Great Falls tribune. [volume] (Great Falls, Mont.) 1921-current, 1922-11-24

agricultural department, VINO also was
in Great Falls Thursday evening. Com
plant against Conrad dealers was
made by a group of wheat growers
who organized under the name of the
| Conrad Farmers Progressive club to
place the matter before the attorney
| general. Rankin anticipated that as
many as 400 farmers would attend the
hearing and the appearance of dealers
| will be made certain through sub
| poenas served at the instance of the
attorney generals office.
Says Situation Astounding
Il have not heard any of the evil
dence that will be introduced at the
Conrad hearing" said Rankin, "and
do not definitely know whether my
discrimination in prices will be discoy-
cred there, but the situation in other
parts of the state growing out of ad-
mission frankly made by dealers and
things that actually have been proved,
is astounding. | am absolutely con-
WINGED that in some parts Of the state
he only farmers who get a square deal
are those who are the wise farmers
BY that ! mean those who know both
what their grain grades and what it
really is worth. Those who depend on
the elevator man where such practices
are followed are wholly at the mercy
of the dealer.
Recently l conducted 4 hearing at
Harden, in Big Horn county. and it
was positively established that one
track buyer raised the price of wheat
II cents a bushel within two weeks by
opening a private business. He not
only paid II cents a bushel more han
the elevators, but went over to the
dealers and offered them the same
price for all Of the wheat they had in
stock. He was II of the wealthiest
men IN the county and consequently
had considerable prestige.
AT this hearing and at the Bill
tings hearing. dealers declared that
they never had heard of a price being
paid above that established for No. l
dark northern spring. When | showed
them the quotations carried daily in
The Great Falls Tribune they said they
had never seen similar prices in print
before. Some of them admitted that
they o occasion paid an arbitrary
margin above the quoted price on No. /
dark noSthern. but always they con
tended that this was to make good fell
lows of themselves, and that they al
way took a chance when they did it.
There is complaint. too, about dockage,
many farmers c%ontending that they do
not receive back the refuse from their
grain.
Says Dealers Jip Storers
Another practice / have noticed to
be in effect at many places affects
grades delivered to farmers after they
have stored wheat. On the dealers
stub generally is found a notation Of
the grade the wheat commands with
reference to so-called premium grades.
but on the receipt given the owner |
reference is made only to No. l dark
northern spring. If the farmer takes
his wheat back, No. ] northern spring
is what he gets. Under examination,
dealers have told me that this prac- |
tice is universally followed, but they |
offer the explanation that very lit
tie wheat is taken back My opinion is
that the practice is indefensible and !,
reprehensible. a
The farmers are in many places |
getting less for their wheat than it
costs to produce it and they are en-
titled to every cent they possibly can
get. When they are not appraised of
the spread between No. i dark north |
ern spring and the premium grades, but
are paid something more than the top
federal grade. they are led to believe
that it is in the nature of a premium
paid out of courtesy by the elevator
man, wien. in fact, it only is payment ,
for a higher grade of grain.
The great spread between the price
of No. ] dark northern and the prem
ium grades should not be left to the
discretion of the elevator men. but a
specific grade covering these qualities
should be established by the federal
inspector. The farmer should be adj
vised by the elevator man where the
dockage. is worth more thar the cost
Of cleaning in order that he may have
it returned to him, or if he does not
receive the actual grain classed as
~dockage, he should be given the diff
ference in money. There is q tendency
among som elevator men to dock the
farmer for cracked wheat. while under
the law the farmers should not be dock
ed for wheat that is cracked and still
of some size.
Advises Keeping Sample
where wheat is stored. the farmer
should keep a sample of the wheat left
with the elevator in order that be might
demand wheat of like grade when re
delivered. Some farmers store No. |
dark fancy spring and receive in return
plain No. / dark northern, which may
be worth IS or 20 cents a bushel less.
'"The grain warehouse should be Tre-
gdrded as a hank and the depositor of
grain should receive or return grain
of the same quality and character as
he left in storage. But until laws are
passed to protect the grower from
practices such as | have found in many
places this fall, he will be at the mercy
Of the elevator man.
Everything pertaining to the
handling of wheat at elevators is
brought out at these hearings, and
many of them generate considerable
heat. 1t is no uncommon thing for an
irate farmer to rise in the audience and
tell of an incident bearing upon grain
prices that had not been touched be-
fore, and it always has developed that
he is able to point out the elevator
man with whom he had been dealing.
Exchanges of pointed words generally
follow, but it all helps to bring out the
information the state department of
seeking"