Judith Gap journal. [volume] (Judith Gap, Mont.) 1908-19??, 1912-06-07
HOW THE FARMERS ARE GRATED.

j. NJ. Anderson, president Of the So
ciety of Equity Cooperative Ex-
change, with headquarters ut Fargo.
n. d.. the following startling facts
were Produced: Mr.. Anderson said:
In late years we have heard con-
siderable about the high cost Of
living; and the farmer has been
blamed for it all. In place Of at
tributing this to the farmer we
should place 1t where it belongs,
namely, OH the middle man. Just
to show how much of Il factor the
middle man is in the cost Of lv-
ing problem in this country, here
are some figures compiled by Bl
+. loakum of the Rock Island
system on the prices paid for food
staples for the year:
Article Received by Paid out by
farmer. consumer.
Observation-Disclosures. $l7.1ssoto $2s7so.om
Cabbage ............ ls,5.ooD 9.l25.OOo
oh'oiis.. Sol.tU0 S.ol2.OoO
Observation-Disclosures. 21.ol2.ooo 4s.ssO.DoD
Potatoes ............. 8.457.ooO 6O.oO0,oOO
Meat and poultry. zig .,oo.rn 29l .ooo, 600
Something like seven million
dollars has been taken out OF the
public pocketbook on the one item
OF cabbage, not one cent Of which
went to the men who raised the
heads.
Coming down to the matter Of mar
keting wheat. where the greatest
chance is given to rob the farmer.
Mr.. Anderson says:
Another item of profit in the
grain business is that derived
from mixing the grades at Min
neapOlis and Duluth. When
grain enters Il terminal house it
is inspected, which is called sin
spection in" When 1t is loaded
out it is given another inspection,
which is called inspection out"
10 show you what happens during
this interval wish to quote a
statement submitted 10y an ele-
y4tor company at Duluth. These
corporations have to submit re-
ports to the Minnesota State Rail-
way and Warehouse commission.
The report OF this particular firm
is as follows:
''faac Received Shipped
NO. Northe'i,..........$ 9".Il.4o 1876. ,Ss. 90
NO. Northcrn.......... +l.4S5.lO 4o7 ,76A 90
NO. a.................... 192oi7..o 1lS.4souO
NO. ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS. 2ol 1t1. 20 None
No. grade. ll6.o.l.l0 None
Rejected .............,.. S9,I42.uO None
Notice, please that about 1OO,.
600 bushels more of No. northern
were shipped out than were ship
ped i'll. Over BOO. 900 bushels
more OF No. , Northern were
shipped out than We're shipped in.
While total Of about HOG, 900 hu-
shells Of No.4, no grade and reject
ed were shipped but not shipped
out.
1t Is estimated that from IL to
20 cents Il bushpl is made. in this
process OF mixing grades. Jim
Hill says that this estimate is too
low. lie claims that the mixers
make from 20 to % cents bush
I'll.
The remedy for this evil is the far
mers to own their own elevators
where the grain is raised and shipped,
and to own terminal elevators. The
Society of Equity already have eN-
changes at Minneapolis and Duluth
which have been operated success
fully for seven years on Il margin Of
S4.50 per ear for selling charges. The
outlook is good for the building OF
terminal elevators ut these two
market points by the combined So
cieties Of North and South Dakota,
Minnesota and Montana. When this
is done the millions of dollars now
annually spent in marketing the crops.
the mixing of grades and screenings
will be diverted from the middlemen
To the pockets Of the actual produc-
ers.