Morris tribune. [volume] (Morris, Minn.) 1880-2000, 1921-07-08
BUREAU ASKS CUT In
TOLLS ON LIVESTOCK
Wartime Commissions And Feed
Charges Obstruct Defation
Federation Says.
MINNESOTA FARM BUREAU
FEDERATION NEWS SERVICE
BY NEIL H. SWANSON
Editor NnWS Service

Minnesota Farm Bureau Federation
St. Paul, July 7.-COntinuatiOn of
wartime rates of commissions to be
charged for handling livestock on the
South St. Paul market would place
an unfair burden on producers and
Obstruct the natural process of de-
fiation, the Minnesota Farm Bureau
federation informed the state rail-
road and warehouse commission in a
statement bearing on hearings just
conducted by the commission to fix
commission rates and charges for hay,
feed and bedding.
The federation, in letter ad-
dressed to each member of the COM
mission, outlined the prinmiple which
from the farmers and the consumers
standpoint, it argued, should be fol-
lowed by the commission in making
its decision.
"All Minnesota shippers of live
stock, it said. ARE vitality concerned
in the cases now before you, involv-
ing commission rates to be charged by
livestock commission firms, and
charges for hay, feed and bedding at
the South St. Paul market. They are
vitality concerned because these two
cases involve a principle affecting
producers of farm crops, and also af-
fecting the consumers of these crops.
The Minnesota Farm Bureau fed
Grafton believe that commission rates
and charges for hay, feed and bed
ding and services connected with the
marketing of livestock should bear
commodities marketed and the actual
cost of services rendered.
"The present tendency Of prices of
all commodities is downward. No
one questions that this downward
tendency has operated most violently
on farm products, and that the far
mer has borne the brunt Of def1ation
because the prices of commodities he
buys have not declined in proce in
proportion to the prices of commodi-
ties he sells. Price induces for the
month of May compiled by the Unit
ed States Bureau of Labor Statistics,
show that in May prices of farm pro-
ducts had fallen until they were but
II per cent higher than in 1918,
while wholesale prices of all commod-
tiles were 81 per cent higher than in
1913.
minnesota crop statistics, COM
piled by Paul H. Kirk, Minnesota ag-
ricultural statistician, and issued by
the bureau of crop estimates of the
or&p Of
ture, show that the process of def1a-
ton affected Minnesota's agriculture
so violently that based on prices of
Dec. 1, 1921, the ten principal farm
crops of the state last year were
worth only 1855, 900, while based
on prices in Dec. 1, 1919, the same
ten crops produced in 1919, al
though II per cent smaller we're
actually worth $194,428,0OO more,
or $3.50, 100000.
THE Minnesota Farm Bureau fed
Grafton feels that to continue in force
the commission rates and the charges
for hay, feed and bedding, which
were approved to meet higher costs
and prices of an abnormal, war per-
1Od, would artifcially obstruct the
process of defiation, and delay the
benefits of lower prices which con-
sumers have a right to expect to fol-
low the reduction of prices received
by the producers.
1--WE feel that since values of farm
products affected in the two cases
now under consideration by the COM
mission already approximate prewar
values, and other costs also are re-
acting to the general tendency to-
ward defation, commission rates and
other charges involved in marketing
livestock on the South st. Paul mar
ket should also approximate prewar
levels. We believe that this is a fun
damental principle. o.,
"On behalf of its 10000 members,
the Minnesota Farm Bureau fedora
ton respectfully suggests that the
Minnesota Railroad and Warehouse
commission should take cognizance of !
this principle in fixing commission
rates to be charged by livestock COM
mission men, and also in fixing
charges for hay, feed, bedding and
services over which the commission
may exercise jurisdiction"