Grand Forks herald. [volume] (Grand Forks, N.D.) 1916-1955, 1922-02-14
FLNT'S JOB
FULL OF SNACS
Cream Buying Brings Many
Local Problems to Atten-
ton of Commissioners.

Bismarck, N. D., Feb. 14-Cream
buying conditions in North Dakota
has placed Robert r. Flint, dairy COM
missioner, in a position analogous to
the old woman who lived in a shoe.
He has SO many cream buying troubles
as state dairy commissioner that he
doesn't know what to do"
To begin with. he has nominal sn-
pervlsion over the more than one
thousand ear buyers in the state
who hold a North Dakota license.
North Dakota's law concerning dis
elimination also has a very drastic
section in which unishment of revo-
section in which punishment of revo-
cream buyer who raises prices unduly
in an effort to ruin the business of a
competitor.
Competition for cream. according to
Mr. Flint is unusual. It has reached
q point where it is a battle royal be-
tween the large organizations, and the
small purchaser does not figure. In
many cases the prices have been
raised to a point where it is impossible
for the purchaser to make money or
to secure the amount he pays for the
cream. While this condition is good
for the individual cream seller today,
MI. Flint a been in the dairy bust
ness so long that he realizes that a
day of reckoning will come when
everyone will pay for the excess of the
present hour.
Community pride and community in
terest also a a bearing upon the
problems of the commissioner. One
case that has been called to the at
tention of the commissioner is that
of a buyer who was pursuaded by the
merchants of the town to pay a higher
price for cream than the buyers at
neighbOring points The object was
to attract business to the one town
n ava from the others. The mer-
chants, however, failed to arrange to
make good the deficit made in the
buyers principal in paying the extra
prices.
Cash Is Inducement
Another factor hat is giving the
dairy commissioner concern is that
cream is the only cash product for
sale at the present time in many of
the towns of North Dakota A mer-
chant who purchases 500 worth of
cream per week will handle a similar
amount of cash and in return he re-
ceives cash payment for a good many
Of the articles he sells. At this time,
this is an unusual incentive to pay
all the market will stand, or a little
more for cream, Of the great
advantage accruing to him in the
handling of cash and the payment of
his commodity bills.
In addition to all the other things;
there are the cases Of discrimination,
where a purchaser pays more for
cream where he has certain kinds OF
competition than, he does at others
with h evident intent Of freezing out
his opponent. One such case had just
been argued before the dairy commits
sioner. It was plainly shown that n
n point in North Dakota, a Minneso-
ia buyer was paying more for cream
than he was at other stations where
he did not have composition. 81
many different elements entered init
the case. that Commissioner Flint hal
reserved his decision in the hope thai
the parties interested will work ou1
a satisfactory solution and preclude
the necessity of official action. Revo.
cation of the buyers license to pur.
chase in the state would leave a mum.
Der of points open in the state fol
some of his competitors and would
cause some loss to the residents of the
state.
With specific cases of i%nfractions
Of the state law being handled almos,
daily and with a knowledge hat a day
of reckoning will arrive. Mr.. Flint i
willing to admit that the cream buy.
ing situation in North Dakota has
more problems than all the other de.
tails Of his office combined.