The producers news. [volume] (Plentywood, Mont.) 1918-1937, 1924-06-13

the management is inadequate to al
lay the suspicious in the minds of the
! average members. The blunders of
the management of the Association
seem 10 be altogether too systematic.
POOL START AUSPICTOUS
The organization Of the Montana
Wheat Growers Association was most
suspicious. Over ten thousand far
mers Joined at an initial expense of
ten dollars per head Organizers
have called on nearly all of the wheat
producers In the state at great ex-
pense. Millions of bushels of grain
mas been handled In such a way as to
return to the farmers less than thew
could have received at the local eIe-
Vators. The main idea of the pool
was never tried. The cid line grain
companies were cOnciliated. The
Chamber of Commerce. was patrO-
nlzed, and the early war on the
Chamber Of Commerce. was aban-
doned and policy of collaboration
/ was adopted, that could end in moth
ing but defeat and despair. Nearly
every original idea of the pool was
forgotten as time passed The man
agement. though maintaining a pub
ncatlon, steadfastly refused to keen
the membership advised as to the pol
Icy of the Association, even keeping
the actual information of its activities
away from the Board of Directors
elected to manage the association bv
the members; more than that actual
ly giving out wholly untrue and un-
warranted reports, when the policy of
Keeping the membership in actual ig-
norance of policy was dewiated from:
delayed payments, changed the meth
ods cf payments and settlements. and
held out hopes of final settlements
that were not realized, until the mem
Dershlp was actually disgusted with
the whole pool idea and the discon-
tent among the pool members was
general. The outrageous overhead ex-
pense incurred in the handling of the
grain reduced the net returns to tine
IaunerS to the amount of thousands
OF dollars less than the members
would or could have received AFT the
local elevators. On the top of this
the president of the OrganiZation
dabbled in politics and Travelled abOut
constantly, using the Wheat Growers
money for expenses, first on ono
QueStIOnab mission and .he1 an
other. The pool publication instead
CT beng used to build up the moral
OF The pool was used to promote such
schemes as the interest of the officers
dictates to the detriment of the inter-
est cL membership. The organization
Iaunched with such prospects was
headed for the docks of destruction.
BUSINESS NOT
EVEN AUDITED
The business of the organization
since its inception has never been
audited A detailed report of the
business has never been published.
How the expenses for the manage
ment of the business has been in
currred has never been disclosed.
That is a secret of Mr.. Strawman and
Mr.. Cresap, both of which gentlemen
have drawn fabulous salaries-sal-
aries such as they can never command
IN any private business of any kind
or sort.
STEPS TAKEN TO
SAVE POOL
Realizing that something must be
done to save the pool, conscious Of its
dcllDerate betrayal by the officers and
C9elf premedlated design to week
VIC pOOiS, am I6dilElnS me necessity
of the pool and cooperative market
lfS, II the wheat growing industry is
- be saved, several members took
steps TO save it. Among these men
and foremost was August Nelson
OIL Lewlstown, since the beginning Of
the organization and until recently.
the organization management, and
Under whose initiative the most of the
members were secured and Clair
StCner OF Sheridan County, at pres
Ell one of the members of the Board
Oh directors Of the pool, Hero Bierk-
land Valley County, another mem
Der of the Board of Directors, Sen.
) w. Anderson Of Richland County,
and many others over the state. In
the past year Stoner and Bjerkland
Llnntinnaa On 1nnn.n nsc.L.AA