The Ward County independent. [volume] (Minot, Ward County, N.D.) 1902-1965, 1922-08-31
+ + + i i + i J. j. + 4 ! !. + !. !. I
+ SPRING WHEAT GROWERS I
+ UNION j
4 4
+ New Organization to Secure for i
! the Farmer Cost of PRODUCE
! ton Plus Reasonable
+ Profit
>. 4

H. l.. Halvorson, Minot attorney,
acting for the association when in
terviewed, said:
There is very strong sentiment
among farmers Of the Northwest for
fuller cooperation by growers of
spring wheat. The territory covers
Minnesota, North Dakota and South
Dakota and eastern Montana. The
average yield, when crops are normal,
runs about twelve bushels per acre.
The farmers realize that this year and
for several years past, spring wheat
has been grown at loss, and that it
is impossible to continue on such
basis. This year, portions of North
Dakota and the spring wheat territory
have very fair crop, but the present
prices Of wheat at the local elevators
in this county ranging from SIC to
Ole per bushel at points outside of
Minot, even this year, with normal
crops shows no profit to the farmer,
and it is urged that where this wheat
is really an essential, for use in mix
ing with soft wheat which yields about
thirty bushels to the acre thruout ILL
this class Of grain is not now absorbed
that the IS percent tariff against
Canadian wheat would insure better
market for dark northern spring
wheat, but such seems not to have
been the result of this tariff legisla-
ton, Winnipeg being very nearly on a
par with Chicago, Minneapolis and
Duluth, and the most serious draw
back is the ditferential between the ac-
tual selling price of wheat at the ter
minals and the price which the local
elevators can pay under the market
as it exists today. The grain dealers,
millers and exporters quote the mar
ket price but good share OF the cash
wheat being handled is based on that
price, plus a premium, and l notice
from the daily papers that on durum
this premium is running from ten to
seventeen cents per bushel and on No.
Dark Northern at various amounts,
some wheat of that grade selling in
Minneapolis last week as high as
$1.47. 1t seems that this cash prem
ium cannot be reflected to the pro-
ducer, and that the market quotations,
as given to the local elevators, are not
entirely based on the actual cash SELL
ing price as realized from day to day
at the grain terminals.
There is really only one solution
Of this matter, and that is for the
farmer to ascertain approximately the
cost Of producing this commodity and
to place such a price thereon. That
is just what the manufacturer does
when he builds binder and sends it
a set price. 1t is exactly what the
1o,nv hon he de-
and places them on his shelves for
sale. If he realizes the price so
fixed, in the case of the merchant or
manufacturer, he realizes what he
deems fair and reasonable profit.
Occasionally conditions arise which
prevent him from selling at such
prices and when they arise he sells
at the best price obtainble and records
a loss. II the same method is fol-
lowed by the farmer, according to the
best available information the price of
No. l Dark Northern would have to be
at least $1.5O per bushel at the local
elevators. We believe the public
would cheerfully pay this amount for
northern grown spring wheat this
year, and we believe if it were pos
sible for the farmer to fix this as
his price that with the tariff shutting
the Canadian hard wheat out and with
the mills in the state cooperating and
using only hard wheat in the manu-
facture of -four in this state, including
the new State Mill, that the real value
of No. l dark northern would soon
become apparent to eastern millers
and the premium now paid would be
reflected to the producer. 1t is hard
to rail against the public for the low
price offered for wheat, if the men
who produce the wheat do not, them
selves, fix the price they have to have
for it, based on the cost of production
and delivery at the local markets, and
a great many farmers insist that with
the present agencies now in existence
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