The Nonpartisan Leader Newspaper, September 8, 1919, Page 14

X4 ADVERTISEMENT: Feedin the Mention the Léader When Writing Advertisers ; e TG ; L | ! Millions - NCREASING the food supply of the world is the most vital problem which man must solve. The burden of this solution rests heavily upon the shoulders of the farmers of America. The service rendered by the Standard Oil Company (Indiana) in producin fuel and lubricants for the economica and efficient operation of farm machin- ery has made it possible for the farmer to cultivate a greater acreage, produce larger crops, and get them to market at least expense. By maintaing its comprehensive system of distribution, the Standard Oil Com- pany (Indiana) makes it possible for the armer to get his requirements of petro- leum products easily, -regularly and quickly. L By virtue of this complete service on the part of the Standard QOil Company (Indiana), he may, literally, ‘““make hay while the sun shines.”’ He is independent of the health or endurance of horses. He can plow, cultivate or harvest when these tasks should be done. He can have a com- plete cycle of activity, operating even by shifts, if necessary. He can plan his operations on a definite schedule to roduce a steady, constant supply of - arm products for you and your family. Thus is illustrated how you benefit by the service rendered by the Standard Oil Company (Indiana) to the farmer. These .are benefits accruing to the world at large which accentuate the usefulness of the Standard Oil Company(Indiana)asa pub- lic servant, and emphasize how com- pletely it discharges itsobligation as such. Standard 0il Company ( Indiana) 910 S. Michigan Avenue, . 4 Chicago, IIL l‘7§0 i g From Wall Street to the Farm Being a Variation on the Horatio Alger Story—How C. S. Mellen Learned Some Truths #]HERE is always some de- gree of enjoyment in see- ing the “biter bit” and a learning his sensations as a result of the experi- ence. Therefore, when a man who has played the Wall street game and runs into it in some form or another from the other side, he and gge others on the outside are apt to get a little en- lightenment on the subject. - Charles S. Mellen for a long time played the game according to the rules and regulations of the stock gamblers. -He once was president of the Northern Pacific railroad, with which most of the members of the League are ac- quainted, and later was made president of the New York, New Haven & Hart- ford line. He was relieved of this position when it was disclosed that -he had helped the Wall street crowd to loot the road. Then Mr. Mellen turned farmer. Now he’s against the middle- men and the nonproducing parasites. Mr. Mellen’s farm is in Massachu- setts. He has written about some of his experiences—as a farmer—and the article has appeared in several papers. Parts of it follow: “I raise celery. I wanted to sell about 10 acres of this product and I accordingly notified a commission man. He offered me 1 cent a bunch. The re- tailers at that time were selling it at 25 cents a bunch. Rather. than sell the celery at such a ridiculously low price, I let it rot in the ground. “This enormously wide margin be- tween what the farmer gets and what the retailer gets exists in the turnover of the farmers’ products. It is an ab- ‘| normal condition and a condition that must change sooner or later.” Mr. Mellen also speaks on another topic on which he should be well in- formed—the railroad question. As a great deal of interest in - gentleman who helped loot one of the greatest railroads of the country and who knows the inside and outside of the stock gambling business, he should know, if he speaksin an entirely disin- terested manner, what is best for the lines. He says: “The best solution of the railroad problem, in my opinion,,is government ownership. I believe the government should control the railroads as it does the postoffice—own them exclusively. It might mean a heavy deficit for a while, but in the end it would*work out all right. " The efficiency of the post- office has increased year by year, and I think it is possible for the operation of the railroads to work out in the same manner. “In addition to owning the railroads, I think the aim of the government should be to acquire control of all pub- lic utilities. Anything that is so com- monly used by the people as the rail- roads, telephone, telegraph, power plants, street railways, ete., should be owned by the people.” Mr. Mellen, in his retrospection on the farm, seems also to have come to other definite conclusions, which he never could have reached publicly while playing the Wall street game. Why, he even believes in reduction of immense fortunes! Or if he doesn’t believe it ought to be done, he gives . as his opinion that it will be done. He admits it thus: “The days when immense fortunes will be left to the heirs of rich men are, I believe, coming to an end. The inheritance taxes will keep increasing until there will be seen less than three generations from shirtsleeves to shirt- sleeves.” - Verily, it' may be said that a man may learn something besides how to milk by living on a farm. Look at the education that Mr. Mellen acquired! . North Dakota Mill Grinds. First Wheat (Continued from page 3) and mills and elevators will be estab- lished in centers that will take care of the farmers-of the other regions of North Dakota in the same way. There will be no local particularism about the Drake plant, however; it will not be a reversion to the simple economics of the frontier and become a mere grist mill. Wheat is being bought at the market price, plus the milling value of the grain; paid for, ground and shipped to all parts of the state at the prevailing flour mar- ket price. Essentially the payment of the millers’ price for flour is part of the experience that is to be gain- ed; the books will show that even when the farmer gets his fair and honest price for his grain, that costs are too high to the consumer. The aim of the mill and elevator associa- tion is to operate the marketing of’ the mill’s products on the same basis’ as the milling trust does; and -thus prove beyond the possibility of con- tradiction that the miller today could profit even though_ he did not rob the farmer. Drake was vastly interested and highly enthusiastic over the statement of Mr. McGovern, that he would rec- ommend that city as the site for the first terminal elevator to be erected by the state. He pointed out that the central location of Drake, its ex- cellent railroad connections, its prox- imity .to the fuel beds of North Da- kota and the spirit shown by the peo- ple in co-operating with the farmers would lead' him to make such a rec- ommendation. Mr. McGovern declar- ed that' the Tory tactics of the.oppo- sition to the farmers in such cities as Fargo, for example, would throw S R T T S e Sp e Pt o e unnecessary obstacles in the way of the success of the terminal market; not necessarily obstacles that would not be overcome, but which might be avoided, unless big business’ tools in the larger cities should quit their campaign of sabotage against the new state utilities. The industrial commission, how- ever, will have the final decision as to the location of the terminal eleva- tors. Mr. McGovern’s power is to recommend only, and to this date there has been no hint from Governor Frazier or Commissioner Hagan as to where the first terminal grain mar- ket would be established. But with the state bank only part . of a lap ahead of the mill and eleva- tor association in getting under way, the speed and at the same time the sure step which is characterizing the efforts of the farmer officials in rush- ° ing the utilities into being assures the success of the program. For they are proceeding on this philosophy— principles count, not politics. And in the meanwhile the professional poli- . ticians who have sneaked into the state capitol are doing their mightiest ‘to throw wrenches into the machin- ery; to stir up doubts by lies and to ‘play the saboteur by refusing to per- form their duties, with the backing of the kept'press. But in the meanwhile the two real farmers, Frhzier and Hagan, are going right along. and get- ting things done; working on the job, instead of for it. 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