by the dairy inspection department his license is revoked. z ; Just now a very powerful reason has been added * to that of favoring.the dairy farmers for eliminat- ing the long haul for cream wherever possbile. Our i+ national needs require a conservation of shipping" - (Continuéfl on ppge 14) :