The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1922-03-20
The Farm and the Farmer
BY William r. Sanborn

The attention of all American farm
will be centered on Chi
cago, beginning on Tuesday morn
ing. While the United States Grain
Growers, Inc, have been potentially in
the limelight for quite a long time,
they are now preparing for actual
business and the 'Iirst annual conven-
ton" will open for the election OF Of
ficers at the American farm bureau
headquarters, at Chicago on March 81.
So far as the delegate representation
is concerned the number in attend
ance will be small There are but AZ
delegates elected, we are told, but
each of these delegates represent at
least one congressional district in the
wheat growing centers. That small
body should not be unwieldy and
should be able to get down to brass
tacks in a hurry. Each delegate will
have as many votes as there are (or
were) members in his district or par
ticular field. up to a certain recent
date, as specified. 1t is claimed that
at the present writing the Grain Grow
ers have at least $4,000 members and
this would give delegates an average
Oh D6Il6T tldu 1,OUV NOlSS dpISCC III IllS
convention But averages are very
misleading in such cases. For example
there are spots where nearly all
grain farmers belong, notably in Hi
nois In several sections no intensive
campaigns have been made and the
membership is scattered.
Interest Is Nationwide
But if you have supposed that the
= -
gether with the officials of the organ
iZation, whom are very largely con
nected officially with the American
| farm bureau federation, are alone tt
comprise the list to be present, you
are mistaken. If the meetings are
open" there will be a raft of Others
in attendance. There are. the repre-
sentatives of the department of agri
culture who will want to sit in no
as voters, but for various reasons
Then there are numerous farm bureau
officials from the different states anC
leading co-operators in various line!
i who will be in Chicago during the
convention. The live stock, co-opera
| tive sales folks will want to witnes:
| the proceedings, and certain it is tina
| there are numerous grain men wht
would like to get a first hand line OF
| the entire proceedings. The millin:
! industry is interested in the final out
come of Grain Growers accomplish
| ments, and so too, are the millin,
journals and the entire agriculture
press.
Behind Closed Doors
For the reasons cited it is eviden
that, if an open meeting is held tina
considerable hall room will be require,
to accommodate all who might legiti
mately desire to be present But Fran
Ridgway, of the Chicago Tribune, int
mates that the meeting will be closed
at least, in part He states that: "Th
executive officers announce that tn
1! Tuesday and Wednesday sessions vii
be held behind closed DOORS
He further states that the Amer
can farm bureau criticizes this polio
and is an advocate of the "open door
in the handling of farmers problems
1t is estimated, however, that whe
the delegates are all on the groun
they may decide to veto the "close
door" proceedings, at least after tn
credentials committee has acted an
the convention is completely organ
lied. This must be done before tn
convention can take action upon an
subject, as body.
Very Important Business
The scope of the business to com
before the convention is very broa
and of great Importance. There
some settlement to be arrived at, fo
example, of the 100000, 900 financ
corporation, which elected officers i
July, 1921, but which has since bee
inactive and has really done no bus
ness. 1t seems likely that we hav
seen the end of this organization, bl
possibly not. AT all events some di
position must be made of this matte
Undoubtedly there is a lot of printe
matter, engraved stock, etc. to be di
posed of as waste paper in case til
finance corporation entirely ceases I
function.
But to fill this gap the Grain Groy
ers recently formed sales organic
ton, capitalized at $250,OOO. we b
lleve. and incorporated under the Law
| of Delaware. The plan is to sell tn
F. stock to the cooperative elevator
first of all, and possibly to the mer
bership in general, and to the publ
5 if desirable The issue is compar
| lively small and it is expected tn;
the amount will be quickly subscribe
This stock is to be marketed to rails
r cash to finance purchases until bus
ness is well under way and there
ample grain in store to put up as &C
lateral
A Two-Sided Proposition
Y In all fairness it must be said tn;
the Grain Growers are likely to ha,
a whole lot of business to transa
!. which will LEAD to much argument ar
discussion, and in which the publ
. or even the co-operators will not
, interested, except as to final decision
1T is likely that they will feel fire,