The Fargo forum and daily republican. [volume] (Fargo, N.D.) 1894-1957, 1917-09-14
Under 1t, Farmer Retains
Control of Grain After
30-day Period
PERMISSION TO
KEEP SEED ALSO
Provided For By Agree
ment Made by Depart
ment Of Justice

control Of the producer after the 30
day period expires, as a result of the
visit to the state of Robert Taft, OF
the department OF justice, represent
ing the food department.
Mr.. Taft came to North Dakota to
make a personal study of the situa-
ton Immediately the situation was
called to the attention OF the food
department, and the agreement
reached at Bismarck late Wednesday
is the result.
Under the new 30-day storage lin
1t clause. the wheat remains subject
to the order of the producer, rather
than being subject to the orders of
the elevator man. The previous
clause provided that the elevator
man should sell the grain at the
nearest terminal. Under the new
ruling, the farmer retains control
and may sell where he pleases.'
The food administration also
adopts a rule by which seed wheat
required in a district may be re-
tanned in an elevator, when proper
application is made to the admin
stration officials for this territory.
The decision on these two points
serves to further clear the atmo-
sphere in connection with the ad-
ministration OF the wheat buying,
and leaves only one question. that OF
supply for small mills. to be dispos-
ed of.
THE United States food admins
tration after consulting with the OFF,
Gals Of the state of North Dakota
and particularly with Attorney Gen.
eral LANCER, has decided to modify
the clause which was recommended
for use in warehouse receipts In con-
nection with the enforcement of the
30-day storage regulation.
The United States food admins
tration directs that this clause be
used by warehousemen whenever any
modification of the receipt is made.
Directions to that effect viii be sent
out Immediately to all elevators, but
wherever possible the change should
be made at once without waiting for
such notice.
'aThe food administration regards
the regulation to limit storage of
wheat to thirty days in public eIeva-
tors as essential to prevent specula-
ton and insure proper distribution
Of wheat, but in cases where eleva-
tors or farmers desire to retain
wheat for seeding purposes. special
permission to store such wheat in
public elevators can be obtained on
application to the United States
Food Administration, Minneapolis,
MINI. The food administration will
place a limit on the selling price OF
such seed wheat in elevator storage
ot Is per cent over the present price
In order to avoid any extortion in
the sale of seed to the grower next
spring.
Permission to hold viii also he
given in cases where ii is shown that
railroad facilities cannot be obtained
The new regulations of course only
apply to storage in public eleva-
tors.
THE changes were made at the
suggestion Of the North Dakota off,
Gals in order to meet objections
urged to the receipt formerly in use.
Under the new receipt, wheat retain
ed in storage more than thirty days
can be shipped to either Minneapolis,
st. Paul, Duluth, or Superior and
cannot be sold for less than the
price fixed by the government
The new receipt also provides for
cases in which permission to store
seed wheat is obtained through the
regular channels"
Mr.. Taft also pointed out that al
though the prices recently fixed do
not forbid the sale Of wheat for low
er or higher prices by private parties,
administration assures that this
price will be practically both the
maximum and the minimum price
during the present crop year unless
peace is declared. The food admins
tration is now acting as buying
agent for practically all mills in the
country and is also directing the
purchase of grain for the allies and
the neutral countries.
u. s. the Only Buyer.
Under these conditions, Mr.. Taft
said, the United States food admins
tration will be substantially the only
buyer of wheat and 1t is now in a
position to buy all wheat offered to
Ii at the prices recently fixed. The
government guarantees OF this price
will continue unless the war should
end or present shortage Of shipping
be entirely overcome and the sub
marine eliminated, but the food
administration is unable TO make IL
cover those contingencies because
the probable drop in the price Of
wheat in case of peace would more
than exhaust the appropriation auth
orized by congress.
An announcement will be made In
the near future, Mr. Taft said, in
regard to the price guaranteed for
the 1918 crop. Under the food con-
troll act this 1913 guarantee Is abso-
lutte IL the crop Is once planted in
reliance upon 1t whether the war
ends or not.
Attorney General LANCER express
clause had removed all the objection
able features as far as the, farmers
are concerned. He said:
Objections Removed.
THE change in the clause reiat-
ing to the storage of grain in eleva-
tors for more than the 30-day period
throws safeguards around the man
ner in which warehouses may ship
out and sell grain kept beyond thirty
days and insures that the owner Of
the grain will receive at least the
price fixed by the United States food
fixing commission. The provision
first sent out by the food administra-
tion did not guarantee any price from
the warehouse to the owner and
would have prevented our grain held
more than thirty days from being
shipped to st. Paul, Duluth or
Superior and would have confined
OF such grain % Mime
apolis, precluding Equity elevators
In North Dakota from shipping
grain, held In storage by their GUS
toners more than thirty daya to the
Equity exchange In St. Pad The
new provision, Of course, does away
with this restriction.
s'The conference held has also
cleared up the uncertainty ef the
policy OF the food administration IN
regard TO the storage OF seed in
elevators for more than thirty days
and the announcement Is made that
arrangements can be readily made
FOR storage % seed grain beyond the
30-day period. The new provision
also gives the owner az the grain
control 81 It's sale after the S0-day
period Is UP and any time prior 70
lis shipment"