The Wolf Point herald. (Wolf Point, Mont.) 1913-1940, 1924-07-17
GRAIN GROWERS MEN
REPLY TO CHARGES
NINE DIRECTORS TELL WHY
CERTAIN THINGS WERE
DONE

AA-S
citation, answering in detail thu
charges made against the director
bv a group of men who wish to pu-
into control another board of direc
tors. Herald readers who are mem
bers of the Wheat Growers Asso-
citation will be particularly interest
ed in the statement which follows:
The Statement
A concerted drive is underway tC
overthrow the present statewide di-
rection of the Montana Wheat Grow
ers' association, and to supplant it
with a hand-picked group of men
pledged to turn over the marketing
of the pooled wheat to an agency
foreign to the state and even nov
in the hands of receivers, according
to a statement issued from the
Lewistown headquarters of the or
ganization. The attack on the or
%ganization is led by a disgruntled
ex-employe, and carries the support
of a small but closely organized mi
noritv of the members of the asso-
citation. located in the northeastern
part of the state, according to the
Lewistown office. Evidence of the
destructive desires of the group of
is pointed to in the recent vote held
on the question of continuing the
association, when a majority of mem
bers of the northeastern territory
voted to discontinue. The state
ment continues:
So many misleading statements
many of them wholly false-have
been made by the group now fighting
the association that simple justice to
the membership requires a frank
consideration of the situation. The
group leading the attack, aligned
on the one hand with a practically
defunct and totally unsuccessful
farm organization of Minnesota, and
on the other hand with the ultra
radical. communist group bent upon
state and national destruction, has
made nine chief charges against the
wheat growers organization. They
are:
Nine Charges
Failure to have audits made
regularly, in accordance with the con-
stitution and bylaws of the %associa-
ton.
2.-Allegations of graft and dis
honesty on the part of the officers
and directors.
3.-Exhorbitant overhead expense
the result Of graft and inefficiency.
4.-Improper use of the sales ia
Of the Minneapolis chamber
commerce in disposal of pooled
wheat.
5.-Failure to use the Equity Co. !
operative Exchange Of st. Paul in
wheat, and the Equity termi-
nal storage facilities in storing
6.-Withholding of information re
garding association activities from
directors and members.
Personal attacks on George G.
Jewett, general manager OF the
American Wheat Growers associated,
r. Cresap, president of the
Montana Wheat Growers Association
and G. NJ. Strawman, manager of the
Montana Wheat Growers association.
8.-Allegation that the recent ref
erendum on discontinuance was a
move by present directors and man
agement to destroy association.
9.-Repetition of attacks made by
speculative grain trade, such as crit
icism because of delayed payments,
low average prices, high salaries, etc.
The First Falsehood
Declaration, No. /, on the part of
this group, that the officers have
prevented audits Of the association
books, is completely false. "The
business of the organization since
it's inception has never been audited"
reads a statement by the destructive
group printed in the Producers News
Plentywood.
On the contrary, the truth is that
regular s%emi-annual audits, in com
plete detail, have been made of the
books of the Montana Wheat Grow
ers' association. At the present time
auditors from the firm Of Ernst &
Ernst, certified public accountants,
are in the Lewistown offices compile
5in@ the audit for the current se"son.
In the case of every audit the ac-
counts of the association have been
k'ed, and in some instances high
praise has been given for the manner
IN which the work has been done
The Question Of Honesty
Next in order come numerous SLAM
1erous allegations of dishonesty on
the part of certain officers and en-
These are as false as the
statements regarding auditing of ac-
counts. The board of directors have
at all times maintained accurate in
spection and supervision over the ac-
of officers and employees.
Through this check, as well as
through the check maintained by au-
dts twice each year, any dishonesty
would become apparent. Not only
that. The American Wheat Growers
Associated, which includes the Mon
association, has banded all its
officers, including the officers of
The Montana Wheat Growers Asso-
in the sumo of 100000.
The question of ~capability of an
is a question of personal
opinion, and may be open to discus
sion. But the question of his homes
" is one to be determined from in
in which personal opinion
,1auc no mart SI1cb attacks &c howe