The Ward County independent. [volume] (Minot, Ward County, N.D.) 1902-1965, 1922-09-14
DISCUSS WAYS AND MEANS FOR
BETTER PRICES, FARM PRODUCE

farmers, but every other person in
the Northwest. There isn't one per-
son west Of Chicago, but who would
be glad to see the farmer get more for
his wheat, he said. Farmers for
years have been looking forward to
the time when they might harvest a
big crop. They are not better off this
year with an average of perhaps ~
bushels than they have been in GER
tain years when they got five, six
or seven bushel yield. He said there
is no great overproduction OF wheat,
therefore the supply and demand can
not enter into the cause of the low
prices so much. Mr.. Halvorson be-
lieves that holding the wheat in the
northwest from the market for the
present. might help materially in CIV
ing the farmers better prices. 1t
would not be necessary to hold all Of
the wheat off the market. A pool OF
five million bushels for example might
help some. Many of the farmers are
in no position to hold much grain from
the market, but with the elevators
full in many places and granaries full
with piles Of wheat on the ground, it
will take long time to market the
wheat even if all of the farmers were
willing to do so. Mr.. Halvorson
would not try to raise the price by
cutting the acreage one-half as has
been suggested. Anyway, we have
grown the wheat this year and an
immediate problem presents itself for
solution.
Mr.. Halvorson stated that no one
doubted but what the Minot mills and
elevators were paying all they could
afford to pay for the grain. A rise in
the price of the grain would not af-
feet the business of the elevators any.
The grain would all have to be mar
ter Of fact the Minot mills and ele-
vators have been paying considerable
more for wheat than the elevators of
many of the smaller marketing points.
The price is so much better in many
instances that wheat has been hauled
here from long distances in trucks.
VIM. E. Dunnell, local miller, stated
that such prices were paid for wheat
that it would be impossible to ship
the grain at a profit, but instead, a
great deal of the best wheat, or prac-
tically all Of it is retained here for
milling purposes. .,@ .-...
A. A. Robinson stated he desired to
see the farmers get higher prices for
their grain. While he is interested in
the elevator business, his farming in
terests are more extensive than his
elevator bushes. He said there was
little high premium wheat grown this
year in the immediate vicinity of Mi
not. For years the Minot grain men
have been paying above the market
price. He presented figures to show
that the grain was shipped on a very
close margin. Mr.. Robinson stated
that last year IS per cent of the
North Dakota elevators either lost
money or made no money. The Minot
elevators could not pay the price they
do did they not speculate.
q. G. Mclean, local miller, stated
the Minot grain dealers based their
price on the Minneapolis dark north
ern track price. 1t costs IA cents or
over to ship a bushel of wheat to
Minneapolis from Minot. .
Ralph Greer, manager of the Inter-
national Harvester Co. at Minot be-
lieves that if the spring wheat can be
kept off the market, the price will
raise. All the good spring wheat is
raised in North Dakota, South Da-
kota, Montana, Minnesota, Saskatche-
wan and southern Alberta. This
wheat is necessary for milling pur.
poses. Mr.. Greer states the farmers
will be money ahead by waiting until
later in the season to haul the grain