The Nonpartisan Leader Newspaper, April 19, 1920, Page 3

In the interest of a square deal for the farmers VOL. 10, NO. 16. WHOLE NUMBER 239 Monpartigsn Teader Official Magazine of the National Nonpartisan League—Every Week MINNEAPOLIS, MINNESOTA, APRIL 19, 1920 A magazine that dares to print the truth $2.50 PER YEAR IN ADVANCE Grain Grades “Hearing” Proves Farce Millers and Grain Dealers Swamp Meeting Called for Benefit of BY E. B. FUSSELL WO weeks ago the Leader printed on this page a story from its Washing- ton correspondent entitled, “Grain Grading Victory at Last in Sight.” The story told of the appeals of the delegates of the Northwest spring wheat growers before Secretary of Agriculture E. T. Meredith and his promise that steps should be taken to revise the federal grain grades. A series of proposed changes were outlined and Secretary Meredith promised to hold a hearing preliminary to putting them into effect. This hearing has now been held, but the situa- tion looks different from what it did two weeks ago. If we were to write the heading today on the story of two weeks ago we would write it, “Grain Grading Victory at Last in Sight—With a Long-Distance Telescope.” Secretary of Agriculture Meredith called a hear- ing as he promised. But it was not held in North Dakota, which produces more spring wheat than any other state in the Union. It was not even held in Minneapolis, the terminal mar- ket for spring wheat. It was held, instead, in the city of Chicago, entirely out of the spring wheat belt either as to growing or marketing—but the home of the Chicago Board of Trade. So far as I was able to learn only two residents of North Dakota were notified of the meeting—Doctor E. F. Ladd, president of the North Dakota Agricultural college, and John N. Hagan, secretary of agriculture and labor, and Doctor Ladd had received his notification so late that he was unable to attend the meeting. But the millers and grain dealers seemed to be fully informed of the meeting. When a few—piteously few—farmer delegates en- tered the Red room on the nineteenth floor of the La Salle hotel of Chicago the scene resembled a convention meeting of the mem- bers of the Minneapolis Chamber of Com- merce and the Chicago Board of Trade. The - meeting was due to begin at 10 o’clock, but for an hour after that time, the millers and grain dealers caucused around the room and discussed trade conditions. Head and shoul- ders above the rest of the group stood Sec- retary of Agriculture Meredith, who had come to the hearing in person. Mr. Meredith is a big, fine-looking man and in his frock suit he was a striking figure. GRAIN MEN SEE MEREDITH AS PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE One of the delegates to the hearing—he told me he was a grain dealer from Kansas—called my attention to the frock suit. “I have known Mr. Meredith for years,” he said, “but I have never seen him dressed like this before; maybe he is getting ready to run for pres- jdent. The Democrats could not put up a better man to get the farmers’ vote. Of course Mr. Meredith does not know much about farming, he probably doesn’t know the difference between du- rum wheat and any other kind, but he can get his dope from the business men. He would make a fine president.” ; When the meeting opened E. D. McDougal, mem- ber of the Chicago Board of Trade, was the first speaker. Mr. McDougal said he was authorized to speak for commission men, elevator proprietors, millers and exporters of the Chicago Board of John N. Hagan, secretary of agriculture and labor for Spring Wheat Farmers Trade and that they were “unalterably opposed” to any of the revisions of the spring wheat grades that the farmers were demanding. Mr. McDougal added that the reasons for his objections were: First, that the present grades were satisfactory to all concerned (meaning all members of the board of trade); second, that any changes in the spring wheat grades would require changes on the other grades; third, that present grades were giving good value to the producer and that if the moisture requirements were made less stringent grain that was shipped by way of the Gulf of Mexico would not keep in transit; fourth, that the grades had not had a fair trial because the government fixed prices had been in effect practically all of the time since the grades were established. Mr. McDougal had said that he spoke for millers, commission men, exporters and elevator proprie- tors. To prove that he was right and showing how well the grain trade was organized to oppose the farmers’ movement, dealers from all over the coun- try rose, one after another, to oppose any revision l SPOKESMEN FOR THE FARMERS I J. A. McGovern, North Dakota. of the grades, reciting again and again the same reasons that Mr. McDougal had given. The dealers were from all parts of the country—Wisconsin, Minnesota, Missouri, Kansas, Oklahoma and many other states. That they had ample notice of the meeting was proved by the fact that two farmers —at least they said they were farmers—appeared with them as witnesses, one from Oregon and one from Oklahoma. Both were outside of the spring wheat territory and consequently had no interest in the proposed revision of the spring wheat grades. Both of these farmers’ representatives stated that the spring wheat grades were entirely satisfactory and should not be changed, although neither of them raised spring wheat or had any other interest in the situation. ; The one exception to the statement that all millers and dealers were opposed to the revision of the grades as asked by the farmers was E. M. Bradley, representing the Duluth Board of Trade. Mr. Bradley stated that the Duluth Board of Trade was in favor of the revisions desired by the farm- ers, but apparently out of deference to the other millers and grain dealers made no argument to show why a revision was necessary, contenting him- PAGE THREE manager Mill and Elevator associa- tion of North Dakota. self with stating that the board of trade had adopt- ed a resolution favoring a revision. The farmer representatives present not only were few in number but had no chance to organize themselves, as had the millers and grain dealers, nor to gather necessary data and statistical mat- ter. There was a little group of farmers present from Minnesota. Other farmer representatives were Secretary of Agriculture Hagan and J. A. McGovern, chief deputy grain inspector of North Dakota, and Don Livingston, director of markets of South Dakota. There were no representatives whatever from Montana or from other states which produce spring wheat. SOME “FARMERS” TALK LIKE CHAMBER OF COMMERCE MEN Mr. Livingston of South Dakota did not appear much like a farmers’ representative either. His only argument for revision of the grades was that under the old Minnesota grades 57-pound wheat graded No. 1. Livingston said: “If the Minneapolis Chamber of Commerce considered that 57- pound wheat graded No. 1, I don’t see why that should not be right.” The Minnesota delegates made a some- what better showing under the leadership of Harry N. Owen, editor of a farmer pa- per; D. P. O’Neil and J. F. Ingersoll of the state board of grain appeals. The Minneso- ta delegates submitted figures showing the average weight of spring wheat actually handled in Minneapolis in the month of Oc- tober in the last five years. It was as follows: Average weight Years per bushel TOTD i s viedion os sl sroraversiiyeviass oty 57.63 AOX6 i iia s e ntsne i ste o biarnios 51.58 TG saiies a7o s s ibie 8 are hyate ol 59.20 AVOYALE; saivieis s sslasioio 56.70 These figures showed conclusively that it is impossible for spring wheat growers to make the 58-pound test weight required for No. 1 under present federal grades. Mr. O’Neil showed that it was impossible in planting 58-pound wheat to be sure of a 58-pound return, and Mr. Ingersoll argued that the very fact that the elevators and millers were so well satisfied with the present grades was a good indi- cation that the producers were not satisfied. But whatever good work was done by other Min- nesota delegates was undone by N. J. Holmberg, Governor Burnquist’s appointee as secretary of ag- riculture. Holmberg appeared as representative of the Minnesota farmers, although the fact that he does not represent them was shown conclusively at the last election when the farmers of his own district failed to elect him to the legislature. Holm- berg made a rambling talk in which he said that the pride of the farmers was hurt in not being able to get No. 1 under the federal grade for 57-pound wheat which formerly graded No. 1 under the Min- nesota grades. Secretary Meredith interrupted him. “Do you think farmers would get any better prices if we made the requirements so that wheat now grading No. 2 would grade No. 1?” he asked. “Now I will tell you the truth,” Holmberg said. “The fact is that the farmers are hurt a lot more in their pride than they are in their pocketbook.” “Then don’t you think it would be a good idea