The Bozeman courier. (Bozeman, Mont.) 1919-1954, 1923-02-28
Bring the Market to Montana
Products, Plan of WI. Stockton

Marketing farm products of Nom
tana is one of the big problems of the
present time, due in a great sense to
the distance to market and the high
freight cost. The matter has been
given attention at meetings of county
and state sessions of the Farm Bu-I
reau, and is considered n Of the
weighty problems needing solution.
w. L. Stockton, state organizer for
the Montana Farm Bureau, has given
the matter of marketing farm pro-
ducts a great deal Of study, and has
reached the decision that one of the
best methods to overcome the big
handicap is to bring the market to the
products, or send the products to the
eastern market in a partially finished
product. In the accompanying letter
he very clearly states a feasible
method of increasing the returns to
the producer of the raw materials.
Editor Courier:
Dear Strive all have our troubles
Of various natures, and frequently In
reality our worst troubles never hap
pen. However, if / should ask a
group of thoughtful ranchers of Mon
tana what their worst troubles are,
and greatest handicap to success are
l think a large portion Of them would
answer high freight rates. Possibly
they would be right, as when we stop
to consider the marketing of the last
crop We realize that at least 80 per
cent of the selling price of our wheat
went to pay transportation charges.
I think we all agree that this condi-
ton cannot continue and the Montana
wheat grower be prosperous. / think
also the mot sanguine of us will ad-
NIT that We cannot expect more than
a 20 per cent reduction at best (if
that much) in freight rates.
Even under these conditions It
would mean that the last crop would
have to contribute at least % per cent
of the selling price in transportation.
This is not satisfactory, We cannot
get away from the fact that we are "a
long way from the present market. If
we cannot overcome this condition as
it exists today, the only way l see to
solve the problem is to bring the mar
ket to us. Montana has the third
largest amount of available water
power of the states and its supply is
the most uniform, which means it IS
the cheapest to develop, as large res
ervoirs are not needed to maintain
a steady supply. fully expect to see
Montana known as a manufacturing
state. The recent coal strike i'm
pressed upon the manufacturers the
very urgent need of securing a more
steady source of power.
One little example of III gross m
efficiency in handlin" our product
may not be out Of place. The gov
eminent report shows that Montana
and Idaho have over 100000 sheep;
that their fleeces average between
eight ana nine pounds per sheep; that
thesc fleeces are made up of about
half real wool and the other half dirt
and grease. Or that each fleece SEN
to market carries over four pounds
of dirt and grease. We take these
fleeces and crowd them into bags am
ship them to Boston as they COM
from the sheep, or in other words,
means that we are paying freight OF
over 10000 tons Of grease and dir
from Montana and Idaho to Boston
Mass, every year, just to. show tn
railroads that We are good fellows
This is bad enough, but We do not stol
at that. The wool goes through a
least one spectators hands and
cleaned, and then goes 10 the mills
many of which are located in Mich
igan and Indiana. 1t is there manu-
featured into cloth, and it then goe
to the merchant tailors and jobberS
many of whom are located in NeN
York and Brooklyn, and made int
clothing to be distributed over tn
country. Can you conceive a more III
efficient method of marketing on
product?