The Princeton union. [volume] (Princeton, Minn.) 1876-1976, 1921-09-15
WARNS FARMERS
). AGAINST DEAL
Proposed Contract Between US. Grain
Growers and Equity Exchange
p Condemned by Farm Bureau.
Bureau Representatives Believe Pres
ent Plan Would Tend to In
crease Commission Charges.

Proposed arrangements Of concen-
trating the marketing Of the grain of
Minnesota, South Dakota, Montana
and Wisconsin in the hands of the
Equity exchange as the exclusive sales
agency of the U. S. Grain Growers,
inc, endangers the success of the
whole cooperative marketing move
ment in the northwest, the Minnesota
Farm Bureau federation says in an
official statement sent to the county
farm bureau today.
The statement sent out to every
county bureau in the state, and also
to $4,000 individual farmers, as a
warning that in the opinion of the
farm bureau federation, which helped
to launch and to finance the investi-
cations of the committee Of seventeen,
a proposed contract designed to put
the marketing plans of this committee
into operation in Minnesota "does not
merit the support Of the farmers nor
warrant their investment at the pres
ent time"
The decision to issue the warning
was reached at meeting of farm bu-
reau federation directors from the
county farm bureau in St. Paul. The
statement received here declares that
a contract, drawn up between the U.
S. Grain Growers, inc, and the Equity
Cooperative exchange, but not yet
signed, complexities the process of
grain marketing instead of offering
@|the slightest Improvement over pres
ent methods"
"The Minnesota Farm Bureau fed
GRAFTON is absolutely back of the u.
5. Grain Growers, inc, and the plan
of the committee of seventeen" the
statement says. '"The plan is sound
The farm bureau will not rest until it
is put into successful operation. The
federation has been ready for four
months to organize the U. S. Grain
Growers in Minnesota, in cooperation
with other farm organizations, as soon
as practical arrangements could be
made for marketing the farmers grain
under control Of the U. S. Grain Grow.
ers, inc. 1t is ready to do so now as
soon as notifications can be made ir
the proposed contract, so that the in
dlvldual farmers interests will be
properly protected. The objections Of
the federation to the proposed con
tract do not apply in any way to thu
U. S. Grain Growers or the plan O,
the committee of seventeen. We arr
asking changes in the contract in th<
interests of the grain producers.
1.-The plan of the committee of seven
teen calls for an organization equipped
to handle enough of the grain of thu
United States through a single CO
operative system, to exert a stabiliz
ing effect on the market, to put grain
on the market in an orderly manner
and to prevent gluts and violent pric.
fluctuations. This purpose can be &C
complished only through one central
lied, controlling sales agency. Blu
the proposed contract would make tn,
equity, a local organization, the ex
elusive selling and warehousing agen
cy for all grain marketed co-opera
lively in the whole spring wheat dis
trict. We can come to no other con
clusion than that the U. S. Grail
Growers, inc, contemplates signing
similar contracts with the severa
other cooperative selling organiza
lions represented on the board of di
rectors of the national corporation.
"This will give the farmers O.
America four or more selling agencies
and cannot do otherwise than place tn,
farmer back in the same position h,
was before the cooperative marketing
at the primary terminals was attempt
ed. 1t will prevent the U. S. Grai1
Growers from doing the farmer an,
real good. 1t will pile one commission
charge on top of another, instead O
shortening the road from producer t.
consumer and cheapening the process
distribution.
"Tn offact tho nroposoc oop+roo