Grand Forks herald. [volume] (Grand Forks, N.D.) 1916-1955, 1922-03-31
REPORT UPON
SPUD MARKET
SYSTEM GIVEN
Committee Gives Conclu.
sions on Operation Of
Minnesota Exchange.
Over $50 Present; Sessions
to Continue This Evening
and Saturday.

Five states are represented at the
potato conference which opened this
morning in the farmers room at the
court house, and which will continue
through until Saturday afternoon.
Approximately $50 persons, repre-
scnting the Minnesota. Potato Ex-
change, many of the potato associa-
tons of this and adjoining states.
bankers and growers from almost ev-
cry potato section of the state, came
to Grand Forks for the meeting. The
marketing, grading, growing and
warehousing Of potatoes are the'sub-
jects on the calendar for discussion
saltwater TO Speak.
On Saturday morning, Mr.. Stil1wa-
ter. special representative Of tho
United States department of agricul-
ture. will arrive here to speak at the
conference.
G. w. Randlett. director Of, the cx-
tension department of the state agri-
cultural college, who called the con-
ference. is presiding. The conference.
called Jointly by the extension depart
ments of North Dakota and Mime
| sofa, originally was the outgrowth of
resolution adopted at the Red River
Valley corn and potato show here in
February, calling for a conference on
potato warehouse men with view to
consolidating into marketing asso-
| citation.
This morning George F.. Wolf. as
sistant county agent leader. gave 4
! talk on the Importance of properly
grading. warehousing and in other
ways preparing the potatoes for mar
ket. He emphasized the Importance
| oil fully meeting the demands of the
| local market.
Report on Marketing.
/ me chief feature of this mornings
session was the presentation of re-
port appointed by the county agent
section last fall to investigate com
plants against the Minesonta Potato
Exchange. and the general subject of
returns to potato growers.
The purposes of the committee are
defined in the report as being Ito de-
termine why shippers did not receive
| greater returns for potatoes sold
when the market was apparently good
curing the early part Of the season.
why returns were not made promptly.
and more complete statements issued.
and also to determine if the Mime
sofa Potato Exchange handled the po-
tatoes of North Dakota without dis
elimination, and with efficiency as
related to selling. storage, recondi-
| tlonlnE and transportation"
The report is the result of investi-
cations OF complaints made regarding
225 shipments out of total of ap-
proxiniately 5000 shipments from the
state in the fall of 1921.
| IN ID. German of Fargo presented
this report at the morning session OF
the meeting. 1t took up % typewri1-
ton pages and the conclusions reached
are summarized as follows:
Conclusions Reached.
| Some of the loss on the marketing Q.
| OF potatoes last season was due to uu-
usual delays in transit, caused by the
| ahnormally heavy movement of DO
tatoes during the period of a threat
| ened strike
The downward trend of prices
combined with delays between the
time Of shipping and time of deliy-
| cry was factor in the heavy losses
sustained by growers who consigned
| their potatoes.
The Minnesota Potato Exchange
receives conslgnments. inspccts them
! an dreconsigns TO the American Fruit
Growers Exchange, who sell the po-
tatoes through their trade channels.
The Minnesota Potato Exchange then
| receives the returns and after deduct
ing their charges remit to the local
association or individual shipper.
| An inadequate system of account
| ing is directly responsible for the
failure of the Minnesota Exchange to
make remittances promptly and to
issue more complete statements
| In comparison of shipments
upon which complaints were filed.
consigned to the Minnesota Potato
Exchange with those made to private
commission firms, it was found tina,
while the net returns were approxi.
mately the same the selling cost in
the case of cars consigned to the Min.
nesota Exchange were higher.
North Dakota shipments were ac.
corded the same treatment by tn,
exchange as those from Minnesota