The Ward County independent. [volume] (Minot, Ward County, N.D.) 1902-1965, 1921-03-31
.$68.O0O.0OO

Deduct this amount from your
wheat sales and you have $22, 900 900.
This is all you can squeeze out OF the
wheat crop for the farmers and the
business men To live on till another
crop can be raised.
1t is claimed that in n. D. 1t cost
about $2.75 per bushel to raise the
1920 wheat crop. Had the price been
$2.75 (the cost Of production) instead
Of $3.50 bushel, the price we receiv-
ed, we would have received SIS, OO0,-
600 more for our salable wheat in
N. D. out Of our last crop. Mind
you, this would have meant about
500, 00OO 900 instead Of $4,000, 900 as
we now have for settlement and trade.
Then the merchants would have been
busy ordering goods instead of, as
now, lamenting over lost trade. We
hear no lamentations over lost pur-
chasing power, due directly to the
striking down of the prices of farm
products by the powers that be. Sure,
it is all legitimate and there is al
ways sufficient reason for all the
doing of high finance. The financier
saw to it that imitation came about
in due time. We were dazed BY the
mounting prices and flying dollars.
1t surely hurt but we bore it heroical-
ly. The wise ones gobbled all the
credits of the land and then saw to it
that imitation proceeded into defiation
otherwise their conered credits would
not have functioned properly. BY
this master stroke, they have doubled
their wealth and also doubled their
debts. Today, it takes twice as much
farm products to pay our notes, bonds
and other debts as it did a year ago.
The business men say: True, you
have losses; but look at ours! All
have losses and must take them and
be pleasant. Sure! The U. S. Steel
corporation employ about as many
men as there are farmers in North
Dakota and valuation is less. The
farmers Of N. D. lost $75,000,O 900 on
their wheat crop alone. The Steel
Corp, after deducting all that could
possibly be charged of. made net
profit Of S13O,OOO,0 900 in 1920. Is
steel Of more importance than bread?
As we allowed them to make this
profit from the rest of US, we must
have thought that they were entitled
to it or else we should have stopped
it. If they are, why should we be
forced to sell at loss? We have as
much invested and as many workers
and our products are as essential. In
1920, the world needed wheat great
deal more than additional steel. Why
this anomaly? Steel is controlled
by producer, the trust, till it reaches
the consumer. Wheat is controlled
by the producer while in process Of
raising. After that it is controlled
by the exploiter. That is the diff
ference. It is claimed that the wheat
crop is sold about 800 times over by
the boards Of trade and that billions
of dollars are made on these phantom
sales options.' All Of this must
come out Of the producers and con-
sumers. Also look at the packers.
In February, Armour e. Co. delivered
q dividend Of 50 percent on their
common stock. Surely the world is
demented. It is lettering to destruc-
ton and the fnanciers have brought
it there. Salvation must come from
below and up, if at all.
Open your eyes and minds and
think. Farmers must organize and
fight or go bankrupt. There can be
no business while farmers are selling
their crops at loss. 1t is time that
all realize this. We are determined
to break loose from the stranglehold
of powerful corporations Of predatory
wealth outside Of the state, aided by
about l percent of the people inside
the state, controlling and manipulate
ing the marketing system in such
manner that we are left holding the
bag after each harvest.
If you want business, you must
help us win this fight. We must sell
our crops at reasonable profit. That
is all there is to this fight. Look at
this with an open mind and You will