Morris tribune., 1920-09-17
NORTH DAKOTA GRAIN LAW.


only 8, or pounds, depending on
the value of the dockage. In this
way the farmer has been paid for his
dockage. Therefore we can not grant
that the North Dakota grain grading
law has added anything to the price
the farmer is getting for his grain.
On the other hand, the new law has
increased the buyers operating eX-
penses by the addition of license
fees, the furnishing of detailed re-
ports, etc., and this expense has of
necessity been added to the margin
between which the buyer pays for
the grain and sells it for. This ad-
ded margin varies, but is placed by
buyers at between one and two cents
per bushel. Placing it at the min
imum-one cent-on "a surplus crop
of wheat in North Dakota of 10000
900 bushels the farmers would be
paying an added expense to market
ing their grain of 100000.
In "The North Dakota Industrial
Program" a pamphlet issued under
date of May 1, 1920, by The Indus
trial Commission of North Dakota,
DR.. E. F. Ladd of the North Dakota
Agricultural College, is quoted as
saying that on basis of an annual
production of surplus of 100, 00O,-
900 bushels of wheat an average of
approximately 1,119,OOO tons of
screenings or dockage would be re-
turned to the farmers. Think of it!
This would mean that North Dakota's
wheat crop would, contain 81 and
three-tenths per cent screenings or
dockage. Not a very enviable COM
pliment to the wheat growers of
North Dakota, is it? But, we pre-
sumo, these figures are based upon
theory, and theorists are prone to
both exaggerate and minimize-ex-
aggerate when big figures are re-
quired to help their cause, and min
imize when small amounts best serve
North Dakota's dockage does not ex-
coed an average of over per cent.
In recent conversation, the
writer was informed by a Non
Partisan League farmer that he was
glad that he had paid SIG to join
the League as he considered he had
received in return many times the
cost thru beneficial legislation. Up
on being asked to what legislation
he referred he replied that the new
10 4
the most benefit; and upon being
asked how much he had marketed
he replied-NONE, as he had stuff
cred crop failure for the past three
years. It's queer kind of "likker,"
isn't it, that will produce intOxica-
ton of that kind. It reminds us of
the story told of a certain kind of
'likker" that had so much "kick" in
it that it would cause a rabbit, if he
drank it, to hop up and spit in a
bull dogs face. Of course, we don't
! expect the reader to discern any
similarity in the comparison, but we
do believe all will be willing to ad-
nit that so far as reasoning ability
and display of good judgment the
! rabbit was on a par with the man.
What happened to the rabbit is a
different story, and when the N. P.
| League farmer comes out of it, and
realizes that he has been made the
goat, we surmise there'Il be a lot of
remarks such as, ooh, what a head
ache!" "Never again."
We had the pleasure last week of
visiting an elevator in western North
Dakota while some wheat was being
cleaned, and were shown the bin
containing the screenings or dockage.
This dockage consisted of possibly
one per cent pigeon grass seed and
SO per cent Non-Partisan Alfalfa
stems. For the benefit Of those who
may not be familiar with Non-Parti-
san Alfalfa, we will give a descrip-
ton Of it. The original name for
this pest was Russian Thistle, and