The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1923-09-14
FARMERS R|LED
OVER SHARP
PRACTICES
Criticize U. S. Department for
Shielding Those Who Have
MuIcted Them.
BY WILLIAM HARD.

A fine young thunderstorm is
rolling up for the Department. of
Agriculture out of the Northwest,
and with it a neat little demonstra.
ton of why the Northwestern farm
er gets agitated and goes and votes
for Shipstead and Magnus John
son.
The Central Cooperative Commits
sion Association of st. Paul. which
does a large business in the co.
operative selling of live stock for
farmers. has signed It's name TO
charges that "the farmers of the
Northwest will continue to feel that
the Department Of Agriculture at
washington Is more interested in
the nVe stock commission men
than 1t Is In the live stock produ,
GERS unless an explanation ia
furnished Of the Departments in.
tentions in the following amazing
case:
Accounts Irregular.
l. The South st. Paul Live Stock
Exchange. consisting of commission
men who sell live stock for farmers
as the legal agents of those farm.
ers, has thirty-two members. Six.
teen OF them have this year been
found guilty of irregularities in
their accounts with their farmer
customers.
In other words, half of the men
doing business In this important
market have been found to be ''ir.
regular ''irregular"-
in their dealings with their clients
back on the farms.
This discovery has been made
through the work of auditors sent
to the South st. Paul livestock
| market by the Department of Agri-
culture under the new Packers and
| Stockyards Act" of 1921.
For years the farmers have
claimed that they were getting
| cheated by the business men through
whom they sell their products in the
| cities. For years the business men
| in Minnesota have been calling the
| farmers "Bolsheviks'' for thinking
and saying such things. Now the
country can observe two parallel
One. shipstead and Magnus John.
| son in the United States Senate.
TWO. Sixteen out Of thirty-two
members Of the South st. Paul Live
stock Exchange convicted and fined
for irregular" practices.
Such Is part one of the situation.
1t shows the farmers Suspicious
confirmed. Then comes part two
In which his desire for revenge IL
still unsatisfied.
Information Secret.
The fines imposed upon the Of
Lennlng members Of the. South st.
faul Live Stock Exchange were not
n0Ga6 fhn -.
Ihey We're imposed by the South ST.
Paul Live Stock Exchange itself on
secret information confidentiallv
conveyed to the South st. Paul Live
STOCK Exchange-but not to the
culture.
The offending dealers have not
been publicly exposed and executed
in public tribunal. They have
Deen pr1vately-aEd often anOnv.
Inously-admonished and disciplined
by their comrades.
One of them was fined $500 and
retired from business. Seven of
them We're fined from $3.50 to $3.50
and suspended flom business for a
While. Eight of them We're simply
Ilned IN sums ranging from $50
to $3.50.
NOAL4t1L cooperative Com.
mission Association now saws:
MANY producers have asked us
why the Department Of AgricuI-
ture reported these cases (of va.
rious commission men who have
INDUCED in fraudulent practicesl
to the Live Stock Exchange in.
stead Of using its authority 10
proceed against these men under
criminal law. We have never been
able to find any answer to this
question. We have never been
able to find any satisfactory reason
why government department
should look to live stock ex.
change to furnish penalties for VIC |
lation of law especially when so
per cent of it's members have been
found to be violating that law"
In other words, the cooperative
livestock farmers of Minnesota
want the Department of Agriculture
to come out and apply publicity of
exposure and publicity of punish
ment TO the homeopathic live
stock dealers who admittedly have
been dealing with the farmers in |
ways found to be irregular" and
unfair.
Departments Position.
On inquiry In the Department of !
Agriculture this writer learns that
the departments position is as fol- |
lows:
The department has not vet fin |
ished it's handling of these cases. |
1t is true that certain results of the |!
departments inquiries in the South |!
st. Paul livestock market were
conveyed to the South st. Paul Live !,
Stock Exchange. 1t is true that !
the penalties inflicted upon dealers !
for irregular" practices in the !
South st. Paul market were inflict.
ed by the exchange. The denartI
ment, however, still has it's hand ON
the matter. 1t may yet hold pub
lie hearings about it and proceed to
public actions about it,
Meanwhile the Minnesota State
Railroad and Warehouse Commits.
sion Is denounCing the Department
of Agriculture for CLOSE friendly |
relations with the packers and |
exchanges"
The department begs this thun-
derstorm to postpone denouncing its
policy till its policy is completed.
Copyright 1928 Washington Press
ScrvlCr.)