The Ward County independent. [volume] (Minot, Ward County, N.D.) 1902-1965, 1915-08-12
vANDEN0EV[R FAV0RS
FARMERS MILLS
COUNTY COMMISSIONER BE-
LIEVES THAT MILLS IN NORTH
DAKOTA WOULD BE BETTER
THAN A TERMINAL ELEVATOR.
Editor Independent:

Editor Independent:
l notice that there has been great
deal of comment of late in regard to
the county commissioners discontinue
ing the Better Farming movement. l
will say that l voted in favor of con-
tinuing this movement as l felt l was
complying with the law which reads
"The board of county commissioners
for any county in this state may, in its
discretion, or upon petition of twenty
five per cent of the tax payers of said
county, shall, annually make an ap-
preparation and levy tax upon all the
taxable property of the county for the
purpose of promoting diversified farm
ing and agricultural development
through the employment Of a person
or persons. The amount of said tax
shall not exceed IL mill on the dollar
of assessed valuation" AS petition
has been presented to US by rs per
cent of the taxpayers of the county to
continue the movement, l deem it my
duty as a commissioner to make such
levy according to law, and personally,
| am very much in favor of the move
ment also.
have noticed during the past two
years where our Better Farming agent
has been great help to this county in
many ways. At the meeting of the
county board on July 30th, many of
the best farmers Of Ward county
spoke very much in favor of continu~
ing the movement When vote was
taken, it was found that about so OF
these farmers were in favor of the
movement, while about Ia Of that
number opposed it, and among them
were some only renting farms and
others, such as Editor Smith, of
Plaza. who with all his newspapers, is
farming the farmers. l have been
asked by some farmers how this Bet
ter Farming agent is paid. as many of
the farmers don't understand the plan
of this movement. The government
provides the county with $1,000 each
year for each agent and the rest IS
paid by the county in general. NOW
about 1-2 of the land in Ward county
is owned by speculators-they pay
their share as well as the man that
lives on his own farm. In fact, the tax
is only from 15c to Csc on quarter
section and the good that comes from
this movement like the school we had
in Minot for the young boys last win
ter to learn about this movement, it
would seem shame to discontinue it
at this time, and go backward instead
of forward.
That would be on the same plan as
George S. LOTUS of Minnesota is try
ing to get our Equity farmers to DO,
that is to build terminal elevator in
St. Paul with North Dakota farmers
money, and build up Minnesota instead
of North Dakota Should he succeed
in doing this, I would ask the farmer
if it would not be better for the peo--
pie of North Dakota to build farmers
mills in North Dakota and to discon-
tinue shipping their wheat to Mime
sofa and save the dockage, freight and
commission. We would save in S
years in this way enough to build mills
for the farmers of North Dakota and
thereby promote labor in our own
state.
We notice that there are milling
companies in the state grinding wheat,
which the farmers could do, instead
of building terminal elevators in st.
Paul. We could then furnish employ
ment to many of the people Of our own
state and keep our money at home.
have $50 acres Of grain and would
give 500 towards farmers mill to
be built in the state, and if every
farmer would do the same in proper
ton to the amount of grain in, we GER
tainly would be able to start this
movement. I think this would look
more like Better Farming for the
state in general and not be robbing
the state from their own gains. We
know we'll the same applies to oil
mills. The farmer never gets any
thing out of the dockage on his flax,
which is sometimes mostly cut flax
and will make lust as much oil or oil
cake as the whole flax, but this is a
loss to the farmer, with freight added.
The same man will weigh, the same
man will inspect the grain or seed and
the same market will govern, whether
we build terminal elevators in st. Paul
or not, with North Dakota money:
Minnesota has no farmers terminal
elevator and would be pleased to see
Lotus land that prize for the capital
city of her state, with North Dakota
money. go
Now am heartily in sympathy with
an honest farmers movement for the
benefit of the farmers and the people
of our state, but it does seem we
should encourage farmers mills as
we'll as farmers elevators. Why not
start one here in Minot? We have
everything to do it with. We raise
the grain, why not mill it ourselves :?
We have plenty of coal to make steam