The Daily Ardmoreite. [volume] (Ardmore, Okla.) 1893-current, 1921-01-27
History of Warehouse Measure

important, possibly the most import
ant single piece Of Legislation 10 be
acted on by the eighth legislature
is being ground out 1t looks as if
the grinding would be slow, which
is to be expected considering the
scope OF the measure and the amount
of machinery 10 be created 10 make
it effective. Consideration of the bill
began yesterday on the floor Of the
senate.
The bill was drawn first by repre-
sentatives Of a number OF agricultural
organizations in this state. 1t was
presented in its present form by the
senate and house committees on agri-
culture II has the backing of John
Whiteurst president of the state board
of agriculture; John Simpson. presi-
dent OF the Farmers Union, the state
Grange. the Wheat Growers Asso-
ciation and the cotton farmers OF
Oklahoma according to representa-
tions made in committee hearings
Harry Cordell, Democrat, OF. Manitou,
as chairman Of the senate committee
on agriculture, is leading the fight
for the bill in the upper house.
In the discussion in the senate, no
opposition was voiced 10 the general
purpose Of the Establishment OF
a system of bonded warehouses for
farm products. It would have been
a rather courageous or foolhardy man
who would have openly opposed 1t
YESTERDAY no matter what his private
opinion. with the senate gallery al
most filled by an array of farmers
led by John Simpson IT was almost
impossible to escape the feeling that
some OF the speeches were directed
at the gallery.
Attacks on the bill were launched
at details. Section /, which merely
states the main idea of the measure
was adopted without difficulty.
With section ., the fight began In
this section is the definition OF what
the term Farmers Cooperative AS
sociation" means for the purpose or
this act Three such kinds OF organi-
cations were named; l. Any cor
pora ton organized by fifty or more
growers or producers OF agricultural
products under the provisions OF Chap.
l47 OF the 1919 session laws Of Okla
homa. >. Any corporation organized
by fifty or more such persons under
the other laws Of the state of OKLA
homa. for the purpose OF building
maintaining and operating ware
house or warehouses. or for the stor-
ing. handling or marketing OF agri-
cultural products. ?. Any subsidiary
corporation organized, owned and con-
trolled by any corporation organized
as aforesaid.
Senator Chaser Of Enid opened the
attack on this section. He said IL
would be held unconstitutional; that
it violated the constitutional proVs-
ion that no corporation should own
stock in competitive corporation
And he insisted that II this section
were knocked out by the courts, the
whole act would fall because this Sec
ton defined the organizations 10
which the law should apply. HIS
attempt at amendment failed, but X.
L. Davidson OF Tulsa took up his
argument, applying II especially TO
the third class OF organizations; he
and Charles Mcpherren OF Durant
sought TO change the language OF
the third subdivision. They failed
Ross I.ilard Of oklahoma City charg-
ed the flaw-pickng was inspired by
desire to XIII the bill. He also
charged the senator's In the front
seats with trying 10 hog" the floor
and demanded that those in the rear
rows he given chance TO set forth
their views. In the end. section
was adopted unamendcd.
Senator Wallace OF Pauls Valley de-
lIvered his broadside at Section 3.
which provides that the state beard
OF agriculture shall administer the
warehouse law through state ware
house superintendent, whom 1t is to
select. The board ia given authority
TO make and enforce rules in keeping
with the act. including the fixing OF
storage rents. and TO employ such
persons as arc necessary. The np-
rolniment of local warehouse mana
gers would be subject 10 the appro-
val Of tho board.
Senator Wallace contended that too
much power was being given the
board NJ agriculture by these pro-
visions He Insisted it allowed op-
portunity FOR the creation ~ q polit-
lcal machine lie asserted II permit
ted many new jobs to he made and
parceled out by The beard. lie Of
fcred amendments to remedy these
alleged defects. The amendments
failed 20 carry The SECOND one,
which proposed to strike out the pro-
vision giving the board power to em-
ploy such persons as necessary, was
killed by I'd Trapp. president " the
senate. who cast the deciding vote
aRninst n after Il senators had voted
I for the amendment and y against
The the matter of the warehouse
nlperlntendents salary was debated
Tho hill provides salary Of $500
year. l.. A. Morton Of Duncan
offered nm amendment reducing this
10 81 500: he said that WIS about
the average salary of state official
Davidson Immediately proposed as q
substitute for the Morton amendment
an amendment making the superin'
tendent's salary $4,000 a year Da.
wilson said the success of the ware
house plan depended largely On the
ability of the superintendent he
would be the active head Of a four.
mnlion-doliar business. a man capa'
BILE Of handling this successfully