The Ward County independent. [volume] (Minot, Ward County, N.D.) 1902-1965, 1914-10-08

cuse the Chamber Of Commerce Of
taking into consideration the cost Of
producing when they fix the price on
that grain? Certainly no farmer in
North Dakota will be so unkind. There
is no more reason why there should
be Chamber Of Commerce to fix the
price Of farmers products and take a
rake-off between the farmer and the
miller, than that there should be a
Chamber of Commerce to fix the price
and take rake-off between the miller
and the local M, reliant. Some one may
say, Is it not custom and has it
not been custom always for the buy
crs Of farmers products to fix the
price? ! answer, Yes! But that long
custom does not make it right any
more than the long belief prior to
1892, that the earth was flat. It should
be both the right and the duty of
farmers to control their selling prices
subject to competitive demand. For
they and they only know all the ele-
ments of cost entering into the pro
duction of grain. The inability Of
farmers to do this for themselves
renders them helpless and at the mer-
cy of the market gamblers. The legis-
lative body of both state and nation
are derelict in duty as long as they ne
glect or refuse to aid farmers in ar
irving at this controlling your own
selling price" which is enjoyed by all
other classes except the wage Garner.
The Chamber of Commerce devotes
many pages of space to show that the
larger per cent of the Exchange cars
are sold to members of the Chamber of
Commerce and one of their favorite
expressions is, "The Exchange is not
able to sell because they have not the
buyers" Now the question is, why
not? The answer: A committee of
farmers from the grain growing states
recently called on the mills in Mime
apolis and asked the managers of the
big mills to buy from the Exchange.
The millers confessed to being inter-
ested in the Chamber of Commerce and
stated that the Chamber of Commerce
had such monopoly on handling grain
in that market that should the mills
buy from anyone except members of
the Chamber of Commerce that such
mills would be blacklisted and boy
cotted. 1t is an adage so old that the
memory of man runneth to the con-
trary, that the proper and most affec-
tive method of dealing with the evil
spirit is with his own weapons. Hence
if farmers would retaliate in Cham
Der of Commerce methods, they should
advise all farmers organizations, ele-
vators, Society of Equity, Oranges,
Clubs, and individuals-to obtain a
list of flour mills that buy direct from
farmers organizations without any
commission to a member of the Cham
Der of Commerce, and then buy only
flour bearing the brand of such mills.
The Chamber of Commerce puts
great emphasis, and judging from the
data obtained devoted several hun
dred dollars expense to show that
many farmers have been charged a
double commission. If a temporary
double or even quadruple commission
will obliterate those "price- fixing,
commission taking" boards as the
Chamber of Commerce there is no
doubt in my mind that wheat would
average 10 cents per bushel higher
all the time and would be 80 cents per
bushel higher now. For those members
of the Chamber of Commerce who sold
futures" before the war started are
now the most desperate clears" that
the wheat market ever knew. Exam
pie: Before the advent of the farmers
elevator in this part of the state, the
marginal difference of the price here
and at Minneapolis was IA cents and
now it is only II cents. For a long
time after the old line elevators took
it week about to keep the price one
cent above the farmers elevator price.
This bait caught few but 80 per cent
of the farmers understood the hidden
secret and stuck to the farmers ele-
vator.
BY the squeal we may know the hog
that has been bitten. Just so, by the
howl, we know that the Chamber of
Commerce feels. the pang approaching!
That the ex-manager of the Exchange
has joined the enemy and is now aiding
the Chamber of Commerce ought to
be applauded by all farmers organi-
cations. The quicker all turn coats,
ingrates and traitors leave our ranks
the better. That the enemies are fore
ed to obtain their evidence from trait
ors is automatic to all fair minded
people that their argument has a false
premise.
That all may understand my position
I will say that l do not blame the
Chamber Of Commerce or any other
person for taking commission as
long as the system prevails. What l
do blame them for is for throwing OBJ
stacles, make shift excuses and decep-
tions to obstruct formers efforts to
gain an equal station enjoyed by all
others in the competitive system.
Yours for no special favors for the
farmers but equal justice and not
theories"
GEO. T. MURRAY,
Berthold, N. D.
For Sale by Owner.