The Bottineau courant. (Bottineau, Bottineau County, N.D.) 1895-1929, 1917-04-05
GEO. r. WHITE GIVES SOME
PERTINENT FIGURES

AAAAA Oy ONAAuA1S SCdIC cltVdLOTS, hour
mills, etc. Now to show him how
foolish this thing is I will submit a
few figures. It is estimated that a
100000 bushel elevator can be built
for $1,000,000. The assessed value of
all property in this state in 1915 was
$385,863,000. The assessed value of
one of Mr.. Milloy's 100 acre farms
is $500. Therefore his total share of
a 100000 bushel elevator would be
$2.O7, but suppose we get real reck-
less and decide to build 10000
bushel elevator, his share would be
just $10.35 and if he had it spread ov-
er rs years it would increase his tax
es AZ cents on each quarter section or
on each $500 assessment. Now have
never heard anyone advocate so large
an elevator as 100000 bushels but
if we did, an addition Of AZ cents to
our taxes isn't going to bankrupt
anybody. But we do not expect it
to raise our taxes even one cent, as
the revenues from it will pay for it.
self.
DR.. Ladd claims we are losing $685.
100000 a year through not having
these enterprises at home. There
were 60,355 farms in 1915 so if we
divide this $55,O00,00O amongst these
60,355 farmers we find they are los
ing on an average Of $795 each. Now
the question I would like Mr.. Milloy
to answer is, would he consider it
bad business to save $795 per year
by going into debt $1O.35 of even 3
times that amount if we should build
flour mills, etc? Yes, Mr.. Milloy,
there are at least $4,000 farmers who
have done little sound thinking and
are very willing, not to say anxious,
to take all the chances necessary, and
the responsibility too, on PROPOSE
tion of this kind.
Incidentally, Mr.. Milloy says ko can
get his wheat made into flour at Zoe
per bushel. I proved in my last let
ter that the millers and middlemen
got $1.OO per bushel, now who gets
that Soc per bushel Mr.. Milloy?
Mr.. Milloy claims to have paid zoe
a bushel for threshing and says it
should be worth as much to grind it.
Now let us look into this thing too.
It takes 16 men, 2 women and IL
teams to thresh about 1000 bushels
of his zoe cent wheat or $1O5 for
wages and $40 for board or making
$125 in all. In an ordinary mill OF
large capacity 7 men can grind $500
bushels and load it for shipment at
a wage cost of about $50. Now If
it takes $50 to grind $500 bushels
and $125 to thresh 1000 BUSH
els I figure that it costs about eleven
times as much to thresh it in wages.
Now we will say that the fuel costs
the same (which it does not in large
mill) per bushel. The thresher in
vests possibly $4,000 and can only av-
erage about Is days in the year. He
has to meet interest and principal out
of those Is days, whereas the miller
can run the twelve months and not
have anything like the proportionate
interest, depreciation or upkeep. Mr..
Milloy awnts to know why l don't
buy q mill. Foolish question no. CD
Why do not buy out Washburn Cros-
by or Jawn D? The answer is obvi-
GUS.
Mr.. Milloy wants to know if it
wouldn't be more economical to build
granaries and store and store and
clean my grain at home. have
found that it is not. It takes men
or boys to take it to the elevator and
it takes 4 men to put it in the gran
aries and as much time to take it
out of the granaries to the elevator
as from the machine. get it cleaned
at the elevator at IL cents per bush
el and the screenings are brought
home on the return trip. then have
nothing invested in granaries, engin-
es, or mills. Moreover like most
other farmers I have to sell most OF
it as soon as possible, to pay my bills.
AS to the so-called enormous pen
atty on delinquent taxes. The reason
for this, I think, is quite obvious.
When would some people pay their
taxes if there was no penalty? Mr..
Townley and the so-called big tive
and their neighbors conceived and car
rid out the plan of organizing the
farmers. They were all farmers
themselves AMI as such are as much
interested in this program as we are.
Is there any law or reason why Mr..
Townley, or anyone else should not
90 to Bismarck if they SO desire. Al
80. since when has it become crime
for majority of the people to elect
farmers or for those elected to try to
do what those farmers elected them
for. =,
AS to the editors note-For the IN
formation Of the editor and others !
will state / have accommodated the
league at least different times, by
lending them money on their notes,
with collateral, and it has been paid
up promptly enough each time in full ta !
with interest and at this time the
league owes me not one cent. AS 70