The Bottineau courant. (Bottineau, Bottineau County, N.D.) 1895-1929, 1920-09-02
Minneapolis Grain Dukes Are Beat
ing Flickertail Farmers Out Of
Millions This Season

card on which this years grain crop
is being bought the farmers are being
cheated out Of millions of dollars, &C
cording to J. A. McGovern, chief dep
uty grain Inspector Of the state.
Back of this piece of clever skuldug-
gerry, Mr. McGovern alleges, be
seen the fine italian hand of the Min
neapolis Chamber Of Commerce and
other terminal grain markets which
receive the wheat from North OAK
ota. Conclusive evidence has been
unearthed. showing that the daily
wheat quotations now being furnished
the line and other elevators by the
Minneapolis grain dukes, are pre-
dicted upon the December future
citations instead of the cash market.
Up until this year the daily quota
tions on wheat have been based on
the cash market, i. e. the price which
Minneapolis buyers paid for wheat
from day to day. Without any legit-
innate excuse, according to MI. Nc
Govern, this practice has been aban-
doned and the price list furnished
North Dakota grain houses rests upon
tho figure SPECTATORS will offer for
December delivery.
A Disingenous Scheme
Mr.. NcGovern explained this latest
@c.ovc Of the Grain Dukes as follows:
Not Based on Market Price
"When the farmer sells his wheat
he thinks he sells it for the cash mar
ket on the day, but such is not the
cas- now.
"T'kc North Dakota farmer who
sells his wheat today is selling it for
a price that the spectators have de-
eided The December option is to be,
aid that is big difference.
For instance, today the quotation
IN December wheat, according to tel
ie~rspht: reports from Minneapolis,
was $2.26 per bushel, at tho opening
of the market and $2.29 at the close.
The millers and other buyers of wheat
who purchase wheat for cash in Min
neapolis on the track and in the
chamber paid from $2.45 to $2.48 per
bushel. That's what No. l Northern
wheat was actually worth at the ter
minal market today and the price
that shippers of wheat who delivered
wheat there today and which should
be the basis of the prices paid by
local elevators for wheat today.
Fictitious Market Quotation
"Instead of that the price paid for
the grain in this state today is based
On what December wheat was, quoted
at in Minneapolis, $2.26 per bushel.
This is % cents per bushel less than
the cash market price today. No one
can deny but that the farmer who
sold wheat today was entitled to the
cash price quoted in Minneapolis less
the freight, commission and expense
Of the local elevator. Instead of that
he received a price based on what the
spectators guessed that wheat will
be worth in December.
~The state mill at Drake pays the
farmer a price based on the cash
market in Minneapolis less the freight
charges from Drake to Minneapolis.
On that basis today's quotation at
the Drake mill is approximately IL
cents less than the cash Minneapolis
price of $2.45 or 1924 per bushel.
The elevators that bought wheat &C
cording to the price card sent out by
the grain combine paid. a price of
1925, less the freight to the terminal
market and the elevators expense
and commissions. This shows the
toll that is being coliecteo py the
grain combine from the farmers who
are selling their wheat now.
Urges Farmers Hold Grain
"The only way to stop this robbery
is for the farmers to hold their wheat
until the grain men will pay the mar
ket price.