The Bottineau courant. (Bottineau, Bottineau County, N.D.) 1895-1929, 1919-11-13
NORTH DAKoTA's HUGE PROFITS

NORTH DAKOTA'S HUGE PROFITS
The state flour mill at Drake, N. D., according
to the Schultz Audit Company Of Fargo, cleared
Slab per barrel on every barrel Of flour, includ-
ing other products, during it's first 26 days run
as a state property. It made $2,349.O4 in profits
from 1889 barrels and % pounds OF flour, AFTER
deducting all expenses and making ample allow
ances for deterioration of the plant and other
losses and charges, including losses on future
sales.
On the same basis enough s~tate-owned mills
to handle the total wheat crop of North Dakota
this year would produce sufficient profits TO pay
the entire state taxes of North Dakota this year
which are $4,511,76 6 and leave nearly $1,000
600 to be divided between producers and consul
mers.
It takes 4 IL bushels of wheat to produce a
barrel of flour, therefore, a profit OF SLAB per
barrel of flour is equivalent to a profit of a lit
tie more than 81 cents per bushel of wheat. A.
profit of 81 cents per bushel on a 5O,OOO,OOO
bushel wheat crop, like the one in North Dakota
this wear. would amount to $15,5 O0,0 600 in prof.
it's. A profit of 81 cents a bushel on a 100000
600 bushel wheat crop, like North Dakota's last
year crop, would yield $31,000,000 in profits.
Profits from the smaller crop could pay all
state expenses and do away with state taxes al
together and still pay from what was left aver
age profits to producers and consumers OF near
ly % cents a bushel.
The larger crop after paying all state expen-
ses and doing away with all state taxes, could
produce in profits almost SIG, 100000 or more
than 26 cents per bushel, to be divided between
producers and consumers.
Milling profits on the average North Dakota
wheat crop, on the basis of the profits made at
the Drake mill, would more than pay during the
first year of operation the entire cost of build
ing all the flour mills necessary to grind this
crop. This would relieve the taxpayers of any
expense in building these mills. After they oper-
ated the first year and paid for themselves,
these mills would be enormously profitable en-
t~erprises for every resident of the state from
then on. I'll"
But the Drake mill is anly a little mill. It op-
Grated only one shift a day. The state is going
to build big mills that will operate twenty-four
hours a day and produce flour even cheaper
than the Drake mill.
If the state mills alone can do so much for
the people, what of all the other industries
planned in the League program? It simply
means that when the new mills, elevators, pack
ing plants, warehouses, creameries, coal mines,
state insurance and state banking institutions
are in full operation, a fraction of the profits
will go back to the people in higher pricers to
producers and lower prices to consumers.
The Association of Railroad Executives of
New York City has announced that "t1e nation
votes against the government ownership of the
railroads" because out of 1922 editors through
out the country to whom questionaires were
sent by this body, SO per cent declared for the
return Of the roads to the private owners, 6 per
cent were doubtful and only Is per cent were
opposed. The conclusion of these railroad mag
mates is entirely erroneous. Their QUESTIONABLE
have shown only that 50 per cent of the editors
of this country are controlled by big business
and 6 per cent are inundated.
The industrial magnates are trying to stam-
pede the farmers into joining them in their
fight on labor by shouting "Bolshevik." Milo
Il. Campbell, chairman of the national board of
farm organizations has allowed himself to be
drawn into q rnOvornon+ IA @oorobo4 .,I;,,1:o~,