The producers news. [volume] (Plentywood, Mont.) 1918-1937, 1920-01-02
R. R. DISCRIMINATE
AGAINST FARMER
CO-OPERAT0RS
CHARGES FILED WITH FEDERAL
TRADE COMMISSION BY Ma
TIONAL BOARD OF FARM OR
CARNATIONS.

! Washington. d. c. While local
livestock buyers are atle to get all
the cars they need in which to get
their livestock 10 terminal market, CO.
operative farm. ory:n,':;Hn'ilS IN ,n:ny
cases are unable to find any adequate
means Of conveying their products to
market, Charles A. Lyman, Secre-
tary of the National Board of Farm
Organizations, said in complaint
filed with the Federal Commission to-
day. Mr.. Lyman said he had know
ledge Of discrimination against the
farmer organizations by the railroad
managers in various parts Of the
country.
The latest complaint comes from
Mount Pleasant, Iowa.. Il is signed
by A. f. Church, a member of u local
organization of the National Farmers
Union. Mr. Church asks the Nation
al Board of Farm ORGANIZATIONS to
assist the farmers in Henry County
by inducing the authorities to prevent
further discrimination by the railway
officials against agriculturalistS en-
gagged in the collective marketing of
their products. In his letter to Mr..
Lyman, Mr.. Church says:
II see you have announced that
you are ready to assist cooperative
associations that are Disseminated
against. Here are the conditions at
Mount Pleasant, Henry County, Iowa.
The Farmers Union has shipping
association here. 1t sends it's live
stock to the Equity Livestock Elk
change in Chicago when it can get
cars. We are unable to get cars for
periods of ten days at time and our
stock is held for shipment, the own
ers suffering loss"
According to Mr.. Church the local
independent livestock buyers is readi-
" and promptly supplied with cars
by the packers. therefore," con-
tinues Mr.. Church, "the local buyer
is able to purchase his stock at a
good big profit to himself and there
fore at loss to the producer, con-
side,ing what we would get if we
were ourselves the shippers.
"Now we feel that the railroad
company, the livestock exchange, the
local buyer and the packer are de-
termined to prevent the producer
from shipping his own livestock to his
Town cooperative exchange"
Mr.. Lyman said the conditions de-
scribed by the Iowa farmer were by
no means the exception. This is not
an isolated case" said Mr.. Lyman"
Complaints have reached the Nation
al Board Of Farm Organizations from
other sections of the country. I have
personal knowledge of some cases.
The National Farmers Union is a
member Of the National Board and I,
of course, feel it my duty to look in
to complaints and try to nd the reme-
dy."
At the recent convention of the Ma
tional Farmers Union a resolution
was adopted favoring the Kenyon
Anderson bill regulating the packers.
Mr.. Lyman said he wondered whether
this circumstance had Influenced the
packers in their apparent attempts to
embarrass cooperative farm organiza-
tons.
''The National Farmers Union,
through it's membership does a coop
erative business approaching a half
billion dollars a year." said Mr.. Ly-
man. "This is proving somewhat dis
concerning to business groups who
believe the farmers sole functions is
along lines of production and that
he should leave marketing problems
to other agencies.