Grand Forks herald. [volume] (Grand Forks, N.D.) 1916-1955, 1920-11-17

WANT TO START
"GRAIN STRIKE
Sentiment Runs Toward
Holding Back Grain For
Better Prices.

CHlcaso, NOV. 17.-While not favor
ing grain strike" for any set price,
sentiment among; organized farmers in
the great agricultural states of the
middle west runs strongly toward
holdlng back grain as far as prac-
tcable for. better prices. according to
canvass made here. This survey of
sentiment was taken by the Illinois
Agricultural association
Reports were received by secre-
taries of. state farm bureau fedora
tions in Missouri. Minnesota, South
Dakota, Kansas. Nebraska. Iowa, Wis
consin and Kentucky. In no case
did state federation report it had
advised Strike" q
Need Of credit facilities to enable
farmers to hold. their wheat il they
want to was pointed out from several
states. One state secretary wrote he
was using the present conditions as
getting into the big marketing. game
IN such a way that they will be ahle
to finance it and to store cppsiderable
grain as It is offered. .;ss b. ~. -
s eE.s. Bad Practice, ,ss' 49, r. g
- The attitude INhave aken.in the
matter is this wrote H. D.. Lutte Of
Mncoln, Neb., secretary OF. the. Me-
braska Farm Bureau Federation,
that it is wrong to set an arbitrary
price Of SO a bushel and, that it is
hardly advisable to ask the farmers
to hold their wheat unless we are in
position to help them on: the finan-
cial and storage ends of the game.
But do tell the farmers that I be-
lieve wheat will be higher and that
It will be good thing to hold it il
they are In position to do So"
Writing that the > South Dakota
Farm Bureau Federation does not
believe a wheat strike necessary or
desirable for the country" Secretary
p. j. Crandall Of Huron said: e..
| Our method of handling the stu
alton is to furnish farmers with ac-
curate information regarding the
wheat market to help them In de-
| termining what action is best for
their needs. The farmers will hold
their wheat of the market without q
doubt if they are able to get credit
which will allow them to carry their
products. The credit situation is the
key to the whole matter. We are ad-
! vising that the world wheat situation
| warrants holding of the crop If credit
| allows and using our best efforts to
help bring financial relief"
No Recommendation.
Officially the Missouri Farm Bu-
| reau Federation has made no recon-
mendation, A. j. Meyer at Columbia,
| executive secretary, wrote. .".As in
dividuals," he added, ''all members of
our executive committee take the at
! titude that where farmers can afford
to hold wheat they should by all
means do SO. This is on the theory
, that present prices are about as low
as we can reasonably expect them to
go. Since we are not in a position to
guarantee So wheat, we can hardly
advise farmers to hold for $3."
II The Wisconsin Farm Bureau Fed
Grafton does not endorse strikes" as
means Of controlling the price of
farm products, wrote Secretary C. A.
Peters of Rosendale, Wis. According
| to the present situation in regard to
wheat we: believe that the low prices
are unjustihable and that 1t would be
good business policy for the farmers
to discontinue heavy marketing and
allow the market to adjust itself. -
From Iowa, E. H. Cunningham of
Ames, secretary Of the Iowa Farm
Bureau Federation, wrote:
I'VE realize that it is the most diff
ficult thing to hold grain and we do
not recommend that it be held to ar
bitrarily force prices to unreasonable
height. OF course we have no credit
system whereby we can hold all the
grains of the country. but we are 'ad-
vising our farmers to slow down In
| marketing for the present until this
| period of decentralization in prices has
somewhat recovered.