Great Falls daily tribune. [volume] (Great Falls, Mont.) 1895-1921, 1919-02-04
PRED|CTSFA[LS
ELEVATE Or MAY
MAKE CITY RIVAL
Of MINNIE POL|9
y. S. Grain Supervisor
From Spokane Is at
Helena With Tips.
SAYS PLANT WILL SPUR
COMPETITIVE BUYING
By WARREN w. MOSES.

Helena, Feb. 3-That the proposed
Great Falls should prove Of great bene-
fit to the grain grower or the state. if
only to foster competitive buying. is the
belief expressed upon that subject by
e. X. Landers, of Spokane, grain super
visor in charge of the 3335rd supervisory
district of the department Of agriculture,
composing western Montana, eastern
Washington and the panhandle of Idaho.
Mr.. ~onders is in the city on instruc-
tions from Secretary Houston for the
purpose of giving to the Montana legls-
lators the benefit of his experience in
the grain business in the drafting of
measures bearing upon that subject. In
talking for The Tribune, today, Mr.. Lam
ders stated that the terminal elevators
in Washington had proved Of vast finan-
cial benefit to the farmers of that state.
in that they enabled the operation of in
dependent grain dealers who were with
out facilities for the mechanical handling
Of grain and who, BY taking advantage
Of the cleaning, storage and loading
equipment OF these elevators, frequently
handled grain on the carload basis at a
margin of no more than a half cent on
the bushel.
Means Race to Buy Montana Wheat.
He prephesied that competition in
the purchase Of Montana wheat would
be greatly fostered by the erection and
operation of stateowned elevator,
such as is proposed, and for which the
question of method of operation is now
perplexing the Montana legislators. Mr.
Landers will give to the joint senate and
house committee on terminal elevator
what information he has at hand upon
the subject and will undoubtedly advise
with <he members in the preparation OF
a bill for submission to the house or
senate.
AS to the operation of a state-owned
elevator, Mr.. Landers said it must be
largely experimental, as he knew of no
direct state-Owned plant in the country
and that the one proposed would be an
innovation in that line. He was salts
fled that the first requisite would be
placing it in charge of a competent man
Tn his experience, he has seen disaster
follow the placing of similar elevators
in the hands of men not thoroly COM
petent and who have always been re
placed by higher priced and more expert
enced Elen. 1t is understood that the
bill in preparation for the operation Of
the Great Falls elevator fixes the sal
ary of the manager at 5000 a year. a
figure which the men who understand
marketing conditions believe is none too
high.
Means Small Charges.
In his experience in the state Of
Washington. Mr.. Landers has been given
ample opportunity to witness the opera
ton of the big port district terminal eIe-
vator at Seattle which has storage
capacity Of one million bushels. but he
does not desire to hold that up rs m
example Of successful operatic~- for the
reason that. during the past two seasons.
it has been greatly handicapped in It's
scope thru the fact that virtually al
WashipSon wheat was shipped east, due
TO t,.sss@1nablity to obtain ships on the
Pacific coast for the loading of grain
from that point.
Accoring To Mr. Landers. there il
great contrast il the elevator charges
for the handling of wheat in Washing
ton and Montana. Altho he was not pre-
pared to quote Montana prices. he stated
that thruout the country elevators in
Washington the charge for the handling
and storage Of sacked grain. the one
method in which wheat has been handled
in that state up to the present, has been
81 per ton, or about 9 cents per bnsheI.
from the time of harvest up to the end
Continued Page Five)