Jamestown weekly alert. [volume] (Jamestown, Stutsman County, D.T. [N.D.]) 1882-1925, 1895-11-21


wheat that IL accommodating. With the
coming OF stormy weather the movement
will decrease somewhat. j. NJ. Hanna.
ford, general traffic manager OF the
Northern Pacific, in speaking of the
movement, SAID:
1.-The Northern Pacific is handling be-
tween 300 and 400 cars day to our east
ern terminals, which are Minneapolis,
Dulnth and the Superiors. We have
already carried 100000 bushels OF this
seasons crop and have handled 5000
cars more than We did up to the same
time last year. In my opinion not over
60 per cent. OF the crop along our line
has been moved. Gram is now moving
freely, and up to this time We have had
no trouble 10 furnishing cars"
No accurate figures could be obtained
regarding the movement OF wheat along
the line Of the Great Northern. Unfor-
tunately, nobody around the Great
Northern Office is authorized to make
figures on anything, and, therefore, no
statement could be gathered.
While it is probably true that ever
since GRAN WAS raised and farmers wore
cardigan jackets, there has been spirit
ct oppression governing the buyers Of
wheat. The farmer has no doubt been
q victim OF the gram buyers greed, with
each successive season, Dut the tribute
be paid to the elevators did not seem to
be such burden as it has proved to be
this season. With wheat selling at q
fair price, the matter OF 3 cents bushel
did not seem to be much Of loss. But
as the price Of wheat dropped almost
to the cost of production, tue bleeding
process practiced by the elevators fell
upon the farm ers with crushing effect.
At dozens of interior markets the eleva-
tor men have been taking their pound Of
flesh. They have underRraded wheat
and agreed among themselves as to the
price that should be paid. The most
most recent dodge has been the subter-
tuge of explaining to farmers that all the
bins in the elevators that held high
grade wheat were full, and that the
farmer could either take lower price or
draw his wheat back home again. The
estimate Is made that about one-t third of
the grain raised along the lines of the
Great Northern and Northern Pacific,
has heen loaded by the farmers on the
track, without having passed through
the elevators. In many portions OF
North Dakota farmers have no place to
store their wheat and are forced to rush
it to market for any price that is offered.
Aside from this. the creditors of the far
mers are crowding them and they are
obliged to sell in order to meet their
obligations. In speaking on the sub
ject George L.. Becker, one OF the mem-
bers Of the railroad and warehouse com
| mission said:
II look for blockade as soon az pRvi-
cation closes and wheat will be like
potatoes. The favorable tariffs by lake
and rail will be supplanted by full tariff
rates, all rail, to Buffalo. and it will be
as impossible TO move wheat as il is
potatoes. 1t is q good thing that wheat
is not psrishable, for it can be kept. But
a good many farmers have no place to
store their grain. It is certainly impru.
dent for q farmer to raise 10000 bushels
Of whaet and have no place prepared for
its storage. I talked with an intelligent
farmer who keeps accrute books. He
was disheartsned and explained that
while freight rates were the same, labor
ss high and taxes higher than they ever
we're, the price OF wheat had beer ont
sqnArely in two. The situation is not
encouraging"