Courier Democrat. (Langdon, N.D.) 1891-1920, 1915-03-04

class has become now a days to be
considered to be a necessary evil to
keep the other fellows going they de-
cided that it wouldn't do to have him
shuttle off without the making of one
final attempt to save him. So they
took counsel of each other and said
%"let's jolly him up, and see how that
works." and this %jollying business has
been going on for some time, without
affecting the farmers ailment n way
or another to any great extent so far
49, have been able to notice very
But to be serious there is something
the matter with the farmer as a class.
Thos. E. Cooper will tell you that it
is inetficiency, and big business says
"amen' The farmers themselves
know that there is something wrong
when a mar that is a fairly good
manager, as many of u farmers of
today are, creates new wealth each
year, amounting to perhaps from
SIS, 900 to $15, 600, and at the end of
the season discover themselves to be
on the wrong side of the ledger, with
soil fertility diminished and the size
of the mortgages increased. 1t is only
a few years back that the farmers
We're talked into the belief that the
trouble was sver production that kept
the price of their products down. Now
they are setting about to remedy that
by increased production, although any
one can see that it is speculation,
pure and simple that is robbing the
farmer and consumer Of his rightful
dues. The biggest portion of the
wheat from the Northwest this year
went into the hands Of the spectators
at less than a dollar a bushel, while
now the consumer has to pay one-third
more for it. Some probably will say,
what cannot be cured must be en-
dured. But We say no, and make
the suggestion that by the formation
of an organization Of the farmers of
the three wheat growing states Of the
Northwest, they would be enabled to
take the wheat trade entirely out of
the hands Of the spectators, and in
our opinion that is what they will find
themselves compelled to do in the
very near future. If some Of the
farmers elevators were really in the
hands of the farmers themselves, in
stead of their all being in the hands
and control of the spectators, and by
having shipping facilities at every
station the problem could easily be
solved. Bringing this idea down to
plain facts and figures shows that the
cost is not so great as some might
imagine. Right here in Hannah we
have an elevating outfit and a covered
scale, the whole thing costing US less
than 81, 900 and the biggest portion
could be shipped that way, the farm
ers having selling agencies in the
Twin Cities and Duluth. The situa-
ton would change mighty quick, and
il the government could do as much
for the wheat raiser as it does for the
whiskey distiller, to give him so much
credit on the warehouse receipt, then
the surplus could be stored in the
terminal elevators until the mills, or
the exporters were ready to take it at
a price that would be remunerative to
the producer and fair to the
We do not say that this is the only
way, or even the best way. We
merely make this suggestion so as to
start a discussion on the matter, and
it is the farmers themselves that have
to find out the right way for it and
work it out for himself. There is no
doubt about the farmers clubs forming
a state organization in the very near
future, and from that there is only a
step to organize the wheat growers of
the west into an organization. The
idea that the farmers cannot stick to-
gether is not going to hold water.
Look at the Jamestown hail associa-
ton, which is now twenty-four years
old, and right here in our midst the
Osnabrock fire insurance company,
now fourteen years old, and there are
many others we have in mind and
might mention. If at any time a
farmers organization failed it was
sure to be heard of all over the coun-
try. But when it succeeds as it in
variably does when given a proper
business management, you hear
nothing about it. Much more could
be said along these lines, but we will
leave them until another time.
Respectfully,
MAGNUS SNOWFIELD.
Hannah, N. d., Feb'y 20, 1915.
Smoke ola Concillap cioara