Great Falls tribune. [volume] (Great Falls, Mont.) 1921-current, 1922-11-25
e NADMlT
GOOD PROFIT IS MADE
IN T. PURCHASES
Probe of Alleged Mispractices of Companies
Brings Forth No Denials; Rankin Flags Rail
roads for Failing to Supply Cars.

| would at least be relieved Of paying
the penalty on their delinquent taxes
because of the situation existing.
Passing from the car situation 70
the elevator practices, j.. J.. Dean,
manager of the Equity Co-Onerative
association was called to the stand
Dean was questioned about The method
used in grading, and stated that most
of the grain marketed here took the
fancy grade, or Il to Il cents above
the card price. Attorney General
Rankin then asked particularly con-
corning the methods employed at ar
irving at the grade. and Dean seemed
somewhat perplexed for a definite ex-
, PLANTATION.
When confronted with a copy of the
Great Falls Tribune giving several
grades above Dark Northern No. /,
he said that he had no official know
ledge Of such grades, but that he had
been paying a premium for fancy,
which was practically 100 per cent
perfect kernels with full gluten CON
tent. The grades between fancy and
the No. / federal grade were arrived
at, he said, more or less arbitrarily.
The witness admitted that it was his
belief that the elevators we're taking
too great a margin of profit, and that
he had insisted on a less profit and
larger price to the farmers, but that
the other elevators had opposed such
action, and he was forced to line up"
Much information was brought out
in the course of Deans examination.
showing that the elevators have been
taking a wide margin. NJ. w. Wayman.
sales manager for the Waller Montana
Land and Water company, stated that
he had threshed 5000 bushels of wheat
near Conrad, and when he brought it
into the elevators they refused to take
1T on the ground that it was frosted.
He finally did dispose of all of the
grain except 1850 bushels at so cents
per bushel- The remainder he could
not sell at all, but later sold it on
sample to a Minnesota miller and it
Melted him % cents per bushel.
Acknowledges Grades
James Cougill, local agent for the
Rocky Mountain Elevator company,
was the next witness called and he
was brought in on a subpoena. Cou-
gill was questioned as to prices paid
for grain, margins taken by the eleva-
tor and other matters pertaining to the
subject under investigation. Contrary
witnesses. he acknowledged the 'au-
thenticity Of the grain grades quoted
IN The Great Falls Tribune and stated
that he bought grain on these quota
tons.
He did not deny a rather lrage
spread between the prices paid the far
mer and the prices received by the
company, although he denied specific
knowledge of the. selling end Of the
transactions. When asked by Attor-
ney General Rankin if he paid the
farmers for dockage he stated that
he did not and never had. He justi-
fled this on the ground that he had no
facilities for cleaning the grain. The
attorney genereral suggested at this
point that it might be a good plan to
to keep such equipment and return
the dockage to the farmer as required
by law.
{. W. Mcintosh, manager of the
Conrad Mercantile company elevator.
q local concern, was called next and
was the star witness Of the hearing.
Mcintosh was armed with specific
facts and figures and while not deny
ing the fact that a good margin was
taken, justified the action of the eleva-
on the ground of the uncertainty
of the market and the conditions gen
orally attendant on handling grain in
quantities.
Dwight Il. Cresap. president of the
Montana Wheat Growers association.
was present at the hearing. Toward
the clost of the session he was put
the stand. Cresap told how his as
ISOLATION had grown from a member
Of 1900 last year to 5000 this
year and how their advent into the
grain market had helped the prices
of grain. He intimated that the extra
grades now known as fancy, came
about through the operation of the
grain growers and predicted hat only
through organization could the farmers
expect to get relief.
He thought that the margins taken
by the elevators were too much, but
difference in price was only Incl
dental to the real benefits the farmers
would receive should they once get or
ganiZed and market their grain in an
manner over the entire year
instead Of Cutting the market during
the fall months as at present.
The hearing lasted until after z
o'colck in the evening, the farmers
remaining to the last and taking active
part in the IiSc1SGions