New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1917-03-08
Public Ownership
Urged by Farmers
To Lower Prices
Grain Growers Lay High
Cost to Transportation
and Distribution
West Finds Remedy
Nonpartisan League Fights
Meat Monopolies and Spec
ulators, Townley Says

St. Paul. Mimi, March IA. c..
Townley, president Of the Farmers
Non Partisan League, sees remedy
for the high cost Of living in pubic
ownership.
"The remedy for the exorbitant prices
of food products" he said to-day
(which have forced laboring people 10
the verge Of starvation at time Wneh
a wave OF so-called prosperity Is
drenching the nation, is public controI
of the marketing, transportation ana
distribution OF these products. fuo-
lie ownership is the remedy alike for
food riots and railroad blockades'
The public ownership of machinery
for the marketing of food products Is
tbe object for which the non-partlsan
league has been making its fight politl-
callv. first in North Dakota and now
in South Dakota, Minnesota and Mon
.ana as we'll. In North Dakota it cap
tured last fall virtually all branches
Of the state government. and is now
wrestling with the constitutional DIM
culties in the way Of its programme
calling for the establishment OF state
owned grain elevators, -four mills, pack
ing plants and so on.
Mr.. Townley now speaks as the rep
resentative OF almost 100000 farmers
in the great grain growing and cattle
raising states mentioned. The plans
of these farmers have very direct
bearing on the problem of the cost OF
living in this country as 1t afectS not
only the West but the industrial East
And these plans, Mr.. Townley is conn
dent. mean lower prices to the con-
sumner.
Farmers Profits Cut
"The farmer is not receiving all he
ought TO get for his products, nor -
the consumer getting all he shouId
for his money" Mr.. Townley SAID.
"Seller and buyer are paying tribute
70 the railroads. the grain gamblers
the milling trust, the beef trust. the
egg SPECTATORS, the cold storage kings.
We are only Just beginning to find out
some of the wastes and the thetts OF
our market system IL
"The North Dakota farmers have had
practically nothing TO say about the
marketing of their wheat Ihey nave
been compelled TO accept prices hNed
for them by the grain and milling
combine Of Minnesota. prices based on
grades controlled in another state. Inc
dockage and the mixing of grains con.
stitute the big profit in the terminal
elevator business. This comes out OF
tho nockets both of the producer and
the consumer.
"Thev have discovered some impor.
+ant things. also. about the milling OF
wheat. When the best hard spring
wheat was selling at around 81
bushel last fall elevator men were ouy-
inc what they called feed grades for
loss than half of that amount.
series of tests on the milling values
of wheat was conducted at the North
Dakota Agricultural College test mill
and il was discovered that these feed
GRADES Of wheat produced -four OF as
GOOD quality as the plump and heavy
Grains OF the No. Northern grade and
nearly as much of it. The difference
in the amount of bran and shorts IN
the low grade wheat made the two
kinds of grain-the light and shrivelied
and the heavy and plump about the
same value, pound for pound.
an other words. the farmer was get
ting for his low grade wheat just
about half its real milling value. even
making allowance for the fair cost OF
the milling.
Cooperative Efforts Baked
ave have tried to find a remedy IN
cooperative ownership, but we nave
found il is too easy for the big feliows
TO throw rocks in the path of that kinG
of enterprise. We have determined
upon cooperation in larger way
through the instrument of our state
governments. .L
an the first place we want TO estao-
lish state elevators. where we can nave
our grain cleaned and stored ana
properly graded and from when we
can sell IL to buyers who are WILING
70 pay fair price for It. we SeAenI
that exporters and honest mlllerS VIII
be glad to buy from state elevator
and storage warehouse where tney can
be sure of the quality ana can ouy
direct from the state or from the
farmer. 49,,
but. BESIDE the SAdNt tAVfp ND''f
want 10 put I'd state owned hourihg
mills. able to use the latest and best
processes and able 10 turn out prod
uct which will not be eXcelled IN
quality anywhere. We believe that
prcduct can be turned out at price
which will cheaper the best -four 70
the consumer and at the same time
bring a higher price to the producer
''Meat is high now because we can :
raise beef cattle 10 advantage in such
/ states as North Dakota. We are pay
inc too much freight on our feed and
our cattle. The grain is hauled TO a
blatant market, the feed Is nauled
hack the cattle are hauled TO market
and the meat products are hauled back.
put the mill and the packing house
near the farm and arrange for buying
I and selling on fair basis under the
newer of the state and the industry
will build itself up so that the farmer
can prosper and the workingman can
, buy at fair price
The Non-P Partisan League recently
opened national Offices in this city,
having removed from Fargo. y. D.,
where the league still has stase Offices
and publishes a weekly magazine. Or
panization work is being carried for
ward in South Dakota. Minnesota and
Montana, and is expected to be under
way in other states soon.