The Richfield recorder. (Richfield, Idaho) 1909-1931, 1915-12-17

wheat gamblers raise the price OF
wheat each farmer raise only one
bushel where he grew fifteen before
The wheat grower wanted quicker re-
suits, otherwise the remedy is the
same. The result would work a great
er hardship upon the poor grain grow
er than upon the rich speculator The
grain gamblers could retire from their
jobs and pay a dollar loaf for their
bread until the last wheat grower had
starved and the sod had formed on his
grave, and still have enough money
wrenched from the farmer by base
and dishonest methods used to plant a
bed of "forget-me-nots" with a border
of costly stones to mark the final
resting places of the millions of wheat
growers In our land
Let us apply remedy that is in
keeping with the experience of others
who have had disaster stare them in
the face but have taken courage and
are winning out. "In union there is
strength" United we stand, divided
we fall" There is only one thing to
be done and that is to follow the ex-
: ample Of the farmers of Wisconsin,
who built farmers cooperative
packing plant at La Crosse.
Market reports show that the Port
land packers have underpaid the farm
ers two dollars per hundred weight.
This amount in Oregon, Washington
and Idaho this year would go long
way toward building packing plant
at Portland. The thousands Of organ
lied laborers in Portland have assured
us that if we will label our produce
and sell it to them direct thru mark
ct established there they will buy our
Seattle and other cities of the west.
An instance occurring at Great Falls,
Mont, this last season showed the
loyalty of the laboring man. Straw
berries was then sold thru the Equity
market at actual cost of handling or
So per crate. The retailer dropped to
$175 The laboring men walked by
the stores and paid the 81 to the or
ganization that was there for the serv-
ice of producer and consumer alike
By Saturday Equity berries were gone.
Monday morning retailers went back
to $425.
Now, If the packers of Portland try
the same stunt" or something similar
and after counting out the Benedict
Arnolds" of the northwest, have we
not enough loyal farmers and laboring
men left who will have endured the
sensation of being ''stung" long enough
to be loyal to our own cause and give
cooperative packing plant the sup
port to make 1t a decided success and
factor in the development of the
northwest?
1t would take some fighting to car
ry the thing thru, but the wheat grow
ers of the Dakotas, Minnesota and
Montana are winning out against the |
Minneapolis Chamber of Commerce |
and the tobacco growers of the south |
are making the tobacco growers come !
to time. Organization making diff |
ference of from three cents per pound |
paid the next year for tobacco.
Why shah the Pacific northwest de-
lay the fight? Is not the time ripe
Quoting the october IL issre of the
Rural Spirit Whatever may be said |
about the conditions and whoever may
be to blame, the fact remains that
there is wide gap between the six
cents received for hogs by the farm
er and the thirty-five cents paid for
bacon by the consumer" October 20,
ISSUE "R. E. Pratt, Kennowick, Wash. /
writes: Il just learned Of five cars
of hams recently shipped from Chi
cago to Seattle, and also of largo
bacon shipments. 1t is also
stated on excellent authority that
more than 5000 cars of livestock have
been shipped SO far this year from
the Boise district in Idaho to eastern
and California markets"
How does this sound? If you have
no objection to letting this money
paid fer freight both ways to tho
raili Dads and a part of the twenty
nine cents for bacon paid to the pack
ers go to the producers and consum-
ers where it belongs, get busy. Mem
bers Of the Grange, Farmers Union,
Farmers Society of Equity and other
organizations, let us hear from you
S. B. sEvERSON, County Business
a gent Amitv Oregon IN R,rral Cnirit