The Bismarck tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, N.D.) 1916-current, 1925-12-12
Members Were Saved a Quar-
ter of a Million Dollars This
Year-TwO Pools Operated
Selling Cost Five Cents
Per BuSheI Less Than COM
mission System
BY Robert T.. Mackin. Publicity

Director for the South Dakota
Wheat Growers ASSuciati on)
In 1929. and for years previous. the
farmers Of South Dakota claimed thas
they weren't getting Il square deal
in the marketing of their wheat, SO
they organized a marketing aSsocia-
ton Of their own. No more distii-
guished person in South Dakota took
the lead in forming this marketing
! association than the states chief
executive, Governor Carl Gundersnn.
"Out of necessity is born the
mother Of invention" and Governor
Carl GundersOn, with twenty -four
other farmers, recognized that the
time had come to pass that it was
absolutely necessary to do something
in this state to get Il marketing or
ganization Of their own that in some
way would give them better deal in
getting their wheat to the cons mer
These twenty-five farmers, like
thousands of other farmers, in South
Dakota, became sick and tired of the
everlasting effort to get Il price
through the avenue of special priv
ilege that would allow them Il reason
able profit for growing their wheat.
There have been farmer movements
and farmer organizations without
number, but they could never get
their grain any closer to the con-
sumer than from the box-car door at
the elevator. With these conditions
existing, these twenty-five farmers
met during the legislature at Pierre
in 1923, and formulated the plans
which resulted in the organization
of the South Dakota Wheat Growers
Association on June 2S, 1923. This
organization took place, however,
after a thorough examination of var
ious plans of marketing were investi-
gated and the pooling plan under the
five year contract agreement, was ac-
cepted as the most successful and
the most apt to be successful in
South Dakota.
states and the continuous growth of
the Canadian pools and various pools
in the United States have put the
stamp Of approval on the good judg-
ment these men used in selecting this
plan of marketing.
Selecting a President
Having formed their organization,
; the first thing necessary to do, was
to select among themselves, man
whose integrity and honesty and bust
ness sagacity was above .reproach,
and at the same time who was not in
any way connected with the political
movements in any outstanding way.
After securing the state over, they
found a man in Aberdeen whose
career qualified him in most excel
lent way for the presidency of such
an Association. This man was Joseph
f. Kelly of Aberdeen, South Dakota
He has under his personal control, the
farming operations of over 100 quar-
ter sections of land Mr.. Kelly has
been at the head Of the Chamber of
Commerce in Aberdeen, has taken part
for years in the leading activities of
the state towards the end Of agricul-
tural development, and in his line Of
work, that of a real estate man, he
has done. as much as anyone to
develop the turnover of land in the
wheat growing section of the state
Himself dirt farmer" and an in
dividual wheat grower for many
years. he was accepted by the Board
of Directors as perhaps the best quail
fled man for this position.
The next important task before the
Board of Directors was the selection
Continued on page FOUR