The Fargo forum and daily republican. [volume] (Fargo, N.D.) 1894-1957, 1910-04-07
COMMISSION men
RAP EQUITY PLAN
SAY THEORY or HOLDING BACK
POTATOES FOR FIXED PRICE
WILL NOT WORK OUT I'M
PRACTICE.

St Paul, April 7.--St. Paul commits
sion men are inclined to make light Of
the plan OF the Society Of Equity
whereby Minnesota farmers agree to
hold back their potatoe crops for q
fixed price and thus central the mar
ket They say 1T win not work out in
practice. and cite previous attempts
of the same society along similar lines
during the past five years.
Commission men say that the whole
proposition is worked out by the law
of supply and demand that IL farmers
hold back their crops and create a
scarcity Of potatoes early in the sea-
son with a consequent increase in
prices, the market will be over sup
piled later and the surplus will go to
the starch factories for few cents a
bushel; in other words, that the mar
ket win adjust itself to local condi-
tons regardless Of what the farmers
may do.
The Society of Equity expects to
take a 'potatoe census" during the
coming season, as to acreage, bulk of
crop and cost of production. With the
census as a working basis the society
aims to regulate the supply in Mime
sofa, and, through agents in the large
cities, sell directly to consumers at
prices which 1t will fix and maintain
The Society of Equity, with its plans
for farmers unions, is not confined to
Minnesota. 1T operates in Michigan,
Illinois Indiana, Wisconsin and other
Western states Commission men say
that the inefficacy of trying to control
and regulate the market for perishable
goods has been proved time and again.
Along this line T. r. Beggs, who buys
and sells potatoes in carload lots and
who operates extensively through the
potato producing states of the North
west, said yesterday:
Withholding Plan is Not New.
withholding the crops is net a new
idea. Probably from one-fourth to one
third of the 1909 crop in Minnesota is
still controlled by farmers. They can
not dispose of their potatoes today on
the open market except as demand die
tates Jobbers can buy all they want
at 10 cents a bushel and our firm is
refusing offers of purchase at this
price daily.
"A year ago today we were paying
as high as $1.25 a bushel for potatoes
because the supply was limited and
the demand normal. The reaction
came with a bountiful crop in 1909. and
prices have been low all winter The
supply held back by the farmers is ait
present drug on the market
TN lieu of consumers the overprod-
uct must go to starch factories. Starch
factories cannot use potatoes at a
profit when they have to pay more
than 80 cents per 100 pounds, or about
is cents per bushel. At present they
are paying from 16. to 20 cents per 100
pounds. The starch factories are
really the salvation of the farmers at
times. Potatoes sprout in the early
spring and must be disposed of at any
price or the loss is total.
eff Minnesota farmers hold back
their crops they will get little better
price on what is sold early in the sea-
son, the balance will probably so to
make starch"
No criticism was offered yesterday
on the potato census" plan, it being
conceded that it forms an excellent
method for farmers of Minnesota to
keep in touch with tho production OF
the state. The Society of Equity viii
meet again in May and branch agen-
cies for dealing directly between con-
sumner and producer, without the com
mission man or sales agent, will be es-
tablished in st. Paul and Minneapolis
this summer.