The Nonpartisan Leader Newspaper, November 11, 1918, Page 11

4 A 4 ' spring. _the government - .Afit::z-uhedwat me and said imultlng things - If there is anything you don’t understand about the food, fuel wheat, labor, draft or other or- ders, write to A. B. Gilbert, P. 0. Box 575, St. Paul, Minn. SPECIAL AID TERMS TOO SEVERE 5 HERE have been several reports issued to the ef- fect that the special aid to creditless farmers of- fered by the govern- ment, although small in amount, was more than sufficient. This might seem to deny reports that there was widespread distress among farmers in many sections of the West, but as a matter of fact it doesn’t. The amount of aid asked for depends not only on the need, but also on the con- ditions under which the loans are made. These conditions can be made so hard that no money at all would be asked for, but that would not mean that there was no distress. There is strong reason for believing that the special aid is not being given with that sympathetic under- standing and trust farmers in general had hoped would be used. Instead of $5,000,000, which is held to be more than enough, $150,000,000 could be so placed to the g'reat advan--. tage of next year’s food sup- ply. The following letter from the drouth area of western North Dakota illustrates the above point clearly: Your letter is at hand and I note that you think we can get help. I was in town to see the county auditor to fill out the blanks, but he says we must put in 100 acres of rye and- fence the same. I would like to know if a farmer has to put in the rye and fence the same to get the $3 per acre. It would take all the $800 to put the rye in and fence it. The rye at $1.50 a. bushel would take half the sum, and buy fenceposts and wire here would take about all the othef half. We would then need some money for living and fuel and clothes, 80 that we can stay for another year or until - we get another crop, as I had to lunlinnllt.hoxuinth year to the parties that had a mortgage on it, leaving me without a cent for living and fuel for the coming year. We al have put 60 acres in in rye on nearby rented land and with our own land have 150 acres of good wheat ground that should go into wheat next I don’t think it right to put more rye in so long as we have 'good wheat land and there is no price set for rye, whereas is a 1919 minlmum price for wheat. _Here is another letter from the same section telling a similar story, showing our wretched credit condi: tions and how a weak-kneed society monkeys with famine in preference to giving the farmer a fair chance: Will you please tell me how I am going to live .and keep the family going until I can How can I keep the money sharks and local banks from getting have and about .three times more than they ought to:have? ‘I have suffered from crop failure for three years. I asked for a Federal Land bank loan on 820 -cm of my land and was -allowed $2,300, which was enough to cover two mort- t local banks, but the man who holds nd mortgage on my, land, 10 head of "horses, at least $500 worth of mchinfl for ’1,440. will, not release and let my. f take effect. 'Now his mortgage was due on October' 1 and he has told all “fi is no sale e’ does ‘there ? for ho here now, and lw will bid it “in ‘and fatten 3 himself. - =T thy and ried i e 'f“ % {elt.nim ofl. 1, but. they. ‘put ‘up_ the tig ney 8D ed - about aning ‘money to bunh and ot the only one in Hfls aimtion here. are uld : yo! tell me where I could get a loan to lift the second mortgage and get my federal loan? It is hard to answer a letter like this, becausesour credit system is ab- solutely rigged against the farmer. The only source of new funds open to this farmer probably is the $56 an acre special aid he may be able to get by applying to the county agent or the county auditor. - The government is not checking up on the bankers, be- cause it knows the bankers are loyal and it knows they are loyally help- ing to win the war, because the bank- ers have said so. In the meantime a good many of them are failing to take advantage of the War Finance corporation and the rediscounting of farmers’ notes and are working the old foreclosure game harder than ever. FEEDING WHEAT NOT ALLOWED - Dietrich, Idaho. OW much commission are the elevator men allowed for handling wheat? am 100 miles west of Pocatello, so what should be the price on No. 2 wheat here? in the war. ‘What is the regulated price on mill feed? A number of the furmefl here have a good bunch of hogs and have no other grain on the place except wheat. In fact, there is no other grain be had without shipping in some corn. Would the farmers be allowed to feed wheat in order to fatten their hogs? The elevator men at country points are not limited to any particular mar- gin. - The government evidently ex- pects competition to make the price ‘right. Consequently, if the farmers think the local elevator is charging them too much the only relief is to send the wheat in to the terminal market in carload lots. The Govern- ment Grain corporation claims to be willing to handle wheat thus, and a letter addressed to it at the nearest big terminal market for shipping di- rections ought to bring a reply. The farmers in the different sections can arrive at. the minimum price of wheat loaded on the car at the home ,point by subtracting from the terminal. market price atthe most advanta- geous. terminal the local freight and 2 cents ‘a bushel for terminal com- missions and other terminal marketr ‘expenses. = The regnlated pnces of mill !eeda vary so much with different sections that the best way to get at them is to go to the local miller for the in- formation. He is required by the government to have these prices on his billheads, where they are open to inspection. With regard to feedmg wheat, the Leader has not heard of any one be- ing punished for this, but it has re- ceived a list of revised regulations from the food administration dated October 15, 1918, containing the fol- lowing: _ “Wheat must not be used for feed- ing, nor may wheat or wheat flour be used in manufacturing or mixing . feeds unless it is unfit for human con- sumption.” In exceptional cases like the one noted above the farmer might be able to get a special permit from the state food administration at the state capi- tol, but it is hardly likely. This farmer can probably. appreciate bet- The tractor is doing a big work on the farm too. ter than ever before the value of state-owned elevators and mills which would keep the mill feeds at home. RAILROAD OPERATION UR railroad agent, who is an old-line Democrat, tells me that Uncle Sam 'is .not making a success of the railroads. that the raise in rates is due the other raises “we have bad and that Uncle Sam is looking to efficiency rather than to making money. I wish you.would give me your opinion. am_ running a hardware store, but sure am in favor o.’. the gue. My partner is a farmer and I get his Leader. Our business men here for the most part imagine they -re Big Biz, for they are dgainst the League and I am about the only black sheep. It is still too early for any outsider cars, engines and other supplies for railroads to have tremendous profits, and the favorable terms to railroad . owners surprised even greedy Wall St THE RIVAL OF THE ARMY MULE : ‘ Tractor used by United States army to transport heavy loads across country in Texas. The tractor behind the lines, and as a tank in the front line, has played a big part to determine whether the government . officials are running the railroads as well as they could. We can find many arguments on both sides. We should remember that the government took the roads over when they were in very bad shape and private operation had practically broken down. The higher rates would have' come anyway, per- - haps higher than those we have now, under private operation, On the other hand, the government (congress chief- ‘»ly) hu ,nllowed those who ptoduce. street. The combining of the roads under one head has worked many economies and speeded up traffic. Secretary McAdoo has charged that there is an inside ring in railroad work maliciously attempting to dis- credit government. operation. The most serious general weakness in the situation is the fact that the Demo- crats did not stand for government ownership before election. It was forced on them by the war, and if in the secret party councils they have decided not to stand for it later, there will be a strong temptation to kill it by mismanagement and bleeding for profiteers to prove the correctness of the party stand. The enemies of a measure can not make a success of S S it, and neither the Republican nor the Democratic party is on record as friends of government owner- ship. The common people will have to watch developments. CONSERVE WHEAT BY- PRODUCTS N DEFENSE of the dairy industry of the United States . and of the children among the allies, the United States food administration is appealing to the farmers of America “not to use wheat mill feeds for other purposes than poultry, young pigs or calves, or the preparation of a weekly bran mash for work animals.” The food administration em- phasizes, furthermore, the fact that no more wheat mill feeds than usual should be fed to such animals. It also asks that farmers shall not have on hand at any one time more than a 60 days’ supply of such feeds., — FEDERAL FOOD ADMINISTRATION. THE POULTRY MARKET RODUCERS may assist in improving the poultry market, which in some cases has fallen below the probable cost of production, by selling only such stock as is well developed and of good quality. The food administration asks poultrymen particularly: the feeding of dairy -cattle, - To withhold from market immature | ‘chickens and moulting hens. To keep chickens that are still grow- ing until they reach maturity. To keep all laying hens and the best pullets. To extend the normal penod of fall marketing so that it will extend into . the winter.—FEDERAL FOOD AD- MINISTRATION. BUTTER PROFITS MUST NOT RISE WITH MARKET HE food administration is turning the .full power of its enforcement machinery against dealers who are at~. temptmg to reap large profits from Under food administration rulings, butter, both 3 storage and fresh, must ‘be sold at.. § = the rising butter market. prices not to exeeed a stipulated margin over-cost. lowed to profit by abnormal advances in market quotations.—U. S. FOOD'- ADMINISTRATION Dealers are not al- ' |