The producers news. [volume] (Plentywood, Mont.) 1918-1937, 1925-09-11
Canadian Wheat Growers
Apply Trade Union Idea
CONTINUED from page one)

oSAAo NO1ACNS4NC4y SAAAOASoAA AAAo $NAAeAS -
sales agency, which he and his fellow
farmers control.
In short, the Canadian farmer is
applying the typical trade union idea
of collective bargaining,
Now as to the results.
The Canadian farmers who sold
through the pool last year have al
ready received $1.55 a bushel for
their wheat delivered at the terminal
market. Hon. Manning Doherty, of
Canada, an authority on cooperative
marketing, has just announced that
an additional dividend of 10 cents a
bushel will be paid. This will be suf-
ficient to pay almost the entire cost
of threshing this years crop.
What Our Farmers Got
| have in my possession figures
from number Of North Dakota
farmers showing exactly what they
got for their wheat last year.
A typical example comes from
Sherwood, N. d., just across the bor-
der from Canada. The FARMER is bet
ter fixed than the average North Da-
kota farmer. He marketed his crop
for from $1.16 to $1.27 a bushel. His
average price at the local elevator
was $1.24. The freight and handling
charges did not exceed 20 cents to the
terminal market.
Therefore, we are sare in saying
that this farmer received at the ter
mlnal market $1.44 a bushel for his
wheat while the Canadian farmer
across the border received $1.65.
The actual figures furnished me by
the farmers of the Northwest indi-
cate that l have been more than gen
erous in fixing the average price re-
ceived by our farmers.
Canada's Low Freight Rates
The figures also show that the
Canadian farmer has a decided adj
vantage in the matter of freight
rates.
Fer example, from Mayfeld, Sask.,
to Port Arthur, Ont, a distance of
649 miles, the freight on a bushel of
wheat is 1913 cents; while from
SnOwden, Mont, to Duluth, Mimi, a
distance of $50 miles, the rate per
bushel is Is cents.
But it is when it comes to market
ing his crop that the United States
farmer finds himself in a defenseless
condition.
Sixty per cent of the farmers in our
country, owing to collection and bank
ing laws, are compelled to sell their
crop during threshing time in Aug
ust, September and November, and
only a small percentage are able to
hold their grain until after Deem
Der.
Canadian Can Hold
The Canadians, on the other hand,
because of their pool, can hold their
wheat for a favorable market. There
is a pool jim each of the prairie pro-
vinces, Manitoba, Alberta and Sas-
katchewan, and these provincial pools
operate through a central agency, the
! Canadian Wheat Growers, Limited
which is run by board of nine di-
rectors, three from each provincial
board of directors.
The central selling agency, through
the local bank, pays the farmer an
initial payment on each bushel of his
wheat marketed at the local elevator
This year the initial payment was
81. The farmer also receives a parti-
/ ~ BcAO441S CC4 ClllCdJG WlllCU lDCuIGS lllll
his share of the additional price actl-
ally obtained by the sales agency.
Paying the Extra Dividends
For the 1924 crop members Of the
pool received two such extra diyi
dends, known as "interim payments
One amounted to 35 cents and the
other to 20 cents a bushel, and as
have stated before, within the las
few days the statements has beer
made that final dividend of 10 cent.
would be paid, thus raising the tota
to- S1.65 per bushel for the 1924 crop
This is the price at the termina
markets. The freight charges from
the primary market and also tn
handling margin to the pool of
cents per bushel being deducted from
the price paid the farmer.
The Canadians pool marketed 100,
100000 bushels last wear and mad
for the farmers S2O.OO0.OOO more thai
the farmers of the United States re
ceived for the same amount of wheat
Great Showing This Year
The results were so satisfactc'
that this year go per cent of the Do
minion crop will be sold through tn
pool. Barring severe frost. the fore
cast is for a WELD of 350,000,000 t
100000, 900 bushels.
This offers a striking indication O
the MAGNITUDE of these operations.
; Sir Henry Thomson head of tn
Canadian National Railways. is auth
ority for the statement that tn
Canadian farmers will receive q