Bismarck daily tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, Dakota [N.D.]) 1881-1916, 1914-04-25

The Bismarck Tribune publishes
the following. letter written by w.
Williamson of Grafton, N. D., to F.
M. Crosby, president Of the cham.
Der of commerce, just for its face
value. We believe the farmers of
North Dakota are familiar with the
grain controversy to judge of its
m1rits. As a REPUTATION of injuri4
Gus statements sent out to discredit
the cooperative marketing of grain.
we believe it is conclusive.
Z Mr.. Williamson will be glad to an.
swer any questions that any readers
of The Tribune may ask. The let.
ter follows:
The chamber of commerce
through it's DULY accredited organs,
the National Grain Grower Of Fargo
and the Cooperative Manager and
Farmer of Minneapolis. and through
the utterances Of it's secretary, j. G.
McHugh, has given wide publicity
to the list of cars which it is claimed
the Equity Cooperative afterwards
resold at q profit of one cent a
bushel. The. list does not purport to
be a full list of all cars bought Of
the Exchange by these members dur
Ing this period. Would not a COM
piete list show many losses as we'll
as profits" The officers Of the
Equity Exchange have claimed to the
writer that on s0mc cars sold to
these members, but not ilicluded in
tie, chamber of commerce list, the
buyers sustained a loss of as much
as five cents per bushel. The farm.
.ers of the northwest would be more
inclined to, give weight to your claim
along this line If ycu would show
how the losses as we'll as the profits
of your members on grain bought
OF; the Cooperative Exchange. Why
not publish the entire list and show
all of the factsa
What Does Il Signify?
q But suppose these members OF
the chambed did make the profits
claimed IL these transactions, what
is It supposed to signify? That the
Cooperative Exchange cannot OBJ.
tain full market price for grain.
Iyer S. Henjum, of Hartford, S. D.,
certainly cannot be accused of being
a special advocate of the Indeper-
deaf Exchange. Yet at the recent
convention at Sioux Falls. MI. Hen.
jun admitted that he had received
higher prices for all grain shipped
to the Cooperative Exchange than
he could have obtained upon the
Chamber Of Commerce market. On
oae ca rof corn alone he received
s45 above the chamber Of commerce
quotations, At. this same convention
lanes McGovern. of Madison. S. D.,
IN a carefully prepared computation
showed that the average prices OBJ
tained by his elevator to the Coop
erative Exchange we're higher than
the prices quoted upon the chamber
of commerce market.
In Any Event.
but in any event, what possible
significance. can there be in the list
Of cars alluded to above? Are not the
members of the chamber of COM
merce constantly selling grain to
each other at a profit of at least
a cent or more a bushel? At the
hearing before the Interstate Com
merce commission. Mr.. Frank r.
Heffelfinger was n of the members
of the F. H. Peavey and company.
then "a co-partnership. He was also.
Mr.. Crosby. according to his testi-
mony. heavily interested in your own
concern. the Washburn-Q Crosby Co.
At the Investigation conducted BY
the Interstate Commerce commission
at Minneapolis, Mr.. Heffelfiager ties.
titled as follows:
"'Any commission mar on the