Idaho County free press. [volume] (Grangeville, Idaho Territory) 1886-current, 1913-02-20
FARMERS Make WAR
IDAHO COUNTY FARMERS AFTER
GRAIN SACK COMBINATION.
ELEVATOR At COTTONWOOD
Cottonwood local Solves the Problem
save 12 Cents . Bushel by Dis
caxding Grain Sacks.

Thirty-six years ago the scattered
settlements of Camas prairie fell in the
direct pathway Of Chief Joseph Is fight
ing band of the Nez Perce Indian tribe
Men, women and children were massacr.
ed with frightful atrocity. The war
whoop and the rifle crack broke the
stiffness of many an isolated ranch, and
brave men fought grimly to save their
wives and children from horrible death.
With the passing Of the years, peace
and abundance have smiled upon that
rich region, and the settlers no longer
band together to fight a savage tribe.
But the need Of organization remains,
and there is fighting still, though of
another kind. The farmers in that
section are now making war on the
grain sack combine.
Members of the Cottonwood local of
the Farmers Educational and Coop
erative union have been advised that
bag trust has been organized in. In
dia, and warned that the present high
price Of between 10 and IL cents may
advance to Is cents. To meet the
alarming situation they are providing
equipment to ship their grain in bulk.
An elevator will be erected at a cost
of $1,000, and more than $4,000 has al
ready been subscribed.
Portable bins of galvanized iron will
be purchased by the farmers and taken
to the thresher settings, and the grain
will be run from the machine directly
into the bins. The grain will be hauled
from the ranches to the elevators as it
is sold, and shipments to the coast will
be made in bulk.
The local union owns a large grain
warehouse at Cottonwood, and a big
hay warehouse and the farmers who are
provided with tanks on the farm can
bring their grain to the warehouse in
sacks and handle through the elevators
when sold; the farmer thus retaining
the sack for use another season.
Sack Method is Peculiar to Coast.
In support Of their avowed determi-
nation to break away from the sack
ing method farmers point out that only
In the Pacific coast states are bags used
in the handling of grain. "All other
states, writes j. G. Jansen Of Ilo, near
Lewiston, " handle their grain in bulk
at less cost, and the farmers receive
better prices than are paid the farmers
in this section. Is it not reasonable to
suppose that if bags proved more
economical way that these other grain
growing countries would have adopted
the method long before thisf"
Mr.. Jensen argues that the sack me-
thod readily adds less of 12 cents
bushel, and this is the way he words out
the problem.
Grain bags at 10c bring the cost
per bushel to 4c
reduction per bushel in thresh-
ing .......... .................. 1c
Reduction in handling charges at
O'SsVS lc
train run through cleaner there
by grading higher and advanc-
ing the price. Observation-Disclosures. 21ac
Screening for feed .............. 1c
Reduced handling charges at ter
minal, one pound deducted for
e"cA ...... ........ Ic
EIeight saving on screening. ..... 1c
Deduction one pound in each sack
at time Of handling ...... Nc
Total per bushel. lie
1ulk Handling win Pay for Tanks.
Mr. Jensen figures that by cutting
out the sacks the farmer will save
enough in two years to install metal
tanks which will last lifetime. "The !
gram he says, +" can be delivered by
the farmers from these grain tanks to
the railroad il NO elevators are in use,
oot the elevators can be figured on the
same basis a. the tanks, and their use
"li soon be reality, if not by the
grain companies, then the farmers will
DO compelled to build them as a mat
Ter OF elf-protection; and this might
% followed by going one step further
tho erection Of mills with sufficient
capacity to grind all the wheat pro-
d"ced in the country, thereby making
an additional saving in freight on the
raw meterials and also keeping all the
byproducts at home to be used to good
Sdyantann -