The Bismarck tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, N.D.) 1916-current, 1918-07-11
LEAGUE GETS -.--
ACTION UPON
3, -. ITS PROGRAM
Continued From Page One.)

operate all Of North Dakota's 1900
elevators and grain warehouses and
it's several hundred creameries and
cream stations. This corporation also
has been given control OF the North
Dakota Ignite industry.
No one in North Dakota has paid
much attention to the North Dakota
Council of Defense corporation. This
body was organized about month
ago, by the council of defense, whose
members constituted themselves d.
rectors of the new company and vot-
ed themselves control of the organiza-
ton until such time as two-thirds of
the stockholders shall vote them out.
The stockholders at the present time
are confined to the fourteen members
of the state council. Shares are to
be sold at one dollar, and there are
million Of these shares. The company
is. non-prOfit- sharing, purely .benevo-
lent" as one member of the state
council puts it. .-.,.,,.
The plan Of elevator control came
from McGOvern of the grain grad
ing department at Fargo. Its prin-
cipal champion before the council OF
defense. was Howard r. Wood, speak
er of the last house of representa-
tives, and present league candidate
for lieutenant governor. The scheme
had been fully explained and approx
ed in the leagues North Dakota news
paper organ before It was presented
to the state council, and the latter,
presented few objections. Several days
were devoted to drawing up plan of
operation, which when submitted was
adopted with little comment.
Under this plan the control of North
Dakota's 2200 elevators will be con-,
centrated in local committees, to con-
sist of two townspeople, two farmers
and fifth person to be selected by
these four. This committee will take
over all elevators in its community
and will appoint one man to manage
the entire group. The owners of the
elevators, whether they be farmers
cooperative associations or line ele-
vators, will be paid reasonable rent
al, based upon the actual physical
valuation. Inasmuch as the actual as
sessed valuation of farmers elevator
plants usually has been very low, the
average rental fee will not be great.
In towns where there are now five
elevator managers and five distinct
stats, under the new plan there will
be but one manager and one staff of
helpers. who will operate all Of the
elevators. There will be central
point for weighing and grading, and
thence the grain will be delivered to
the different elevators. One plant
may be reserved for one type Of wheat,
while another elevator will receive q
different, type. The Defens Council
corporation claims that weighing and
grading may be done more systemat-
ically and the grades separated more
satisfactorily. 1t is also claimed that
the corporation plan will overcome
difficulties now existing where small
elevators have found it difficult or
too expensive to put in all the grad.
ing equipment which the government
tests require.
Wheat and other grains will be
bought on a safe margin, the cost of
handling and the rental of the eleva-
tors, salaries of managers and as
sistants and pr0portionate expense
accruing to the defense corporation
will be deducted. and any surplus
remaining in the hands of the COM
mittee at the end of the season will
be pro-rated among all those who have
sold grain through the local commit
tee. The defense council holds that
its committees, reducing overhead ex-
pense to minimum and paying but
one managers salary in each town,
where now there may be as many as
a dozen, can do business on a closer
margin than any private or cooper
alive concern and that whereas the
elevator cost, Of handling. a bushel of
wheat under. the present plan has been
as high as II cents, he cost under
the new system Of state control
should not exceed and average of 2
cents. The difference of 9 cents per
bushel, says the defense council, will
go to the farmer.
The board Of trustees to be selected
by the community from city and counI