The Bismarck tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, N.D.) 1916-current, 1923-09-11
STATE BOOSTED
IN RADIO TALK
BY ]. M. DEVINE
Commissioner of immigration
Calls North Dakota ''Big
Rich and Good State"
WAR DIFFICULTIES
Many of Ills of Farmer
Traced to OverproductiOn
of Wheat by MIR. Devine

Minneapolis, Minn., Sept. IL
was compared to that of Minnesota
by J. NJ. Devine, Commissioner Of
immigration of North Dakota, in. a
talk broadcast from radio station
WLAG here last night
AS Minnesota turned from produc-
ing wheat as it one big crop so North
Dakota is turning from wheat to
corn, hogs and the dairy COW, the
commissioner said.
"Some years ago Minnesota pro-
duced about eighty million bushels of
wheat annually" he said. "She now
produces but twenty-seven million
bushels. She quit wheat production
from dire necessity. She now pro-
duces in place of her former large
wheat production $133, 100000 worth
of cream. butter and milk, $45 10000
worth of poultry and eggs, $72.000,-
600 worth of livestock. Wisconsin
was once a wheat state. She gave Il
ur years ago as losing proposition.
Today she is producing $205, 100000
worth of cream, butter and cheese
with poultry and livestock in relative
proportion"
North~Dakota was described by Mr..
Devine as "a big, rich and good
state" North Dakota, he said, is
one-third as large as the German en-
pire, which feeds, clothes and sus-
tains 6O,000,O00 people as compared
to North Dakota's population of 675,-
600 people. The resources in agricul-
ture, coal and clay are great, he said.
Resources Great
eve have state institutions in
plenty and the executive machinery
in business, railroads, cities, banks,
schools, churches, to render prompt,
efficient service to two-million
population he said. "Yet in spite of
this states great progress in all
those things which go to make up a
great and progressive commonwealth,
Dnr farmers who constitute-the great
source of our wealth and upon whose
prosperity depends the prosperity OF
the state have recently and through
organized effort appealed to the Pres
ident Of the United States to call a
special session of Congress to enact
promptly legislation that would tide
them over their serious and distress
ing financial situation. -
"Why this unusual condition? The
answer is that since the close of the
states and more especially the farm
ers of North Dakota have been OBJ
liged to travel hard and weary road,
and at the present time many of them
are fighting a rear end battle to hold
for themselves and their children the
farms and homes that they own.
North Dakota is largely single track
producer and that production is wheat.
Initiation with it's high prices for all
production of factory and farm came
quickly with the declaration of war
and deflation with it's consequent low
ering Of all prices for all commodities
came even more quickly with the dec
laration Of peace. Both initiation and |
deflation> caught our farmers and |
more especially the single track
wheat farmer on the hot end of both
propositions. The high war price of
all Industrial finished material and
of which the farmer isv the nations
greatest buyer reached our farmers
first and the low price of such man.
ufactured material after the war
reached him last. Three-fourths of
the farm acreage Of the middle east
and western sections Of our state was
seeded to wheat and that wheat when
ready for the market was to be ,pur-
chased at fixed war price, 1925 perl
Lushel. That deal with Uncle Sam
brought to the farmers of that par
ticular section very heavy loss up
Why? Because there was almost a
total failure of his wheat crop and
he did not have the wheat to sell
when the selling time arrived In
to this unfortunate fact, fail
ure after failure Of that particular
crop has been the history of that par
ticular section since the war. What
wheat he had to sell was always sold
n low level market while he was OBJ
liged to, buy in a high level market.
His 500 worth Of wheat would only
purchase $50 worth of what he must
Of necessity buy.
Wars Aftermath l.
"The great war closed November
IL, 1913. That great event came
quickly. It came at a time when North
Dakota was about to place on the
market seven million acre crop of
wheat and which crop was seeded,
harvested and threshed under the
,igh 4, level war price for labor
# every character. The high
evel cost included machinery
md numerous other overhead ex-
senses incident to farm activities and
ife. That vast crop acreage was the
oval, patriotic expression of our ;
armers In their laudable effort to
eed not only our home people and ;
lrmy but all the people and ali the
'rrnies OF our allies who fought with
is across the seas. It was . hesoic |
tempt on their part to help in every ,
vaX they knew how to destroy that
lrmy whose leaders boldly challenged
of the civilized world to
heir rightful and just place to their
pot in the sun. The farmers Of this II
ountry and state made good on the
-. ;oh asuSnunA ..0jrf....Ss - ~ n