The producers news. [volume] (Plentywood, Mont.) 1918-1937, 1922-07-28


to cooperate in any such business.
Governor Alexander J. Groesbeck,
wired President Harding on July goth
as follows:
'Mr. Lewis wires refusal of
permission to district miners in
Michigan to meet operators and
resume work under agreement in
force previous to April 1. Says
settlement must come through:
national body. AS matters stand
now no coal will be produced un-
less properties are placed under
public control In view of extra
ordinary emergency existing
throughout nation, public and
private industries being paralyz-
ed, consumers being mulcted and
Hoover orders being ignored, con-
stituting as it does a challenge
of governmental authority and
power, would suggest that steps
be taken at once to open mines
and run them until difficulties are
adjusted and legislation is adopt
ed calculated to prevent recur-
rences of present trouble and es-
tablishing equitable relationships
between owners and workers and
likewise protective of the public
interest. Please advise further
decision or wishes in matter"
Governor Preus of Minnesota, an
other G. o. P. governor, who has agi-
tated against public ownership ever
since he attained some public prom
inence, has also suggested public own
ership of the coal mines. Michigan
and Minnesota are in the position to
suffer first and most from the G. O.
P coal policy
ADVISES $50 WHEAT
John F. Sinclair, prominent Mime
apolis banker, has joined the ranks
of those who advocate stabilized
wheat price for the coming year.
Failure to maintain a good wheat
price level will result in paralyzing
the farmer industry, in driving men
out of the business of raising food
stuffs, and in calling for complete re
organization of agriculture, warned
Mr. Sinclair.
"The whole financial fabric of pros
perity and of the working men in
shops and the merchant in stores is
wrapped up on the question of giving
the farmer proper return on his IN
vestment."
Mr.. Sinclair suggested $3.50 as the
minimum price statistics gathered by
the University of Minnesota showed a
production cost of wheat this year OF
S18.71 an acre in Minnesota. With a
twelve bushel yield the farmers ac-
cording to these figures would have
to have S157 per bushel to secure a
per cent return on their investment.
Gwen men who do not believe in
government interference with bust
ness" said banker Sinclair, fought to
be anxious to see a fair price fixed
for grain. Country bankers are sc
stranded that they cameo extenc
credit past the harvest season. They
| hold ten times more chattel mort
cages on the grain in the field thar
| in former years and these mortgages
will act as whips to force the farm
ers to sell at once.
"The result will be dumping of mil
| lions of bushels on the market at the
same moment. The price will fall
the farmer will be bankrupt and the
millions of dollars Of paper in the
banks will be unpaid"
Over year ago President A. c
Townley of the Nonpartlsan League
started the demand for stabilizatio1
of the wheat price at cost of produc
ton, for 1922 The plan met with in
slant response wherever it was pre-
scented to farmers properly.
President J. M. Anderson of th'
Equity Cooperative Exchange anc
John N. Hagen, former commissions
of labor and agriculture of North Da
kota, made strong presentations O
the case for sterilization at Harding
farm conference held here last Janu
ary But the plan was not in in'
with the policies of the administra
ton and Washington politicians dit
not feel the situation as keenly per
sonally as did the farmers whose live
lihoods depends on raising grain.
Secretary of Agriculture Wallace
and the leaders of the farm bureau
federation attempted to counter the
demand for sterilization with propa
ganda for crop limitation and pro.
tective tariff to replace the emer
gency tariff on wheat.