The Ely miner. [volume] (Ely, Minn.) 1895-1986, 1917-07-13
State Food Committees Markets
Division DeVises Plan to Pre-
vent Losses This Year.
RAILROADS To HELP IN
SPEEDING UP SHIPMENTS
Census Of Crops to Be Taken to Die.
close Where Extra Shipping Fa-
eiIities Will Be Needed.
Issued BY the Minnesota Food Committee with approval OF
afe cammiSsinn

ISsued BY the Minnesota Food Committee with approval OF
the Public Safety Commission.
Speed and efficiency are the watch
words of the markets division of the
State Committee of Food Production
and Conservation in a campaign just
begun to get the products and supplies
of Minnesota's farms handled through
the regular channels this summer and
fall Speed and efficiency are impera-
tive in order that there may be no
loss to either producer or consumer.
To get speed and efficiency the mar
kets division is making statewide
appeal. 1t says everybody must help.
To make the traffic flow smoothly
and rapidly through the regular chan
nels, however, is going to be increas-
ingly difficult as the season advances
The production of such crops as pota-
toes and rutabagas in much larger
quantities than usual will lead many
farmers with limited or no storage ia
cilities to attempt to market their
crops as soon as harvested. The move
ment of military supplies will begin
in November, if not in October. Large
shipments of farm machinery will de-
mand their share of short supply OF
cars. The transportation of the win
ters fuel supplies will present added
difficulties. 1t is to meet this compli-
Gated situation that the markets divi-
sion of the State Food Committee is
strenuously at work.
To Remedy Freight Congestion.
The first move of the division has
been the sending of letter to all of
the county directors of the Commits
sion of Public Safety. This letter says
that much of the freight congestion is
caused by the undertaking of cars,
by the shipment out and back again
of agricultural products that should
remain within the several counties,
and by delays in loading and reload
ing. The county directors, therefore,
are urged to see to it that each county
provides for its own needs before ship
ping out any food supplies, that cars
are always fully loaded. and that de-
lays in loading and reloading are re-
duced to a minimum.
The county directors are further
urged to encourage the purchase Of
individual supplies of fuel in order
that dealers fuel sheds may be emp
tied and restocked; to emphasize the
need Of providing storage pits or eel
lars on the farms, and warehouses in
towns. for perishable products, and to
call the attention of farmers to the de-
STABILITY of letting their implement
dealers know what farm machinery
they will need within the next year, in
order that preferred orders for such
machinery may be entered with man
ufacturers.
Railroads Promise Help.
The railroads have shown complete
readiness to cooperate in the hand
ling Of farm supplies. A letter from
Thomas Yapp, assistant secretary of
the Minnesota Railroad and Ware
house Commission, showing the atti-
tude Of the railroads, follows:
Replying to your letter of June
Fl and your former communica-
tons with reference to the prompt
movement of agricultural imple-
ments:
I'VE have now received assur-
ance from the presidents of every
railroad operating in this state
that all the agricultural imple-
ments and articles in common use
on the farm have been declared to
be preference freight, and will be
handled with the greatest prompt
ness when offered for shipment.
If at any time you hear of any de-
lay in shipments of these COM
modities, we would be glad if you
would advise us, as we would like
to follow out any such cases."
This preference freight agreement
will be brought to the attention of
the leading shippers in every county,
of county agents, of farmers club Sec
retaries, and other persons who may
be directly interested.
Crop Yields to Be Reported.
The county directors, again, are be-
ing asked to fill out and return to w.
w. Cumberland, manager of the food
committees markets information serv-
ice, University Farm, st. Paul, blanks
showing the probable yield of pota-
toes. beans, rutabagas, turnips, onions,
cabbage, sugar beets, and other vege-
tables. and apples, in territories tribu-
tary to the various market centers;
also the amounts of these different
crops shipped in ordinary years, and
the probable percentage of increase
this year. This information will ena-
BILE the markets division to know just
where extra shipping facilities will be
needed and to aid in meeting the
need.
The aim in all of this is to see to it
that not an ounce of food material
shall go to waste, and, further, to pro-
tect the farmers from any possible
loss through lack of the means of get
ting his products to market promptly.