The Bemidji daily pioneer. [volume] (Bemidji, Minn.) 1904-1971, 1921-04-28
STATE LEGISLATION Is
GREAT AID TO FARMERS

GkEAl ALL lVFAkMEkS
A summary of the agricultural leg
islation passed at the 1921 session of
the state legislature as furnished by
N. j. Holmberg, commissioner, is as
follows: ~
"The cooperative law of 1919 was
extended to permit the federation of
local cooperative associations into
large buying and selling units. By
this action the legislature gives to the
Minnesota farmer exactly the same
power and privileges that are now en-
joyed by the great business corpora
tons, and makes it the duty Of the
state department of agriculture to as
sist farmers in the establishment of
local and central cooperative selling
associations. a.. 5
"The law of 1919 establishing the
state department of agriculture has
been so amended as to give that de-
partment supervision over all dealers
in farm products outside of hay, grain
and livestock as now regulated by the
railroad and warehouse commission,
and to protect the shipper of such
produce against Misrepresentation in
making returns and fraud by allowing
him to demand state inspection of
produce shipped, or to require the as
sistance Of the state department of
agriculture in the adjustment of
claims. ,s VII ,.r.t..E 49,.
"The Minneapolis Chamber of
Commerce, the Duluth Board of
Trade, and the South St. Paul Live
stock exchange have been declared
open markets, and the farmer is given
the right to come on to these markets
with his cooperative selling agencies.
"The gambling feature in ''fu-
lures" trading is defined by law
covering gambling contracts and "fu-
lures trading. The essential fea-
ture of this law is that the sale or
purchase of grain that one does not
own, or expect to deliver, is forbid
den under heavy penalties.
t'Unfair discrimination in the price
paid for milk by wholesale dealers
protects the local creamery or cheese
factory from price cutting competi-
ton. 49,. 49,.
"A law establishing an auditing
division within the state department
OF agriculture permits any co-opera-
tive association desiring an official
audit of its books to secure such
service from the state at cost.
Additional funds are provided for
the completion of the state test mill
for the purpose of testing the bread
making qualities of Minnesota wheat
and for the purpose of fixing the cor
rect standards for the grading of
wheat. This insures the completion
and operation of this mill for the crop
season of 1921.
provision is made for ascertain
ing the cost of production of farm
products through the cooperation of
the county agricultural agents and
the state department of agriculture.
Under an act passed, the matter
of establishing state rural credits will
be submitted to the voters at the next
regular election. Establishment of
such credits demands change in the
state constitution. '.s< --'> ...-
| "ProvRion is made for the organi-
cation Of land mortgage associations.
Under this law group Of men can
get together and finance the clear
ing and improvement Of agricultural
lands, giving long credit terms if the
farmer desires. 3.
Counties are permitted under the
Bissette law to appropriate money for
the clearing of lands that are, agri-
cultural in character. This law is
similar in it's action within the coun-
ty to the existing state law relative
to drainage. 80
"A land classification law is en-
acted providing for the classification
OF unoccupied lands within the state.
This, together with provision for con-
tlnued experiments on peat and sandy
soils gives Minnesota the beginnings
OF business-like survey of its I'M
used agricultural lands. v "a3s.
"A weed supervisor under the state
department of agriculture has been
provided and statewide control is
placed in his hands. Special provi-
sion is made for the eradication of
the wheat producing barberry:-'
1.-The cold storage act of 1919 is
widened in it's scope to protect the
interests of producer and consumer
by the labelling of cold storage prod
ucts where they are sold in COMPETE
ton with products fresh from the
farm.
"State aid to county fairs was in
creased by a total of $4,000. en-