The Ward County independent. [volume] (Minot, Ward County, N.D.) 1902-1965, 1921-05-05
WASHINGTON NEWS LETTER
Rv PARKER LaMOURE

That modification in the present
administration of the national grain
grading law may be expected short
~ was the hope expressed by repre-
sentatives of the wheat-growers of the
Northwest here last week, following
a two day conference with Secretary
Of Agriculture Wallace. The meet
ing was called by the Secretary in ac-
cordance with resolution recently
passed by the Minnesota legislature
which petitioned the Department of
Agriculture for a more liberal inter-
probation of the present grading law
This law, according to the representa-
lives Of the growers, is, as now ad-
ministered, exceedingly unjust to the
wheat producers in the so-called hard
wheat states Of the Northwest.
Among those appearing in the in
terests Of the farmers and in favor of
modification of the present grading
system were: Representatives o. B.
8urtness, George M. Young and Jas.
Sinclair, Senator E. T. Ladd, Commits
sioner of Agriculture, J. N Hagan
and j. H. McGovern Of North Dakota;
Representatives Halvor Stevenson
and Sidney Anderson, Commissioner
o. P. B. Jacobson, Senator Sullivan,
Of Saltwater, Magnus johnson, Equity
representative, Senator Cummings,
and Ole Sageng Of Minnesota; as we'll
u delegation from South Dakota
which included number of prominent
Equity men.
Although no definite decision was
made by Secretary Wallace those at
lending the interview seemed impress
ed with the fact that the Secretary
IT Agriculture was giving their pro-
posals serious consideration. At the
end of the conference, Mr.. Wallace
stated that he would go into the ques-
lion very thoroughly and to this end
would cooperate willingly with repre-
'sentatives Of the Northwestern grow
ars. Accordingly, several members
of the state delegations have been re-
quested to remain in Washington for
time to confer with experts Of the
Department.
The entire North Dakota delegation
N Congress is standing firmly behind
5he demand of the farmers for
change in the grading system. in
speaking Of the present administra-
lion of the national law, Representa-
tive Burtness declared that the reg
ulations laid down by the Department
we're altogether too technical and 80
discriminatory as to act against the
best. interests of the growers of North
Dakota and the adjoining wheat
states.
congressman from the states Of
Minnesota, Montana, and the Dakotas
nave previously interested themselves
with this problem but to date their ef-
forts have been without effect. Dur
ing the administrations of Secretar-
les Houston and Meredith Congress-
man Young, Stevenson and others,
with delegations from their respect
i've states made repeated efforts to
persuade the Department Of Agricul-
cure to liberalize the grading system
but neither Of the secretaries under
the Wilson regime, seemed disposed
to alter the existing regulations.
Representatives Of the milling in
Serests, as in the past, appeared at the
conference in favor of the retention
Of the present grading system.
Secretary Wallace has informed
Congressman George NJ. Young that
seed loans in the Northwest to date
have been completed as follows North
Dakota, 1904 loans, for total of
f663,0O0; Montana, 4,785 loans; to-
sal Of s680,000; Idaho, 434 loans, a
total of $1,000; Washington, 40 loans,
a total of $1,000; total nurnber of
loans for the four states, 1853, or
81 1885,, 900.
The appropriation for seed grain
loans to farmers in drought areas
was s2,000,0O0.
The House Committee on Agricul-
ture has completed hearings on bills
proposing regulation Of future trading
on grain exchanges and it is consider
ed probable that the Tincher-C apper
bill will be made the basis of COM
mittee measure to be reported to the
House.
In the Ways and Means Committee
the permanent general tariff bill IL