The evening herald. [volume] (Albuquerque, New Mexico) 1914-1922, 1917-11-15
FARMERS LEAGUE TO
BECOME AFACTOR IN
POLITICS, IS CLAIM
North Dakota Man, Addressing
the National Tax Association,
Predicts Organization Il Going
TO Weld Mighty Influence.

~ Associsssd rrsss
Atlanta. Ga. WOW Introduction
that the Farmers National .Non-aPr-
tisan League. which originated in
North Dnkota. would become a feat
ure in congress and perhaps In the
next presidential campaign wns made
by Frank y. Packard. state tax com
missioner OF North Dakota, IN an ad-
dress ne delivered here toeas before
the eleventh annual tax conference ~
the National Tax association.
Mr. Packard reviewed the underiy-
ine causes Of the movement which re-
suited IN he political upheaval in
North nakoui. He characterized
North Dakota az a "one-crop" state.
making q peculiarly subject 60 an the
Ills IN marketing conditions Tho
control Of the local market through
locally controlled elevators. he said.
H. ineffective without control also Of
terminal market. hence arose the d.
mand Tor state owned elevators. A
constitutional amendment WIS adopt-
ed 20 authorize these hut thu iegisla-
ture refused 10 act This one cir
cuuistancc. said AIR. Packard. FUR
nished, A. g. Townley with the occa-
sion FOR startiEg in March. 1915. the
movement which In June had grown
from nothing ia an organization with
i6o.0op members. maintaining three
newspapers and with hundreds Of or
ganizers working IN eleven states acai-
tered from North Dakota 20 Texas
and from Wisconsin TO the Pacific
coast
Outlining the arguments set forth
20 bring about this organization. MIR.
Packard said they Included the fol-
lowing.
That boards Of trade. such as the
Minneapolis chamber Of commerce.
controlled the great milling and elc-
yator companies aud played "a; ducks
ant brakes" with the farmers profits
through manipulation IN sales with
The result that the farmer was com
PEELED 10 accept an Inadequate price
for his wheat while the consumer was
forced 10 pay an unreasonable high
cr price than the farmers received.
That the farmers were 'gouged"
out OF millions OF dollars annually
through false dockage for foreign
seed and dit.
AiIAA lt AAAN kIAlt AfltNL fAihtAl III
North Dakota was mixed Ia the ter
rninai elevators with soft wheat and
the mixture raised to the grade Of
hard wheat.
That the selling price OF feed wheat
had been raisec more than I25 per
cent over the price paid 20 the farmer
by Invention OF new grades.
Mr.. Packard quoted President Ladd
Of the North Dakota Agricultural coll
leEe "a asserting that the marketing
conditions cost the farmers OF North
Dakota $4,000. 900 annually
Another argument used By the
farmers was that the present profit
on a barrel OF flour milled by the big
milling concerns OF Minneapolis is
s4.S9, that the middleman's and dis
tribut0r's profits are 50 per barrel.
making a total profit on the wheat
used in milling a barrel Of flour
500. while the flour itself retails
for sfs a barrel.
The Farmers National Ser-Parti-
son League" said Mr.. Packard. has
now added a new for the
conscription OF wealth for th6 conduct
Of the war. embracing state-owned
~eNator packing plants, flour mills
and warehouses ana the exemption
Of farm Improvements from taxation.
only the latter plank-exemption OF
Improvements from taXation-has
been enacted into law.
Like all radical or unusual move
menta." he added, ut has attracted
10 IL many cranks. faddists ana one
idea men. But the great body Of its
membership are honest. straight-for-
ward. intelligent American citizens
who believe that they are suffering
economic wrong and that they have
hit upon a plan 20 right them. They
bitterly resent the charge that the
movement b. socialistic, unpatriotic.
or un-American. They contend that
~ II what IL appears to be. a non-par-
tsan movement. 20 secure economic
advantage for the farming class"