Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1917-02-22
POTATO DEALERS
PLEAD FOR MOVEMENT OF
TURER SEED CROP.
HAS 100000
BUSHELS FOR SOUTH
Appeal Sent to Railroad Commission in
Effort to Induce Roads to Provide
Necessary Cars-Fear Old Crop Will
Be Exhausted Before New Yield Ar
rives.

Minneapolis. Feb 2a.-Faced ns the
spring that dealers say will make pres
ent wholesale prices Of s2.25 TO $3.50
bushel look cheap. Minneapolis potato
shippers today were moving, through
every channel at their command, to
induce the interstate commerce COM
mission 10 order the railroads to move
100 cars of seed potatoes for the south.
Blocked by inability of the shippers
to obtain refrigerator cars. 4G0,0
bushels OF seed potatoes. valued at
approximately sSo0.00o, for which
growers n Oklahoma. Arkansas and
northern Texas are clamoring, are tied
up in Minneapolis or at stations in po-
tato growing country north of the city.
Few Cars Shipped South.
There is a dribbling southwark move
ment, shippers said. effected by lining
ordinary box cars at cost Of SEQ to s25
each, bringing the loads TO Minneapolis
at imminent risk and transferring here
TO such refrigerator cars as can be OBJ
tanned.
Hundreds of messages have been
coming into Minneapolis since Satur-
day, urging shipments, lest the early
crop Of the south be affected serious
" II is planting time all over the
south and past planting time in many
localities and the northern seed is not
there.
Exhaustion of Supply Threatened.
Every potato in the northwest Will
have been eaten up if normal con-
sumption maintains. long in advance of
the first arrivals of new home grown
stock, wholesale men said today. BY
July /. when the first potatoes grown
in Minneapolis territory may be expect
ed 10 reach the market. exhaustion OF
the old home grown stock being COM
plete. the normal expectation would be
shippers said, that big shipments of
early grown southern stock, taken out
of the fields by the middle of May.
stock. which should have gone out in
Janua-v, and on which the south de-
ponds. can be sent promptly. the south
ern return movement of new potatoes
will not only be seriously delayed, but
the production Will be materially low
cred.
Appeal Sent to Commission.
The Northern Potato Traffic bureau,
J. c. Famechon. president, last night
sent an urgent message to George B.
McGinty secretary OF the interstate
commerce commission. predicting fam
inc and exorbitant potato prices un-
less the situation is relieved.
The bureau also wired Senators
Knute Nelson and Moses E. Clapp and
Cyngressmen George r. Smith and
Thomas D. Schall, asking their help.
Minneapolis may as well get ready
for the 50 potato in the spring and
maybe higher than that" said r. E
Sevey. vice-president Of Famechon &
Co, "if we do not get relief soon.
Car Shortage Responsible.
The car shortage is partly respon-
sible FOR the present ruling high prices.
and the present weather conditions for
the extreme tops. But under 1t all
there is q supply and demand situation
that in any case would have created
| high prices.
Tn short the entire potato crop in
nearby territory or territory from
| which Minneapolis ordinarily draws.
| will be gone before a new crop can be
raised and marketed. if consumption
keeps anywhere near normal. The hope
| for the consumer is in the coming
along on time Of the southern move
ment This comes from Texas, then
| Oklahoma and Louisiana, then the
Kaw valley ii Kansas and so on UP
the line TO Minneapolis home territory.
All over the south people are trying to
get northern seed stock, which they
| must have and the seed stock Is ready
for them. but we cannot get 1t out
The message 10 Mt. McGinty said
that Of the stock that cannot be
moved the greater part is in Great
| Northern warehouses located on the
Great Northern line. The message
| said in part:
Unless cars are furnished promptly
southern potato planters will be unable
| m ra;ce q crop NJ potafOes for the com