The Washington herald., 1920-05-11
National Wheat Growers PeJecting
Farmers Organization to Bring
Together Producer and Consumer

Kansas City. May 10.-Perfection
of a farmers organization into a
woodworking combination to
control the production. manufacture
and distribution Of the cereal pro-
ducts of the nation is the aim of
the National Wheat Growers Asso-
citation. Stripped of detailed rou-
itine, speeches, milling of delegates
and goodfehowship. the four-day
convention in Kansas City last
week adjourned after adopting a
resolution favoring this largest
combine of farmers ever known,
and appointing a committee to work
out plans for making the huge or
ganization a working business con-
Germ.
The move for absolute control of
cereals by the producers takes on
gigantic proportions from the fact
that more than 400 delegates. rep
lresenting virtually every wheat
raising section. were present, and
voted unanimously for the plan.
which has for it's avowed purpose
the elimination of all classes of
middlemen standing between the
producer and the ultimate consumer.
And the twelve great surplus wheat
producing States. with Kansas as
the hub, were heavily represented.
Shed of all camoufiage. the plan
the wheat growers hope to work
out is to raise the cereals. handle
in elevators owned by farmers,
grind in farmer-owned mills, and
the adoption of central terminal
market associations, to be owned
jointly by the producers and con-
sumers, for the distribution of the
manufactured products. The nu-
cleus around which such an organi-
zation would be perfected is already
we'll under way. In almost every
town in the great wheat-producinG
belt there is a farmers elevator
and in the last few years. many OF
the smaller mills have been pur.
chased by the farmers. In Kansas
the Farmers Union. one of the
strongest organizations of produc-
ers in the wheat belt. alone owns
seven elevators, and in Oklahoma
| five, and others in Nebraska, and
adjacent States.
There must be greater produc-
tion of cereals to meet the increased
demand" Maurice McAuliffe, presl-
dent of the Farmers Union in Kan
sas. said in explaining his fight for
complete control of cereals by
farmers. land this production can
only be brought about by making
the price of the commodity attrac-
tive. The way to make the price
attractive to the producer is the
logical plan of increasing the profit
by delivering direct to the con-
sumer.
Any increase in cereal prices uu-
der present conditions naturally
meets with strenuous opposition,
because slight increase to the
farmer means the middlemen down
the line add to their margin of
proht and the ultimate consumer
pays in excess of the actual value
OF the product he purchases. When
the consumer and producer join
hands in marketing, fictitious prices
viii be eliminated, the farmer win
obtain a profit making his business
attractive, and the consumer will
have a start in hitting Old Man
H. c. L." ...,<
A committee of seven nationally
known agriculturists who appointed
by the convention to perfect plans
for the national farmer-consumer
maket combine of cereals. The
committee is. composed of Maurice
McAuliffe. Salina. Kan; John Hav-
enkost, Nebraska; C. H. Hyde, Alva,
Okla; "A. V. Swift. Oregon; A. ID.
Cross. Washington; ]. w. Batchei-
Ter. South Dakota, and George
Baker, Iowa. They will meet In
Omaha. Neb.. June 1, to formulate
their plans.
The scheme to eliminate nnearned
profits of middlemen. which takes
from the profit of the farmer and
adds 20 the living burden of the
consumer. provides that all produc-
ers must form local cooperative
associations. This. in a large meas.
ure. is already accomplished. but
the work of cn.ardina H. az aIf