Pullman herald. [volume] (Pullman, W.T. [Wash.]) 1888-1989, 1921-07-15
~ g. Johnson, President of As
o.iation. Addressed Summer
wheat Convention Tuesday

which have 10 uo WIN
q tho surplus agricultural products
no nation was one of the many
80 vital interest to farmers OF
~ Northwest discussed Tuesday by
" Edward C. Johnson, president
no washington Grain Growers,
:, & Millers association. In
oddress to the assembled farmers
tho summer wheat convention
noon Johnson outlined the work OF
40 state experiment stations in the
,.torosts of the agricultural classes.
oo11ed attention to many far
ooching experiments which are now
naor way and several which have
o.n,tod in great financial benefit to
.so farmers of the state In the lat
-. category he placed Hybrid No.
100 wheat product of the expert
ment station, as an outstanding eN-
mile Hybrid No. 1928, he stated,
!. now grown on larger acreage
and PRODUCES more bushels per year,
.hon any other Washington wheat.
mean Johnson address, in full,
was as follows:
rel we're to ask what is the great
oct and most outstanding problem
N agriculture today, | believe prac-
ticallv everyone would answer: how
70 dispose of the surplus. What can
we do to find a satisfactory market
abroad or at home for the abundant
nroducts of the farm? What can we
do to provide for the financing OF
the farm business which in many
instances require long time credit?
What can we do to reduce the spread
between what the producer gets and
tho consumer pays by eliminating un-
necessary steps, if there be any, or
nv doing away with excess charges
for service rendered? These ques-
tons have been emphasized and re-
EMPHASIZED in the minds of the farm
ers and the townsmen as well. We
have recently read such quotations
as these-that while a pair of men
shoes weigh less than three pounds
and cost about $1,000, a COW hide
weighing 55 pounds sells today for
seven cents a pound and the farmer
would not be capable of carrying
sufficient hide to trade for a pair
of shoes or we have read that the
Nebraska farmer sells corn at from
80 to 35 cents per bushel and it costs
So cents to ship the corn by rail from
Nebraska to New York, while the
cost of actually growing corn year
ago was conservatiyely estimated at
90 cents per bushel Or it may have
been brought to our attention that a
farmer in Iowa who shipped a car
load of hay to st. Louis and got
$S2.62 for the carload had bill for
freight and other charges which to-
tailed $92.13; or again, we may be
acquainted with the farmer who
produced his wheat a year ago at
cost of between $50 and $500 per
bushel and is selling it at the pres
ent time at 85 cents; or we may be
neighbors to an apple grower who
last season shipped a carload of APP
pies to an eastern point and found
M Of+ hnl hnnn die
posed of he still owed $267 for the
freight.
Instances such as these have been
quoted time and time again and
whether accurately or inaccurately
representing the true condition, they
have emphasized that the problem
Of local marketing, of transportation,
Of terminal marketing and of distri-
button in general is a very large one
and requires the attention of not
only the farmer but of everyone who
is interested in agriculture or whose
business in any way relates to agri-
culture, and that means practically
all of us.
On the other hand, there is an
tage-long problem which existed long
5fore a system of transportation
such as we have at the present was
even thought Of and long before large
market organizations were in exist
ence, 1t was the great problem for
the pioneer in the west. 1t was the
great problem in the early days when
TINS country was first settled. 1t
was the vital problem in the World
war Yes, it is a problem which
antldates published history, namely,
now shall food be produced for a
hungry world or, as stated today,
now can sufficient food for an in
cfeaslng population be produced and
marketed in such manner that the
producer may receive adequate com
pehsatlon for his efforts, and the
consumer satisfy his needs at price