The Nonpartisan Leader Newspaper, April 26, 1920, Page 4

bushel of grain purchased or stored by it into condition to go on the markets of the world. Every consignment of wheat will maintain its identity throughout its han- dling and will be held in fire- proof storage, thus making the storage ticket prime com- mercial paper on which any bank will be glad to make loans. “There is also every reason to believe that the state mill will be a great success. A private miller of North Da- kota explained to me, in his own words, why this would be so. North Dakota wheat, with a larger content of strong gluten than any other wheat in the world, produces the best flour. All the large Minnesota mills blend North Dakota wheat with southern wheat, in about a 50-50 ratio, in making their flour. But a flour made en- tirely of North Dakota wheat will make both more and bet- ter bread than this blended flour. Private mills in North Dakota have been turning out such a flour for years, but their relatively small ca- pacity has not enabled them to get the superior qualities of their flour recognized. They are certain that the state mill, with its larger ca- pacity, will succeed in secur- ing for North Dakota flour the recognition that is due it. They believe this will result in a premium being offered for flour made solely from hard spring wheat of North Dakota and they hope to share in the benefit with the state mill. “With a premium thus secured a better price can be reflected back on the wheat prices and North- Dakota wheat will bring the price to which it is entitled on the markets of the world.” W. A. Anderson, secretary of the North Dakota industrial commission, believes that the experience of the Drake mill shows clearly the advantages that will accrue to the wheat producers and flour consumers alike. RECORD OF DRAKE MILL"® POINTS WAY TO SUCCESS “The Drake mill has paid 12 cents a bushel more for wheat than has been paid generally through the state,” said Mr. Anderson. Its selling prices of flour average 50 cents a barrel lower than other flour sold in the state and its feed is sold at $7.50 per ton less than other feed prices. The savings to the people of North Dakota in consequence are $39,825. “But this does not tell the whole story. The competition of the Drake mill has resulted in bet- ter prices being paid wheat producers and flour being sold for lower figures. The competition of a THE HISTORY OF THE NORTH DAKOTA ELEVATOR 1887—Farmers’ alliance convention of Territory of Dakota (including present states of North Dakota and South Dakota) declares for publicly owned terminal elevator. 1909-1911—North Dakota legislature approves constitutional amend- ment authorizing purchase, construction or leasing by North Dakota of a terminal elevator in Minnesota or Wisconsin. . 1912—Elevator amendment adopted by voters by big majority. et 1911-1913 — New constitutional amendment submitted allowing construction of a state-owned terminal elevator within the state. 1914—New amendment, for elevator within the state, adopted by vote of 51,507 to 18,483. 1915—Legislature refuses to build elevator; farmers told to “go home and slop the hogs”; Non- partisan league is organized. 1916—League nominates and elects state tick- et and majority of lower house. 1917—New legislature meets; holdover sen- ators block League plan for terminal elevator. 1918—L.eague nominates and elects state tick- et and has majority in both houses of legislature. 1919—Legislature establishes industrial com- mission and mill and elevator association with $5,- 000,000 capital; anti-League forces get out refer- endum petitions against industrial commission and other bills; Leaguers win in referendum election; industrial commisison buys Drake mill. 1920—Grand Forks selected as site of terminal elevator and large mill; citizens of Grand For mill and elevator bonds; contract let and work started. large mill, such as the state mill at Grand Forks will be, will have much greater effect. “The annual production of wheat in North Dako- ta in a good year reaches 125,000,000 bushels. If the state, by going into the milling business, can increase the price paid to the farmer 12 eents a bushel this will amount to a gain of $15,000,000 annually. The saving on flour and feed should be $15,600,000 per year on the record of the Drake mill, but the larger mill at Grand Forks should be operated more efficiently and consequently should save more. “In addition the lowered prices on mill feeds will develop dairying to an extent impossible heretofore. The fertility that has been taken from the land will be replaced, diversified farming will increase and every element in our population will gain.” An idea of the size of the building project at Grand Forks may be gained by the fact that 40,000 cubic yards of gravel will be needed for the mill and elevator. This will fill 16,000 freight cars. Sixty thousand barrels of cement will be used with the gravel to produce the concrete. This amount of cement will fill 300 freight cars. The reinforcing steel used with the concrete will fill 50 cars. The mill building is 42 by 160 feet in ground di- mensions, with eight stories and basement. It will contain three separate mills, each capable of pro- The late George S. Lof- -tus, leader in the fight of 10 years ago for a terminal elevator. ks subscribe for $1,000,000 ducing 1,000 barels of flour daily. Two of these mills will be for spring wheat and one for durum or macaroni wheat. The cylindrical storage tanks of the elevator, 32 in number, are 30 feet in diameter and 90 feet high. The cleaning house (a por- tion of the elevator) is 60 by 120 feet in ground dimen- sions, 184 feet high. Railroad track facilities are divided, receiving tracks being on one side and ship- ping tracks on the other. From 12 to 15 carloads of grain can- be handled within one hour. This is one of the strong points about the ele- vator. The rapid receiving and shipping facilities will allow it to handle, during the shipping season, many times its actual capacity. The cleaning house, loading sheds and track facilities, in addi- tion to the 1,600,000-bushel elevator capacity, will fur- nish additional space for about 400,000 bushels, bring- ing the total capacity at any one time to 2,000,000 bushels. CAN SHIP WHEAT IN ANY DIRECTION The location of the mill at Grand Forks will allow the grain that is shipped out to be sent either to Duluth for the export trade, or to Min- neapolis for the mills in that city, which must have North Dakota hard spring wheat to mix with their southern wheat. The distance from Grand Forks to either city is approximately the same—300 miles. The so-called “42 taxpayers’” suit against the North Dakota industrial commission, denying the right of the people of North Dakota to build their own elevator and mill (after having voted for them seven separate times) was heard in the su- preme court of the United States April 19, having been postponed one week from the original date of April 12. The anti-League interests were repre- sented before the supreme court by Judge N. C. Young, counsel for the Northern Pacific railway and private milling corporations; Tracy Bangs, counsel for the Western Union Telegraph com- pany and Red River Power company, and by J. C. Murphy, counsel for the Great Northern Railway company. The industrial commission was Tepre- sented by William Lemke and Frederick A. Pike. This case is up on appeal from the federal dis- trict court, where Federal Judge Amidon rendered a decision upholding the right of the people to. proceed with their industrial program at every point. The supreme court of North Dakota also has rendered a four-to-one decision in a separate case, upholding the right of the people to carry out the purposes for which they have declared at election after election. DELEGATES TO McLEAN COUNTY LEAGUE CONVENTION IN NORTH DAKOTA The 30-year fight of men like these at last is bringing success to the farmers of North Daketa. PAGE FOUR