The Wolf Point herald. (Wolf Point, Mont.) 1913-1940, 1924-07-17

mere are, IN all, eleven WHedC maj
keting associations which are OF hav
Y been in operation in the country dur
\ ing the last four years. The Montan'
: association has operated at lowe
cost to the membership, per bushel
2 than any other of these organizes
groups.
The Grain Exchange
Next there comes the worn ques
ton of the use by the association
, of the Minneapolis chamber of com
merce in disposing of pooled wheat
The association is viciously condemn
ed for its appearance on the organ.
lied exchanges.
But it is a recognized fact that
thus, and thus only, can the full
market value be obtained for the
pooled wheat. The question facing
this and every other association when
operations started was: "Shall we
sell on the exchanges, and get full
value, or shall we sell Independently,
and take from one to ten cents a
bushel less than we could get through
the organized market?" The Montana
association, like those in North and
South Dakota, Minnesota, Kansas,
Nebraska, Colorado and elsewhere
will settle that question in the man
ner to get the best price for the
wheat of its members.
When control of the wheat crop
rests in association hands, then buy
ers will come to the association and
they can operate Independently of
the exchanges. But so long as they
control only a small part Of the
wheat crop, then they must take the
wheat where buyers al be found
and that place is the grain exchange.
1t is interesting and in point that
the failure of the Equity Co-Opera-
tive Exchange was due In consider
able part to it's inability to get per-
mission to sell grain on the exchange
in Minneapolis. Yet this group now
attacking the association, criticise it
for avoiding the calamity which
overlook the Minnesota concern.
Point No. 5 in the list of grievances
attacks the association for failure
to cooperate with the Equity Co
Operative Exchange of st. Paul and
failure to store wheat in the termi-
nails of this sister cooperative or
.ganization. And here, undoubtedly,
is exposed the fundamental reason
for this organized attack on the Mon
tana association. For one of the
leaders of the group in the north
eastern part of the state is by open
avowal of one who is now on the pay
roll of the remnant of the Equity
Exchange.
The facts are these: The Equity
Cooperative Exchange has been in
The hands of the receivers for nearly
TWO years, the result of mismanage-
ment and of a policy of destruction
instead of business operation. AS an
organization there is nothing to CO. /
operate with. The Equity, aside from
burden of debt, an ambitious re- {
.eiver and a few paid henchmen, is
10 longer an entity.
The Equity elevator, which accord !
ng to contention the Montana as :
ociation should have used, are out
# the grain district in the Twin
and its use for storage of as
ISOLATION wheat would have added {
precisely four cents per hundred to (
.ssociation storage charges in addi- !
ion to those which were incurred. {
Dissemination Of Information q
Officers Of the association, accord r
ng to complaint No. g., have with
leld information regarding opera :
and organization activities !,
rom members and even the direc- &
,ors. But the directors issuing this r
statement have never experienced this :
5aciturity ON the part Of the officers +
and it remains for an outlying group 7
IF disconnected persons, totally una !
ware Of conditions in the central Of :
lice, to bring this point up. 7
The association at all times has !
worked on the policy Of making pub +
ic every bit of information which /
would not, if placed in the hands of :
enemies, hinder its sales operations. :
All business institutions must keep :
certain phases of their work in CON +
5idence to achieve best results, and :
marketing associations form no ex- :
to this rule. The statement :
hat information has been withheld =
rom members and directors, how
aver, is without basis in truth.
The directors at all times have in
regarding operations, and
10 question of policy is embarked
IN by the officers without the sane .
ion of the board. Regular reports !
ire made by officers to board, in !
addition to the audits. A publica- Z
ion has been established to get az I
news from the board and the !
,fficers to the membership, and moth L
ng is withheld except certain points /
'~egarding sales, at intervals, when 2
publication Of such matter would eff 4
'ect sales operation. 0
Much Personal Abuse o
By far the greatest amount of
mercy has been expended by this b,
group in attacks on persons con d
lected with the Montana association n
md other organizations. WithoutJU