Lincoln County times. (Jerome, Idaho) 1911-1919, 1918-08-01
ALFRED OUTLINES POSITION
OF THE MARKETS BUREAU
Urges Acceptance Of Prices Which
Have Been Adopted

and winter, Mr.. Alfred says In the
Statesman:
IS IN misunderstanding and
NANNY interpretations of the farm
markets department bulletin No. 30,
issued July 20 regarding hay grades
and prices in stack, have been report
ed from various sources. / am con-
vinced that this is chiefly due to the
fact that some of our papers publish
ed only a part of that bulletin, Sc
lecting that part which most ap-
pealed to them and omitting other
parts that we're vital to proper under
standing of the question. Some pa
pers omitted all that part OF the
bulletin preceding the National Hay
Dealers association rules of grad
ing hay and prices This is unfair
to all concerned, especially to this
department and to the producers. BY
this many are led to believe that the
price mentioned for each grade is for
baled hay on board cars. This is
not correct 1t is for hay In the
stack and as such was plainly set
forth in the bulletin.
Some papers failed to give the
explanation of the sliding scale as
applied to the various grades and
this has led to confusion.
The Sliding Scale
For the benefit of those who are
laboring under Misunderstanding,
due to the omission of that explana-
ton, l will repeat it here. 1T will
be observed that the sliding scale OF
prices given for Fancy" is from
$500 to $3.50. We mean by this
that the grower who has shipping
facilities that will enable him to take
advantage of the outside market, OF
the man who has choice feeding
grounds and water with other con-
veniences for feeding. should gel
$3.50, the top price for his Fancy
grade alfalfa; while the grower who
is not near a shipping point, or does
not have superior advantages fol
feeding, should receive price rang
ing from $500 upward, according
to his facilities. This explanation ap
plies to all other grades and price
given.
1.-THE prices ! have given, in vieN
of all conditions. are as nearly JUS
: as 1t is possible for me to make them
: And when men who grow cattle an
:. sheep and buy alfalfa in Idaho t
feed them say these prices are TO-
high and say they will sell or driv
their stock out before they will pa
them. they know little of what the
are talking about, or they are tryin
~ to bluff. To such men | say, II yo
want to sell. advertise your goo
stock with the farm markets depar
= ment and we will sell them to tn
men who grow the alfalfa. That wi
: enable them to make more none
out of their hay than we are askin
YOU to pay and will retain fertilii
I of our soils and increase the prof
of the farmer. If you contempla
driving them out, you had bett'
think before you act, for there Is
place you can drive where feed WI
cost you as little as in Idaho, eve
at the highest prices ! have name
for each grade, unless you drive
the slaughtering pens
The Growers Stand
IL "On the other extreme, we ha
some hay growers who say they W
"a not sell for any price under the hig
he est named. no matter how OF whe
M they are located. They will ship o
mt first. "Oh. consistency. thou art
he Jewell" Such men little understa
m the labor and losses that inevitat
o. attend the shipping of hay. Tn
seem to think that because Portla
ic- market today is s2s to $50 on cho
ng alfalfa, and the freight rate is Sc.
its per ton. they will get s22.75 or 81
on. 75 on board cars for hay. And
to they can bale and load hay for abt
ISIS a ton. choice alfalfa should
on worth $17.75 in the stack and II
to will not sell for less. These N
er- labor under the wrong impressio
her When they have taken into acco'
their waste hay and losses in sh
out ment due to spoiled hay. disappoi
the ments in grading, etc, they VIII LEI
are it would have been better to nj
om- accepted SIC in the stack for IN
ing hay
ses. eThe farmer who does not hav
ion reasonable assurance that he is go
init to obtain better price by shipp
ling his hay will do we'll to eliminate
60 risk and give the local buyer
benefit of the doubt. 1t will mea
profit to both and to our state
large.
,o.. Harvey Alfred. director s
&c farm markets bureau.
md