Judith Gap journal. [volume] (Judith Gap, Mont.) 1908-19??, 1912-07-05
THE FARMERS ELEVATOR.

THE FARMERS ELEVATOR.
Farmers who have complained Of
unfair treatment in marketing their
grain in this section of Montana dur
ing the past years have always MAIN
tanned that the only remedy for the
evil was the building Of u farmers
elevator.
In the early days OF North Dakota
all the grain was bought by the old
line elevators which maintained a
fixed price and there was really no
competition in the buying. The own
ers of these elevators became i'm
menseIy wealthy. There were SO
many evils in connection with the
buying and selling OF wheat and other
grains that the legislature of Mime
sofa passed law organizing grain
and warehouse commission, the Of
fcers Of which graded all grain COM
ing to terminals. Frauds were still
perpetrated and the farmers contin-
ued to suffer financial losses. More
stringent laws We're passed strength
ening the warehouse commission,
and the grading at terminals now is
about perfect. No crooked inspector
can hold his job for Il week. Both
the seller and the buyer is watching
him too closely.
But the evils of buying still con-
tinued. The farmers Of North Dako-
tn stood it patiently and kept on in
vestigating. They finally discovered
that the only remedy was to own
their own elevators.
They got busy, but had an uphill
pull for years. The old line elevators
combined with the railroads to make
it possible for the independent con-
Germs to buy and ship grain. The
farmers elevators could not afford to
pay the advanced price the other ele-
vators were paying. and if they did,
the railroads would not supply them
with cars when needed. This last
stumbling block resulted in the North
Dakota legislature passing laws COM
polling the railroads to supply ears to
anybody who had grain to ship, and
this broke the back Of the elevator
trust. Today fully Is per cent of the
grain bought and shippedou Of North
Dakota is handled by farmers eleva-
tors.
Montana is having the same exper-
fences that North Dakota had in set
thing her grain troubles. with the ex-
ception that the railroads now are en-
elevators. The transportation mag
mates see that history will repeat it.
self, and il is only question of time
when the farmers will handle all the
grain raised in this state. But in or
der to get all that the farmer is en-
titled to for his grain it IS absolutely
necessary that he should control the
buying and shipping situation. This
can can only be done by the farmers
themselves owning their owl. eleva-
tor. 1t may be struggle for Il time,
but it is the only solution to the prob
lem. And in time the farmer will
realize the great benefits he has de-
rived by his nerve and foresight in
making the fight against odds at this
time.
People now can be found who are
throwing cold water on the PROPOSE
ton of Il farmers elevator for Judith
Gap. Those people have Il selfish mo-
tive in opposing it, or are afraid that
some neighbOr will have more to say
about it's management than they have.
No matter who runs it, the individual
stakeholder is the one who reaps the
dividends. 1t is hard to believe that
a man would buck against his own
best interests. but you will find them
all over the world. The only way to
build an elevator. or any other big en-
terprise, is for everybody to boost.
The knOcker has an unenviable place
in our great scheme of civilization.
He is to be pitied, and it is safe
enough to let it go at that.
But here is fact that will be prov
en- by time. Every man who buys a
share of stock in the farmers eleva-
tor in Judith Gap. or anywhere else
for that matter, and has grain for
sale, will save more than the price of
his share in one seasons sales, even
if he does not haul a bushel of grain
IN HE own olovatOr This will 0nulv