The Dickinson press., 1916-11-25
GRAIN GROWERS
TO TAKE A HAND

1t is of vital Importance that every
farmer in this portion Of the Missouri
Slope should be present at the next
meeting CT the Stark County Grain
Growers Association, which will be
held on Saturday forenoon, November
25th, at 10 a. M. in the German Mer-
camille hall on the South Side.
The meeting on Saturday viii be
held for the purpose of RAINING dele
gates to attend a national hearing,
given under the auspices of the De-
partment of Agriculture, before es-
tablishment is made Of a national
grain grading board. The grain buy
ing and milling interests will I'M
doubtedly be at the national meeting
in full force, and it is up to the pro-
ducer to also be present end look after
his interests.
DR.. E. F. Ladd, Of the North Dako-
ia Agricultural College, Las conducted
extensive experiments which chow
c%onclusively that a low gr:de wheat
makes practically as much and as fine
flour as does the high Crude. The
local market Price for No. / wheat
the past week has been about SLIT,
but most of the farmers have been
receiving but $1.27, because of alleged
low grade wheat. Prof. Ladd has
proven that this low grade wheat is
practically of the same flour produc-
ing value, pound for pound, as is the
No. / grade. The big warehouse in
terests and mills take advantage Of
+Iic font. o-I rosv thu co-oo11nH low
grade wheat with heavier weights and
make first grade flour from the mix,
turc. The farmer is the "goat" and
the warehouse mar and miller profits.
A national grading system, opera IT.
equitable grade to the grain grower,
end as a consequence a much better
price.
1t is high time that something was
done to free North Dakota from the
grasping greed and extortion OF the
grain dealers. 1t is time that there
was a radical organization of some
kind in this state to bring about JUS
tice to the farmers.
That is the first thought that must
come to the average citizen Of North
Dakota who reads the startling ex-
posure of the evils of the grain trade,
as made in DR.. Ladd's latest bulletin.
This brings out the whole noisome
mess and lays it fully exposed in the
glare of the spotlight of publicity.
1t appears that the middlemen of
the grain trade are not content to
make an extorjioiate profit by mix
ing low grades with high grades, al
though this is a scandal in itself. DIR.
Ladd's bulletin proves-and the fray
of facts and figures is apparently un-
answerable-that from the moment
the farmers grain is hauled onto the
platform of the elevator, it is subject
ed to all manner of nefarious schemes
for profit sweating.
: The grain handling business is or
ganized from elevator mar to miller
for the express purpose CT squeezing
out profits which are out # all pro-
portion to the 7ervice which is rem
dered;, in the handling.
The most glazing illustration of the
way this is accomplished is portrayed
wildly by following a carload of grain
from the elevator in North Dakota to
the market in Minneapolis. Taking as
a basis the price of wheat on Oct: IA,
a carload of No. l Northern wheat
1000 pounds) would net the farmer
in North Dakota at $1.58 a bushel,
$1,526.75. The freight OH The car OF
wheat from North Dakota to Mime
apolis would DC $66. The charge to
handle o carload of grim through the
elevator is 2 cents a bushel or approx
imately $21 for a al 1t would be
natural to suppose, therefore, that the
vclue of this carload of grain on the
track in Minneapolis would be $685.
rs plus the freight Of $66 and the ele-
vator costs Of $21, or $1,613.75.
But it wc.s not. The valIe Of a car
lead of No. 1 Northern wheat on the
track in Minneapolis on Oct. IA was
$1,673.34. -,
This was a MT gan of $3.50 which