The gazette-times. [volume] (Heppner, Or.) 1912-1925, 1921-10-20
CLEARING
HOUSE To RESCUE
Bankers of the City to Help Finance
Grain Growers and VIII Advance ST.
OO,O00,-Marketing Association Ha.
Meeting Here.

There was a meeting Of the officers
and members Of the oregon Coopera-
tive Grain Growers association In
Heppner on last Saturday afternoon.
which was attended by about IS OF the
farmers in this vicinity and others who
are interested in the organization. The
meeting was somewhat In the natur.
Of an accounting of officers to members
and there was a report from headquar-
ters Of what had been done so far, as
well as the answering Of numerous
questions and the setting right the po-
sition Of the association regarding a
few rumors that had been current not
only in Morrow county but elsewhere
as well
Opcers Of the association present
were Edgar L. Ludwick, assistant sec
retary- treasurer; C. A. Marsh. director
and member of selling agency; V. A.
Smith and Howard Anderson, directors.
and f. o. Barnes field man for Eastern
oregon.
One piece Of information that was Of
very material interest to those who
have disposed of their wheat through
the association was the statement that
the Portland Clearing House had
agreed to advance to the association
s1,000.000 for their marketing plans,
which action on the part Of the Port
land bankers will place the association
on firm basis.
The question Of financing the very
large amount of grain that the asso-
citation has had to handle, was very Sc
rious and seemed almost an impossi-
bility for a time, according to one of
the speakers. Some help was secured
from the War Finance Board, but
much difficulty was met with here ow-
ing to the bad warehouse system in
vogue throughout the northwest.
Warehouse receipts not coming from
bonded warehouses would not be ac-
cepted as collateral hence the associa-
tion was forced to ask for the individ-
ual notes of the growers, and had sent
forth their requests accordingly. These
notes did not arrive very fast, as the
farmers did not seem willing to go this
far However. developments later
made it unnecessary to use the notes
and they are being returned.
A distribution of s1s00, 900 has al
ready been made by the association to
farmers in advance payments. The as
socaition has membership of 2400 in
| Oregon and about one fourth of the
crop of the state is signed up with the
association. The states of Oregon. Ida
no. Washington and Montana, which
form the northwest association, will
handle about 16,0O0,00O bushels thru
their selling agency which has its Of
fee at Spokane.
Other items of interest and informa-
ton brought forth at the meeting in
cluded the paying OF a salary to Mr..
Jewett sales manager, of $4,000 per
year; the operating cost of approxi-
mately 21s cents per bushel. one and
one-half cents of which goes into the
operating expenses Of the Oregon Of
fee and the balance into the selling
agency; there are IL people employed
in the Portland Office as clerks and
bookkeepers. The association does not
export its own wheat because the as
sociation has no foreign Office and the
expense of creating such an office at
the present time is too great for the
| benefits to be derived. Some mistakes
have been made from the Portland Of
| fee but these are promptly rectihed, 1t
| was explained. and the office Of the
| association is being rapidly placed on
| basis of a complete organization.
Anyone having any complaints to
| make should take the question up at
| once with the office at Portland AS
Mr.. Smith explained. it is the wheat
growers association. not the associa-
| tion of the officers and directors, for
| they are only the servants to heed the
bidding of those who have placed them
at the head of affairs
We would gather from what was
stated that this first year of the asso-
citation has proved a success. and from
now on there is going to be much
smoother sailing. and when the years 5
work is finally wound up it will be
found that each member of the asso-
citation has received the very best price
for his grain that it was possible to
get