Bismarck daily tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, Dakota [N.D.]) 1881-1916, 1915-01-19
Report of ~.
The Board
Handed In
WOULD NOT HELP FARMER
GET BETTER PRICE FOR
WHEAT; BE WASTE OF
PEOPLES MONEY. , X
Track WHEAT PREFERRED
Two Elevators Would Be Needed
1t State Goes Into Proposition

- 'tdlc "OcS Illo l. IOpOSlIlOn
North Dakota will build no terminal
elevator in Minnesota or any other
state If the report handed to the men,
bers of the Fourteenth legislative as
sembly by the board of control re-
garding the terminal elevator propo-
sition is carefully considered and the
recommendations made therein are
followed out. All agitation of the;ter
minal elevator question has been held
up until this report could be consid-
cred and it is very doubtful if any
action will be taken towards the pur-
chase or erection of terminal ele-
vator in the face of this report.
Waste Peoples Money.
AFTER a thorough Investigation"
says the board in it's report lin which
every effort has been made to learn
what. if any, advantages such a pro-
posal might have, and for reasons
herein given, it is the opinion of the
board that there is no sound, practical
plan by which terminal state owned
oAu OpCIdLCu ClCNoIOl clcCLCu LILO
Twin Cities, Duluth or Superior would
in any way make it possible for the
farmers of this state to get a better
price for their grain, and that any in.
vestment made in terminal elevators
located at any or all of these terminal
markets would be waste of the peO-
pies money as we'll as a humiliating
disappointment to the people of the
state. However, should it he the
judgment Of the legislative assembly
and the taxpayers of the state, after
mature deliberation, that the estab-
!ishment and operation of a system Of
terminal elevators is proper and
desirable business proposition for the
state to engage in, the board recon-
mends that any such system be estab-
lished on a cooperative basis botn
as to the elevators themselves and the
selling agency connected Herewith.
We recommend strongly against the
expenditure by the state of any mon
ev for the erection of new terminal
elevators at any and all points, but II
the state concludes to go into the I'm.
dertaking at all We recommend that
it rent or lease existing terminal ele.
vatOrs, if such can be secured at
reasonable rental, and thereby try
out the scheme at the least possible
loss to the state"
The report then. goes on: I'm fling
this report as provided by law. this
board recognizes that it is possibly
furnishing information not asked for
under our instructions, but the propo-
sition Of establishing a system of state
owned and operated terminal eleva.
tors, if of a sufficient capacity to ac-
commodate the producers of the state,
would involve an expenditure Of such
large sum of money by the state.
that we feel the fullest information
should be given and that the conclus-
ions Of the board would not therefore
be out of place.
'The expense in making this inves.
tigation has been small and up to
date has been paid out of the appro.
priation made for the purpose of con-
ducting the regular expenses of the
board of control.
As to Mr.. GreeIy.
Since the foregoing report was
drafted proposition to establish
state owned elevator in the city of St.
Paul has been brought to the atten-
tion of this board, and also to great
many of the members of the legisla.
tive assembly by Mr.. Fl. Greedy, who
it is said. represents the business in.
terests of that city, and also the
Equity Cooperative Exchange. Inas.
much as the representatives Of these
interests is here for the purpose of
giving full information on this import
ant question, the board feels that it
is unnecessary for them to offer any
or recommendations rela-
tive to this particular proposal, as
the members of the legislative assem-.
bly, have already secured or can get
full and complete information from
Mr. Greedy direct, and thereafter take
such action as in their judgment they
think best.
Not Overcome Abuses.
"In just what way North Dakota
system of terminal elevators would
overcome any Of the alleged abuses
or return a better price to the pro.
ducers of this state is not clear to
this board after making full inves-
tigation; unless practically the entire
product of the state could be received,
stored and handled by the state and
sold through selling agency estab-
l'shed by the state. To carry out
such a plan would first require ter.
ninal elevators with sufficient capac-
ity to handle a large per centage of
the North Dakota crop, which annual
" varies from 4O,O0O;O0O to more than
100, 100000 bushels. To build such
elevators would require millions of
lollars. To establish and operate
state selling agency in connection
With such a system of terminal ele-