Jamestown weekly alert. [volume] (Jamestown, Stutsman County, D.T. [N.D.]) 1882-1925, 1916-02-17
OPPOSE Plan
Of CHARGING
Equity Society Against Charge
For Storage.

Fargo, N. D., Feb. 11.-Protests by
a committee of three consisting OF
J, G. Critics of Lisbon, A. H. Freie OF
Berlin, and w. H. Bell of Sheyenne,
representing the stockholders Of
the Equity Cooperative exchange,
against establishing any rate of stor-
age on grain or any change on the
present rulings of the storage law,
were heard in the conference of grain
men and farmers before the state
railroad and warehouse commission
in session here. The commission ad-
iourned, the matter being taken un-
der advisement.
Representatives of old-line COM
panies and OF the Grain Bulletin Of
Minneapolis, millers and elevator
managers we're in attendance and
asked that the charge be made COM
pulsory, old-line companies being
consistent in their demand, while the
opinion Of the millers was divided.
The members of the committee of
the Equity Cooperative exchange de-
clared that the exchange was unani-
mously against compulsory storage
and the charge should be made as the
elevator men see fit.
Eve believe that it is only another
scheme feathered by the old-hne
companies to extract q little more
tribute from the farmers Of North
Dakota" declared J. G. Critics before
the conference. 1--WE believe that II
this commission sees fit to rule that
all companies in North Dakota must
charge a rate of storage, say the pres
ent maximum rate, that it will, to
large extent, do away with the stor-
age of grain, and thereby compel the
farmers to sell their grain before
they would if the farmers elevators
were left free to make charge as
they may see fit, as at present.
Many Cannot Store Grain.
~ ~ huOWu IAot uAosAJ SA~>--
farmers throughoutsthezst state are not
in a position to store grain on their
farms for lack of sufficient buildings
in which to store it, and for the
further reason that many are COM
pelled to take their grain to an ele-
vator and use the storage ticket OBJ
1n2nQ
which they may wish to make at the
bank. 1t is easily seen that this class
of farmers will be hit the hardest.
The present campaign that is being
instigated by members of the grain
exchange with the old argument to
sell your grain in the fall and buy an
option against it, is most vicious and
if the elevators are compelled to
charge a maximum rate of storage 1t
will give support to this propaganda,
inasmuch as the farmer will take the
advice given and may become addict
ed to this most vicious of all habits.
1--WE are opposed for the further
reason that we have at this time on
the statute books of North Dakota
an anti-discrimination law which the
old-line companies see fit to openly
and flagrantly violate at the majority
of the towns of the state. The max
ing of rule to govern this PROPOSE
ton is to make only one more law
for them to violate. The farmers
elevator companies of the state are
not of the law-violating class"
Talk Of Elevator Examiner.
Several prominent grain men voic-
ed their opinion in favor of creating
an office of elevator examiner, 1t be-
ing the duty of the person in charge
to make weekly or monthly. report
Of the amount of storage grain out
standing-more than the bonding of
the elevator. While no crisis has
arisen yet in such cases, it is stated
that it is a dangerous practice.
Equity Condemns Storage PROPOSE
tion.
It was at the meetings of the Co.
operative exchange held in Fargo
during the Tri-State Graingrowers'
convention last month the following
resolution was read and unanimously
adopted at the stockholders annual
convention:
Resolved, That we condemn the
proposition initiated by the Grain
Bulletin of the Chamber of Com
merce of Minneapolis, to compel ele-
vator companies operating in the
state of North Dakota to charge q
rate of storage by the railroad COM
missioners of the state of North Da-