The Oakes times. [volume] (Oakes, N.D.) 1906-current, 1920-07-01
\ NOTES OF THE
FARM BUREAU
County Agent Writes Interesting Ar
ticle on Present Condition of
Wool Market
START FIGHT ON GRAssHopPERs

START FIGHT ON GRASSHOPPERS
Decided to Hold No Celebration at
Fullerton This Year
A conference Of wool men, bankers
and representatives Of the American
Farm Bureau federation and others
was held in Chicago Thursday, June
IL, relative to the present wool mar
ket situation. In response to wire
from US we received the following tel
egram from President Howard Of the
American Farm Bureau federation on
Saturday morning.
"Wool market demoralized account
inability eastern banks to finance.
Wire from Silver today gives hope
that federal reserve will assist Chi
cago banks to extend credit. Cotton
conditions indicate light crop, late fall
price should be good. Howard"
We are sending you this informa-
tion because there is great deal in
the papers at the present time and in
discussion generally relative to tho
very unstable and unsatisfactory wool
market conditions. About this time Of
year annually there is generally
launched a campaign Of propaganda
by the wool trade in order to force
down the buying prices, that their
profits may be greater. The talk Of
a great surplus seems to be unfound-
ed. According to President Howard
the condition Of the cotton crop is
poor. The wool in the big sales which
the government has been making and
in those Of the British sales is of a
very low grade. The prices quoted at
these sales should not be confused
with the prices of higher grades Of
wool.
Undoubtedly there is a trend to-
ward lower clothing prices, but in
view of the fact that in the ordinary
suit of clothes there is not over $500
to $500 worth Of wool at the present
prices, drastic cuts in the prices Of
clothing would have very little effect
in decreasing the prices Of raw wool
per pound.
The most serious problem as indi-
Gated by President Howard in his tel
egram is the financial condition. How
ever, Senator Silver's wire mentioned
by President Howard, would indicate
that there are prospects Of the Fed
eral Reserve banking system taking
a hand in seeing that there is money
to handle the wool crop. Senator Sill
yer is in charge of the Washington Of
flee of the American Farm Bureau
federation and in close touch with the
situation at that end. If satisfactory
arrangements can be made for funds
l believe we may look for much inn
proved marketing condition.
1t would seem to US that the wise
thing to do would be to 90 ahead mad
get the wool together in the counties.
Certainly our farmers can sell locally
to just as good advantage after hav-
ing stored their wool in central place
as they can by bringing it in individ-
ually and if we are unable to get out
side buyers to come in and bid on it
we still have the possibility Of local
sales, or of consigning it to some CEN
trail warehouse in Chicago or Boston
to have it graded and put upon the
market, just as the members Of the
Wool Growers association shall deter
mine.
You may wish to inform your men
of the exact situation so that there
may be no misunderstanding. There
is no doubt but that the buyers would
like to see the pooling and selling of
wool by the growers discontinued and
it would seem that this is good time
to stick together and work it through.
We are sending you this informa-
tion somewhat at length in order that
you may be posted upon the situation
as we see it.
Tuesday afternoon the various COM
munity chairmen Of the Farm Bureau,
or their representatives, the executive
committee and the board of county
commissioners met in the court house
at Glendale to consider ways and
means Of exterminating the grasshop-
pers. Heretofore, petitions asking for
state aid have been circulated by in
terested parties and no difficulties
have been encountered in getting ten
per cent Of the legal voters to sign
such petitions. In fact, so many Pc
titions have been circulated in the past
that most people sign them indiscrim-
inately. Therefore it was deemed ad-
visable that petitions asking for aid
from the county for determination Of
the grasshoppers be not circulated un-
til after the matter in question had
been duly considered by the Farm Bu-
reau representatives from various
parts Of the county.
The concensus Of opinion Of the 30
representatives present was about 40
follows:
1. That the grasshoppers are not
30 we'll advanced in development a.
they were last year at this time.
2. That in all probability they are
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