Pierre weekly free press. (Pierre, S.D.) 1889-19??, 1918-02-14
GRAIN PROBLEM
PARTLY SOLVED
Priority Order Offers Hope to
Farmers and Country EIe-
vators-WiI| Tax
Terminals.

How far the issuance of priority
orders for the movement of grain,
flour, corn meal and other grain pro-
ducts Will relieve the soft. corn Situa-
ton in the middle west remains a prob
lem which time alone will solve, ac-
cord,ng to grain dealers.
The priority order issued yesterday
by Director General McAdoo applies
in Iowa. North and South Dakota,
Nebraska, Illinois, Minnesota, Montana,
Missouri, Kansas, Oklahoma and Wis
consin.
Marketing of soft corn, which com
rrises fully 40 per cent of the crop of
these States-in some localities the
per centage is sreatel-iS, according to
q goat Whoever holds the corn last
is likely to suffer the greatest finan-
cial loss.
Dark for Farmers.
The situation has looked particularly
dark for farmers.
The country elevators are refusing,
10 buy soft corn from the farmers eX-
| cept when they are able to obtain cars
for immediate shipment. They are
clearing out their own bins which, up
to now. have been comparatively safe
because of he frozen condition OF the
corn. The elevator men ga they Will
| buy no moro soft corn except When
they can ship il Immediately.
The priority order promises some re-
lief to the farmers. but a congestion
of grain is feared in the spring despite
all efforts to move the crop. only d
co~mparatiNeiy small amount of the l9l I
corn crop has been moved. y rush
! which will tax the terminals, Viii begin
; With the freer movement OF gram cars.
Farmers have been in no haste to shell
their corn. knowing it would keep we'll
in the frozen state. With the approach
of warm weather they will be com
PEELED to dump it upon the market.
Just how the terminal markets WIZ
be able to handle this threatened rush
Of corn is a problem. Virtually all of
it viii have to be run through the
great criminal dryers, for the farmers
are holding back their best corn for
! their own use and for seed.
Stop Order Feared.
In some quarters the fear is eX-
pressed that the priority order has been
issued too late and that when the ter
minal markets find themselves
sWa1cped with soft corn. orders viii
be issued to stop buying. In that event
the order would react on the farmer.
There are not many terminal mar
kets equipped with sufficient dryers tt
handle corn in any great volume
Omaha and Minneapolis, the nearest
large terminal markets. have only lin.
tied facilities. The King Elevator com
pany is installing a dryer in Sioux City
which will have a capacity OF abou1
20. 600 bushels per day.
The priority order is intended. also
10 insure adequate shipments of grain
to fill allied orders. The situation was
discussed in Washington yesterday al
a conference between Director Genera
McAdoo and Sir Richard Crawford
commercial attache of the British EN-
bassy. who expressed fear that bat
TRANSPORTATION conditions of recen
weeks in the United States would seri
ously Interfere with the allied fooc
program unless special efforts wer,
made to hasten grain to seaports.
In addition to supplying more car:
and giving preferential movement
railroads were ordered to have station
agents in rural communities and tllei:
traffic agents explain to farmers tn
necessity OF prompt loading and move
merit of grain stocks.
Not Enough Cars, He Says.
y. b. Mcclure, division agent for tn
Northwestern railway. today said tn
railroads have been rushing grain ship
ments as rapidly as possible, but tina
enough cars are not Obtainabl BILE. II
says the eastern terminal elevators ar
fun and that eastern grain dealers ar
using grain cars for storage purposes
He therefore questions the benefit re
snlting from the priority order.
Grain dealers situated on main lin
railroads are said 70 be faTing bette
on transportation than those on tn
branch lines. At Sheldon, Ia, for in
stance, dealers report enough cars t
move the crops. At Matlock. situate
on a branch line road, only half a doZe,
cars have been received since Januar
l.. Other branch line points report sin
liar difficulties.