The Fargo forum and daily republican. [volume] (Fargo, N.D.) 1894-1957, 1917-08-27

had decided 70 NIX S1.65 as the price
to be paid for the spring wheat
crop. To the Grand Forks CONNER
cial club is given the credit by every
member Of the committee for having
taken the initiative to get a strong
and proper protest to Washington at
the earliest possible moment.
The commercial club of Fargo
took up the matter with promptness
and the two organizations flooded
the state with kilograms to business
and farmers organizations urging
formal protest sent TO Washington.
OF number Of very busy men of the
state who were asked by telephone
to make the trip the men who COM
prised the comittee refsized the i'm
portanc of quick action and acted.
Meet On Train.
Meeting first on the train en- route
to Minneapolis the committee sent
!. kilograms to Washington. One was
to DIR. e. r. Ladd, a member of the
price fixing committee asking him
to arrange an early hearing before
the committee on prices. One to
Senator p. ]. McCumber asking him
to have the member of the North
Dakota delegation in congress to-
gether with United States Treasurer
John Burke, and DR.. f. F. Ladd,
meet with them at breakfast at the
New Willard hotel on Tuesday
morning. when they should arrive in
Washington.
The first information the commit
tee received on their arrival in the
capital was a statement from DIR.
Ladd that the price fixing committee
had already decided on an ironclad
rule to give no committee hearing |
to delegations.
DR.. Tausig, of Harvard university, |
had induced this action on the basis |
that the work of the committee re- |
CURED speedy action and If they let |
down the bars the committee would |
be In session until snow flies.
Only Hearing Given.
Hearings already had been denied |
TO all for this reason. The portent of |
the issued raised was, however, felt |
to be SO great that DR.. Garfield per-
sonally volunteered to receive the |
committee from North Dakota to hear |
their arguments with the understand
ing hat they would be presented by |
him to the entire committee as soon !
as possible. To this audience with |
DIR, Garfield there came besides the |
gresham Young. former Gov. John |
Burke, and Senator Sterling of South |
Dakota. 1t was apparent that the |
Importance of the matter had not |
been realized in full by others who |
IS should have been interested. Con-
gresham Norton was absent. having |
been called to North Dakota by the |
death of his mother.
Or GARFIELD dispensed with formal
arguments and asked questions OF the |
members of the delegation, pointed |
questions which revealed an earnest
d desire TO be fair and just and to give
full consideration to all the matter
presented. After an hour on the in
formal discussion. DR.. Garfield an
nounced that, realizing the import of
the subject and the conscientious
motive that actuated the visitors, he
would say that the price fixing COM
mittee would go a step farther and
ting forth the gist Of the statements
he had heard and ask that the visit
orS have the document ready at the |
earliest possible moment.
Prepare Statement. -.
After consultation by the members
of the committee, J. B. Bacon and
Aubrey Lawrence were authorized to
prepare this statement and copies
were furnished to each member of DIR.
Garfelds committee and to others
who had shown interest in the COM
mittee's efforts.
This was the status of the mat
ter on Wednesday.
Not another representative, per-
son, delegation or protest had been
received by DR.. Garfield or his COM
mittee. The members of the Dakota
commiAtee had learned on the best
authority that the price fixing board
had been considering a price some
where below $3.50. No higher figure
had boon even mentioned authorita-
Brief Well Reviewed.
Later in the day the visitors were
surprised and elated to be notified
that the brief presented had made
such a strong impression that the
members of DR.. Garfields committee
had expressed a desire to call in one
member Of the North Dakota party
to question him more fully as to de-
tails of conditions in the northwest.
The committee at once selected
Mr.. Bacon to undergo this ordeal and
he accepted the draft in the spirit
in which 1t was made.
After being informally pre-
sented to the committee by Or.
Garfield, MIR. Bacon asked per-
mission to make a brief expIana-
ton in which he said he wished
TO call attention to statement
made in one of the Washington
papers in which one member of
North Dakota's delegation in '
congress had said;
1.-THE farmers of my state have
had a motto, well stick" but IL
they are pressed too hard they'll
change it to we'll strike q
Threat Not Authorized.
THAT threat was not made by or
with the authority from any mem
Der of the committee which l repre- !
sent" continued Mr.. Bacon. 1.-THE
farmers of North Dakota are fair,
just, liberal, and patriotic which is '
evidenced by 1,200, 900 acres in pro- /
auction over 1915, at the urgent re- {
quest of the government. and the ear {
nest efforts of our state agricultural /
college. The farmers and the entire
state of North Dakota believe they {
will be justly treated when they have {
been properly heard and so they will J
be found as fair and patriotic as the {
farmers of any state. They will con-
tinue under their conditions to pro-
duce the limit of the capacity of their s
land and ability not only of wheat and /
other foods Fbut of money to finance !
the war, and of the best type of men !
in the whole country to fight the bat
ties Of the war. The farmers of
North Dakota does not ask for special
favors from the government for do !
ing his duty. He merely asks the I
same fair treatment that is given I
every other producer and we believe S
we will receive just that when our {
conditions and situation is under
stood by men who have the control !
of the affairs Of the nation"
Mr. Bacon was questioned at length I
by members Of the Garfield commit
tee covering every phaZe of the wheat ]
production from land values to the !
shipping Of the grain and the proba-
bility OF the acreage of next year. !
When the questioner had ended Mr..
Bacon was given assurance that he /
had made favorable impression and
each member of the committee thank s
ed him for the clearness and COM I
prehensive nature OF his grasp of the Z
needs of the state and the relation of !
the nation thereto. He was further {
a .at1rnd fhnN fhr GnrAnIa nnrnrnnlAa.n |