The Omaha morning bee. [volume] (Omaha [Neb.]) 1922-1927, 1923-11-06
Eckhardt' t
Libel Suit
is Started
Former Grain Treasurer Says
Prof. ]. C. Filley's Article
Kept Him From Life's
Work.
Was Deposed As Official

Lincoln. Nov. 5.-An echo OF the Ill
fated United States Grain Growers
association was heard here today
when w. G. Eckhardt, former treas
urer of the association, brought suit
for damage in federal court against
J. C. Filley, professor of the Nebras-
ka College Of Agriculture, and the
Nebraska Farm Bureau federation.
Eckhardt's suit rises out Of an ar
ticle written by Prof. Filley and pub
lished by the Nebraska federation,
which he alleges is defamatory and
has kept him out of his life work.
The article, which appeared a year
and a half ago, Is a report by Prof.
Filley of a meeting Of delegates for
election purposes of the Grain Grow
ers association, held in March, 1922.
at which Eckhardt lost his position
as treasurer. The article states that
Eckhardt had given evidence OF ex-
travagance in the past and that Tor
that reason there might be some ques-
ton of his competency to handle the
funds of an organization that planned
the marketing of 00,000,000 bushels
of wheat.
Claims Credit Destroyed.
The plaintiffs attorney. John
Burke. former governor of North
Dakota, declared that since the. pub
lication of the article, which he main
tains charges his client with incom-
potency and extravaganza, Eckhardt
has been deprived OF his life work
and his credit has been destroyed.
Further, that had men OF the stamp
of Eckhardt been in charge OF the
United States Grain Growers II would
have been a big thing at the present
time.
Counsel for the defendants denied
that the article furnished cause for
damage and declared that II was
simpuly a fair picture of the conven.
ton, and that Prof. Filley owed 1t
to the farmers whom he represented
at the convention. The steps that
led up to the creation Of the aseocia-
ton were briefly sketched, az was
the career of Eckhardt prior to his
assumption Of the position OF treas
urer.
1t was asserted that Eckhardt had
always been a persons OF broad vi
sion, that he had pictured a grain
marketing organization that owned
elevators, timberlands and mills, grain
processing plants and ships to carry
grain. Many of these, counsel de-
clared were impossible and imprac
ticable. but Eckhardt. in his vision
of what the farmer needed, lost sight
of this fact.
1t was shown that early in the life
of the grain growers association two
factions developed. one of which de-
sired large expenditures and adyertis-
ing campaigns while the other. known
as the conservative element" ad-
vised a more cautious progress. To
the first Eckhardt belonged, counsel
said, and IL vas that faction that
lost In the election.
Eckhardt on Stand.
Eckhardt was called 10 the witness
stand late In the afternoon and out
lined his agricultural work previous
to the formation of the grain grow
ers' association. He stated that he
had been county agent. seed corn
for Illinois during the
war. and director of marketing for
the Illinois Agricultural association at
a salary Of $4,000 year.
II Is expected that former Governor
Lowden of Illinois will appear be
fore the court during the case to Of
fer testimony. The court was ad-
journed tonight until Wednesday
in order that Federal Judge
Munger might be present at a federal
,a~o f,t Gfot,w frffu