Courier Democrat. (Langdon, N.D.) 1891-1920, 1915-09-09
SYSTEM OF MARKETING GRAIN

The Democrat gives space below to
a vigorous editorial from the Daily
Journal of Devils Lake regarding the
abuses of the present system of
marketing grain:
There is not an elevator in the
state of North Dakota today that is
filled with grain.
There is not a crying demand any
where for Complies from the rail-
roads in order that the crop may be
moved. There are miles and miles of
empties standing on the side-tracks
throughout the state waiting to be
called into service.
Three is not a terminal elevator at
Minneapolis or Duluth, in Chicago or
Kansas City, that is filled with grain.
There is not a mill in Minneapolis,
the Dakotas or the state of Minnesota
that has more than a few months
supply of wheat in storage.
There is no place in the whole
United States today where the market
is ''glutted' with wheat. And yet:
Within three weeks the price of
wheat has been hammered down SO
cents a bushel.
That is the condition today. Of
course, as the crop begins to move
the elevators will fill up, the railroads
will be taxed to provide cars, and the
big mills will soon fill up their empty
storage houses-with wheat which has
comparatively cost a song. And there
is no likelihood that the price of
wheat will be advanced until the poor
devil who can't hold on is forced to
part with his grain-at any price
offered.
Does any thinking man believe that
the decline in price, before the crop
is threshed, aye, ever in the shock, is
based upon anything except the greed
and avarice of the organized gang of
robbers who have banded together
under a respectable sounding title for
the purpose of stealing from the farm
ers of the northwest their ~hard-earned
profits?
With at least a hundred million
bushel wheat crop in sight in North
Dakota, the recent drop in the wheat
market means a loss of from thirty
to forty million dollars to the farmers
of this state alone. Almost over night
the finest profit from wheat raising in
sight for years, has for the time
being at least, been wiped out.
Various men will explain the situa-
ton with various explanations. The
chamber of commerce mar will deny
any liability for this drop on the part
of the grain combine of Minneapolis,
Duluth and Chicago. The equity sup
porter will point to the affair as a
convincing sample Of the exploitation
>of the nan who raises the wheat.
Aside from the claims of either of
these representatives of the present
controversy raging in connection with
marketing conditions in the north
west, the average man, throughout
the wheat raising states, will be
struck more forcibly than ever before,
with the ~inadequacy of both our mar
ketlng and credit systems.
A vast majority of North Dakota
farmers will be compelled to sell
their grain at once on a low market
because they have no other method of
raising funds to meet their obliga-
tions. No credit arrangement insur-
ing the loaning of money on grain in
such a manner as to help the farmer
who needs such credit most sharply at
this time each year. Moreover, nc
system of storing grain that will
insure the grain being actually stored
and not thrown on the market has as
vet been devised. The result is a loss
to the farmer who cannot afford tt
keep his grain in the granary, total.
ing up to the tens Of millions Of
dollars.