Atlanta semi-weekly journal. (Atlanta, Ga.) 1898-1920, 1917-11-16
PREDICTS GROWTH
OF NONPARTISAN
FARMER LEAGUE
Frank E. Packard, Tax Conn
missioner of North Dakota,
Says Movement Is Destined
to Shake Both Old Parties

Prediction that the Farmers National
Nonpartisan league, which originated in
North Dakota, would become a feature
in congress and perhaps in the next
presidential campaign was made by
Frank E. Packard. state tax commits
sioner of North Dakota, in an address
he delivered here Thursday morning be-
fore the eleventh annual tax conference
of the National Tax association at the
Piedmont hotel.
Hite NJ Huffaker a member of the
Kentucky special tax commission, in a
review of the tax reforms of his state,
showed that a lowering of the tax rate
resulted in an increase of revenue, and
Dr. Charles j. Bullock, of Harvard uni
versity in a paper on a model system
of taxation that the solution of taxa
ton difficulties should be sought in a
combination of income and property
taxes and the inclusion of a business
tax. Prof. Thomas S. Adams, of Yale,
whose paper was read by J. L. Mahoney,
Of Rhode Island, expressed it as his
opinion that the excess profits tax, now
imposed as a war measure, will con-
tinue as a permanent part of the Amer
lean tax system.
Causes of League.
Mr. Packard reviewed the underlying
causes of the movement which resulted
in the political upheaval in North Da-
kota He characterized North Dakota
as a "one-crop' state. making it pc
culiarly subject to all the ills in mar
keting conditions. The control of the
local market through locally controlled
elevators, he said. is ineffective without
control also of terminal market, hence
.arose the demand for state owned ele-
vators A constitutional amendment
was adopted to authorize these, but the
Legislature refused to act. This one
circumstance, said Mr.. Packard, fur
nished A. c. Townley with the occasion
for starting in March, 1915, the move
ment which. in June. had grown from
nothing to an organization with. $50, 900
members, maintaining three newspapers
and with hundreds of organizers work
ing in eleven states scattered from
North Dakota to Texas and from Wis
consin to the Pacific coast.
Outlining the arguments set forth to
bring about this organization, Mr..
Packard said they included the follow
ing: E..
That boards of trade. such as the
Minneapolfe--chambe of commerce, con-
trolled, the great milling and elevator
companies and played at ducks and
brakes" with the farmers profits
through manipulation in,sales with the
result that the farmer was compelled
to accept an inadequate price for his
wheat, while the consumer was. forced
to pay an unreasonable higher price
than the farmer received.
Farmers were Gouged ...
That the farmers were "gouged" out
Of millions of dollars annually through
false dockage for foreign seed and dirt
That the high-grade hard wheat raised
in North Dakota was mixed in the ter
minal elevators with soft wheat and the
mixture raised to the grade of hard
wheat
That the selling price of feed wheat
had been raised more than 125 per cent
over the price paid to the farmer by in
vention of new grades.
Mr.. Packard quoted President Ladd, of
the North Dakota Agricultural college,
as asserting that the marketing condi-
tons cost the farmers of North Dakota
$4,000, 900 annually.
Another argument used by the farm
ers was that the present profit on a bar
rel of -four milled by the big milling con-
Germs of Minneapolis is $4.S9. that the
middIemans and distributors profits are
$500 per barrel, making total profit on
the wheat used in milling barrel of
-four $3.50. while the flour itself retails
for $1,000 barrel.
THE Farmers National Non-Partisan
league" said Mr.. Packard, has now add
CONTINUED ON Page 2, Column 81