The gazette-times. [volume] (Heppner, Or.) 1912-1925, 1922-07-13
MR.. DEV|NE SPEAKS
TO GRAIN GROWERS
Expresses Belief That Morrow County
Does Not Receive Its Full Share Of
Representation in Grain Growers AS
sociation.-Report on Recent Meeting.


association which was held in Portland,
and to which | was sent as one of the
delegates from the association in this
county, and believing that such report
may be of considerable interest to the
wheat growers of Morrow county, both
within and without the association,
hereby submit the following, with the
hope that nothing contained herein will
be construed as a personal reflection on
any member of the board of directors,
or anybody else, but simply a plain
statement of the situation as | see it,
and with only the best interests of the
association and its individual members
as my object.
At this meeting the following diree
tors were. elected:
District /: II. B. Davidhizer, Malheur
Baker, Wallowa and Union.
District 2: A. r. Shumway, Umatilla
county.
District 8: Howard Anderson, Morrow
coupty.
District 4: W. ]. Edwards, Gillian.
District 8: V. H. Smith, Sherman.
District 6: c. A. Harth, Wasco, Des-
chutes, Jefferson and Crook.
District 8: Claud Buchanan, Yamhih,
Polk and Benton.
District Q: W. N. Downing, Marion,
Linn, Lane and Douglas.
]. E. Reynolds, president of board Of
delegates.
Salaries paid officers Of the associa-
tion: A. II. Lea, state manager, $4,000
per year, carries $4,000 bond; E. L.
Ludwick, assistant secretary treasurer,
$4,000 per year, and carries $4,000 bond.
Board of directors, each $500 per day
and expenses.
With the bursting of the Condor ele-
vator the Oregon association suffered
a $1,000 loss.
Mr.. Nelson, discharged Northwestern
sales manager, has brought suit against
the association for the balance Of his
salary, $1,000, of which Oregon will have
to pay her share.
There Is no need to mention wheat
prices. Each member knows what he is
receiving per bushel and whether or not
he is satisfied. As for myself feel as
though we have done well for the first
year.
am not able to give you many inside
facts Of the business Of the association
as had only the remainder of the day
Of The election to gather information.
As you probably know we were refused
our second director and Morrow county
has signed up one fifth Of the entire
bushelage in the state. District No. 8
was allowed one director Mr.. Buchanan,
who personally pooled 467 bushels and
represents 10000 bushels or per cent
Of the bushelage in the state. Repre-
sentation is getting away from produc-
tion and consider this the very weak
est point in the organization.
Morrow county's director, Mr. Ander-
son personally pooling 1924 bushels, re-
presents 100000 bushels signed up
wheat or 20 per cent of the entire bush
elage signed up in the state, which
clearly shows we need our second di-
rector as our contract on page 4, para
graph s, also in our bylaws, page g.,
section |, states in part that the asso-
citation maintain at all times, fair
and equitable representation of grain
producing districts according to bushel-
age signed up" 1t appears in the face
of the bushelage signed up in Morrow
county and the representation we have,
we are weakening the whole Oregon
contract.
tried to explain all this at the last
annual election but the delegation did
not seem to consider this sufficient
reason for us to have two directors.
They seemed inclined to take the repre-
sentation from the largest signed up
districts as bait to obtain contracts
from them.
Another weak point wish to mention
is the fact that the directors are all
practically small producers. The largest
producer pooling only 1925 bushels,
and one director pooling only 476 bush
els of wheat.
do not consider these men as having
sufficient interest at stake to put forth
the best efforts for the good of the asso-
citation. How many men are there-men
whom we call farmers-who could pool
10000 bushels and up, men whom we
want and need in the association who
are going to pool their wheat in an as
sociation governed by men who have
such small interest at stake?
Another objection to the methods OF
business is this: At the opening Of the
meeting the president of delegates, act
ing chairman, called the attention of the
organization to the fact that owing ia
the difficulties we have had to finance
the association, the bankers thought the
same directors should be reelected
They considered it unwise to get new
faces on the board claiming it would
make IL more difficult to obtain financial
aid.
disagreed, giving as my reason that
to keep up the high standard of eflicien.
cy, to progress and avoid ruts and repi.
tition of mistakes, we should have al
least some new timber for our b0art
each year, changes that would produce
new and progressive ideas.
However, the old board were all re
elected excepting Mr.. Buchanan, ant
Mr.. Downing representing 1,211 bushels
(Mr. Downing was not sufficiently inter
ested to attend this meeting.) 1t seem
ed to me that this is again establishing
custom we are fighting to get ava!
from, dictation by the bankers, specula
tors, etc.
After the election of the directors, ]
E. Reynolds was elected as president o
the board of delegates and was asked t.
meet each time with the board of di
rectors to represent the delegates, thi
being his second term. This man pu
301 bushels Of wheat through the pool
About half as many bushels as he re
ceives dollars from the association fo
his attendance at these meetings. l
his office is necessary, which | doubt, |
should be filed by wheat grower, no
n 400 bushel producerl