The Wolf Point herald. (Wolf Point, Mont.) 1913-1940, 1923-08-02
A FAIR-MINDED VIEW OF THE
POOLING METHOD OF
MARKETING
(Uncle Sam Hampton in the Montana
Wheat Grower)

A certain philosopher has said IN
men can act with effect who do no
act IN concert; no men can act il
concert who do not act with conf
dence; no men can act with conf
dence who are not bound together BY
common opinions, common affection.
and COMMON interests"
Every true lover of this country
should be bold enough to face the
facts as they are. / have no desire
to become an alarmist and I have
undimmed faith in the national ideal
to which our nation was dedicated
at its birth, but the present situation
compels every informed citizen to feel
that the time has come to raise once
more that solemn warning, sounded
in a national emergency by Americas
greatest citizen, when Lincoln said
"a house divided against itself can
not stand"
The great war caused the inform
ed citizens to think and two signifi-
cent discoveries were made.
First, the necessity for concerted
action in local, communities when the
country was in danger. Second the
joy of spiritual exaltation produced
by working for the national being,
larger than our own personal inter
ests. Now, concerted action is just
as needful and to stay on the job
until the work is done will produce
the same high degree of joy.
One of the most sublime express
sions of "joint action" is found in
the document which gave birth to this
nation. The man who wrote this i'm
mortal document was a farmer and
it said: eve mutually pledge to
each other our lives our fortunes and
our sacred honor" That was the
spirit that sent a thrill of confidence
throughout the American colonies and
'fired the shot hat was heard around
the world" 1t was such a spirit that
underworld the republic. These noble
old pioneers and farmers did not lose
their lives but saved them; they did
not lose their fortunes but made them
anu tIclT SdCISu HOllOI DCCdllS ulI-
dying fame.
I have cited these facts because it
has become necessary for the Ameri-
can farmers to organize for " joint
action" in order to save the farming
business and therefore save our Amer
lean civilization. Our allegiance
must not be divided.
1t is action that counts now and
there is open a free and unobstructed
road for all farmers to travel and
that road is the pooling of their pro-
ducts and the sign board on the road
is "Controlled Marketing" We farm
ers have nothing to surrender but our
individual tendency and our weak
ness and helplessness as peddlers in
the market. Like the soldier boy we .
must join a being larger than our '
selves and go cover the top" jointly. '
Then let us observe some of the }
features of the pooling system. First, :,
t stabilizes the credit of the farmer !,
by having a responsible organization :
% be his spokesman. not alone in the
markets. but to instill confidence in r !,
lis creditors at home. If the bank =
RS and merchants persist in dealing :,
With one farmer at a time they will =
continue to deal in mortgages and :"
foreclosures in increasing ratio I'M
il they themselves will be precipi-
over the gulf of bankruptcy.
Second, the pooling system will
tabilize markets and prices. The |
markets will not be glutted. Demand {
ill seek supply and not supply de- q
land, as is now the case. Contracts
an be guaranteed to millers and con- G
lmers without the necessity of
hedging and the board of trade c
ambling, including hedging" will c
nd, and ultimately by law as wa 0
lie Louisiana lottery.
Only 23-100 of one per cent of b
lis grain sold on futures is avail
Die for delivery at Chicago. Upon 1
these pyramided sales a commits N
is paid, the direct tendency of
is to lower prices to the farmer
Id increases the cost to consumers.
he farmers object to having their
ices fixed by a gambling i%nstitu-
on.
Third, the pooling system is both
gal and responsible. 1t does not buy
heat but sells it. 1t is not a stock
ling corporation, but is based on a
embership contract, a non-profit,
le man-one vote proposition. A
stem of service and not of exploit
|
1t has already demonstrated it's
ility to get better prices and to
more economically.
Fourth. the pooling system is in
AS soon as its members
rvest, a report is made direct to
clearing house giving the number
bushels and its quality. Hence
2 necessity of a big guessing con-
It at Washington as to the crop
oduced will be a joke. When all
-mers join, we will know for a