New Ulm review., 1921-02-16
LEAGUE FAIRER
TO CONSUMER
NORTH DAKOTA BUSINESSMAN
COMPARES FARM BUREAU
WITH LEAGUE.
POLITICAL ORGANIZATION OF
FARMERS GOES FARTHER
IN DOING GOOD.

The following letter written by L. Nj.
Kellebush, business man of Mohall,
N. D., to the Fargo, N. D., Courier
News, contains number of points of
interest to farmers and the general
public:
'To the Editor: AS an outside busi-
ness man, who is not member Of
either organization, I'll make a few
comments on the methods, similarities,
and differences of the Federated Farm
Bureau and the Nonpartisan League,
as | see them. The Farm Bureau is
now organizing here. One noticeable
fact is that their organization appears
to make the banks their headquarters
and that the bankers are actively
helping them in their work, while the
League organizati stayed away from
town, only vague rumors as to their
work reaching us.
The Farm Bureau organizer con-
Quoted an open meeting here, explain
ing the need for their organization.
In so doing, he based his contention
on the same grounds as do the League,
namely, the injustice of the present
marketing system and price fixing
system for farm products.
"Class" Organization.
For promoting their purpose the
Farm Bureau proposes to employ agi-
tatlon and organization of their class,
and with publicity Of the right sort to
influence the public in their behalf.
While to secure legal protection and
non-lnterferance from governmental
machinery, the plan appears to be to
resort to demonstration of organized
numbers and power, and employment
of high-priced expert lobbying.
"On the industrial field proper, they
propose ownership or control by them
OF storage houses and marketing
channels to the exclusion of private
concerns, thus Indirectly, at least,
bringing about the sale to them or
conhscation of the privately owned
means of storage and marketing which,
in turn, removes individual incentive
and kills ambition along those lines of
effort-may even destroy the homes
of those who now support them from
the profits of the grain business so con-
Quoted.
so far, industrially, the Farm
Bureau and the Nonpartisan League
may seem about the same, but here the
Bureau stops, being content to let the
miller take up the burden-adding
whatever increase that he, through his
organization, is able to demand and
obtain to the product on the way to
the consumer. There apparently being
no check proposed to prevent the
miller, if he can, from putting any in
crease he pays to the grain producer
directly onto the flour which the
producer of wheat must exist on.
1.-The Nonpartisan League continues
on, and through the state institutions
IN which all the people are part owners
and IN which they all, through their
ballot, have voice in directing, they
propose to grind the wheat into flour,
and even more, to see that the con-
sumer gets it at fair price--or in other
words, through their common owner
ship of storing and converting facili-
ties, by means of the ballot, both the
producer and the consumer are directly
represented and have the means Of
securing justice to themselves in the
management. The acting together of
all about the things they all own to-
gether, will reduce friction and prevent
the unfair discrimination which divides
the people along class lines into am
tagonistic factions
How Political Methods Differ.
Further, the Nonpartisan League
takes up proposit on learned long
ago by business, that in order to be
successful you must have control Of
the law-giving and law-enforcing ma
chlnery and that is most cheaply done,
not by demonstrating, arguing, beg
ging, or high priced lobbying, but by
electing to those Offices men of clear
understanding who have the same
viewpoint and interests as yourself.
"As a business man engaged in a,
different line Of effort here in North
Dakota, ! desire to see our farmers,
as well as Others, prosper abundant
ly by whichever method they may
agree on or by combination or both,
as | fully realize that their prosperity
is necessary for mine, and as an
American citizen | will abide by the.
decision of the majority