Grand Forks herald. [volume] (Grand Forks, N.D.) 1916-1955, 1918-02-21
POTATOES ROT
II. in MICHIGAN
Officials Investigate Situa-
ton in Vicinity of
Detroit.

Detroit. Mich, Feb. 21.-The pota-
to problem in Michigan this winter is
attracting widespread attention. Pri-
vate Investigations have been started
TO determine why thousands upon
thousands Of bushels of tubers have
been allowed to rot in country dis
tricts. while war prices have been
maintained in Detroit and other
Michigan cities.
Information obtained from various
sections of the state indicates that po-
tatoes which have sold for As and SO
cents a peck in Detroit are a drug on
the market in sections less than 200
mics from here. Farmers have tried
to get a $1.0O a bushel for their prod
uct, and failed. Recently they have
been offered for about 80 cents.
l. Many reasons have been advanced
for the great'range in prices.
Commission men have been charged
with unfair TACTICS. -.
Railroad congestion has been held
responsible. H., 'FF
The weather has been blamed.
The poor distribution system" has
beeA attacked.
Last spring when potatoes were
selling for sky high prices, a tre-
mendous campaign was prosecuted al
over Michigan for a record yield.
Seed potatoes sold as high as SO a
bushel and farmers have claimed
there was a tacit understanding that
they would receive $1.00 a bushel for
their product.
Vacant lots were planted all over
the. state. Hundreds of families rails
ed their own potatoes n the result
was that millions of bushels Of
"spuds'' were dug from Michigan soil
last fall. The average crop was 1O2
bushels an acre, against As bushels an
acre in 1916. Reports to the secre-
tary Of state estimate that more than
forty million bushels of potatoes was
Michigan's yield.
Then something happened and, at
present. everybody connected with the
potato business in the state seems ia
be blaming somebody. or everybody,
else. There are wv outstanding
facts, however, Judging from various
Investigations. One is that railroad
congestion and weather conditions had
something to do with the situation
and the. other is hat Michigan farm
ers have something like 10000, 000
bushels of potatoes, good, Indifferent
and bad. on their hands.
Potato shippers have come forward
with charges of transportation de-
fects: One shipment Of potatoes from
Cadillac to Detroit was on the road
Is days, it is claimed. One freight
train was held up near Clare, Michi-
gan, and four carloads Of potatoes
froze.
On the other hand, farmers have
been blamed by commission men. De-
troit dealers have asserted that farm
ers held on to their stocks too Ions,
and that, when the rash came, they
tried to unload but couldn't: 1t is
claimed that it cost the farmers about
65 cents a bushel to raise potatoes las,
summer. 1t is claimed, also tina
commission men a fall offered be-
tween 80 cents and 500 a bushel for
big c~onsignments. Commission mer
in Detroit assert that their offers were
quite generally declined and claim
that as Detroit's potato supply began
to dwindle. bad weather came.
Finally, when transportation n
tons were at their worst. 1t is assert
ed that the potato situation here and
in other cities became serious. Elmer
gcncy prices were offered n accept
ed. Everybody dealing in potatoes, II
is claimed, vas satisfied. But there
were no cars, or at least no cars that
could be moved.
So millions of bushels Of potatoes
which might have been eaten are still
lying in storage on the farm from
which they were dug.
WAR VETERANS DYING FAST.
Philadelphia, Feb. 21.-veterans OF
the Civil war are dying at the rate OF
100 daily, according to Orlando A
Somers, commander-in-chief Of the
Grand Army of the Republic. Mr.
Somers made this announcement dur.
ing patriotic exercises in, this city IN
honor of Abraham Lincoln and the
Union defenders.
M Somer. said there wave row liz,
ing approximately $4,000 veterans
according to the pension ONCE a
Warrington. and he added that the
country would have suffered "a grea,
Ioss after they had all passed away
inasmuch as they had been . com
manding' factor in keeping patriotism
alive in this country.
I'VE may have to send 10000. 900
men across the water before tho war
crazed maniac OF Europe will admi,
he II crushed and beaten, but in thu
u end there can hA but ono outcome