Grand Forks herald. [volume] (Grand Forks, N.D.) 1916-1955, 1917-09-19
SEEKING TO COOPERATE

A very persistent effort has been made to make It
appear that the federal commission known as the Food
Administration. was antagonistic to the interest of the
farmer. This is In keeping with the effort made to set
the farmer in opposition to the federal government in
general on the theory that for some mysterious reason the
government was seeking to victimize the farmer. The
purpose Of this effort is clear. It gave certain demago-
CUES an opportunity to pose as the friends and defenders
of the farmers interests. The public has been told that
the food commission was trying to deprive the farmer
of his hard-earned dollars, to impoverish and enslave him.
It proposed to get his wheat for nothing, to grade it in
an impossible manner, and to cripple him for next year
by making it impossible for him to get seed. And all these
Vaccinations have been frustrated, or at least partially
SO, by the heroulean efforts of a few noble men, all Of
whom wear the Townley tag and collar. ID
The Herald haz been convinced. and is convinced,
that the members of the food administration are earnest
and sincere men who seek to perform their duty in a
conscientious manner. and, to the best Of their ability. to
protect the cosumer from extortion while providing for
the producer just compensation for his effort.
The Herald has not agreed with all the conclusions
Of the board. But It has at no time accused the board
Of wrong intent When a price was to be placed on wheat
and the price advocated by a majority of the board was
far below what The Herald and most others in this
section deemed just, this paper was convinced that the
attitude Of the board was due to an imperfect understand
ing Of the facts. Through the fundamentally Of repre-
sentative men from this state, among whom, by the way,
the kickers and complainers were not represented, the
facts were presented to the commission, and the result of
the information thus obtained was an advance in the price
which will distribute some $40, 900, 900 actual additional
money among the farmers of North Dakota
We have been told Of the tremendous fight waged
against the commission in behalf of the right Of the
farmer to secure. his seed for the next crop. There was
no fight" there was no occasion for one. The members
of the commission knew that the farmers must have
seed, and they did not intend to place anything in the
way of their obtaining it. On, the contrary, they wished
to make every possible provision for this. And the tele-
gram sent to Mr. Bacon of Grand Forks, by Br. Barnes
Of the food administration two weeks ago is evidence
Of this fact.
The food administration has a big task before it. It
cannot do everything at once. Many things which it does
will doubtless need to be done differently, But it is work
The censure that is being heaped upon the board comes
with poor grace just now from men, who, when the time
was right for effective action, merely hung back In the
traces and grunted, while other men assisted the com
mission with valuable data upon which the commission
has acted and is acting. In the general public interest
and to the decided advantage of the farmers Of the
Northwest.