Plentywood herald. [volume] (Plentywood, Mont.) 1908-current, 1928-08-23
Farmers Query Wheat Pool
Man at Roosevelt Meeting
Dakota Representative Subject to
Barrage Of Questions From Many
Tdllers; Explains Aim of Group.

Wolf Point, Aug. 20.-That farm
ers of today are in the same econ
omic position as skilled labor was 35
years ago was the contention of n.
j. Demaree of Des Lacs, N. D., rep
resenting the North Dakota Wheat
Growers association, in a talk to a
group of wheat pool farmers here.
Production costs on the modern
farm are low, he said, but just as
long as the farmer must axis "What
will you give me for my products ~
just so long will farming be pre-
carious occupation by which to make
a living. AS soon as the farmer is
able to control the output of his
farm and insist on cost plus slight
margin of profit, he will have his
foot on the first rung of the ladder
lgS 4 to ultimate independence.
Mr.. Demaree pointed out that, de-
spite the fact that the United States
and Canada had bumper crops this
year, there was large shortage in
the world crop. But whether there is
a world shortage or not, he said, the
hard high protein wheat of North
Dakota and Montana does not have
to compete in price with wheat of
other countries since not a pound of
it is ever exported The bulk of the
high protein wheat is raised in these
Two states and the supply of this
quality wheat has never equalled the
demand
That the pool plan of marketing
will eventually enable wheat growers
to get what this choice wheat is
worth, is Mr. Demaree's contention.
He said that wheat growers who
signed up to pool their grain and
then sold to other elevators are re-
tarding the work of the Wheat Grow
ers association and working against
their own interests. He credited the
Wheat Growers association with be
ing responsible for the paying of
good protein premiums by the old
line elevators in communities where
the wheat pool is operating. He
said premiums were paid on the pro-
tein content basis, where other years
a slight premium Of 5 or 10 cents a
bushel is paid for extra good wheat.
Mr.. Demaree came to Wolf Point
expecting to explain the commodity
form of cooperative marketing and
was unprepared for some Of the
questions that were put to him by
farmers who were in the pool last
year. The farmers had been invited
to ask questions and they did. All
of the pool members wanted to know
when the final payment for last
years wheat will be made. They
had expected to get this in july and
some of them had counted on using
It as working capital during har-
vest; others needed the money to buy
machinery.
Some Of the farmers had gone to
the trouble of tracing the cars of
pool wheat shipped from Wolf Point
and claimed that these were sold on
arrival last fall instead of being
held back and stored. They wanted
to know why, when the pool urged
against dumping grain on the mar
ket, this grain was sold Immediately.
Some were disgruntled because to
date they have received only S1.01
for last years grain and saw no
reason why the final payment should
not be made; others were honestly
seeking to understand the wheat pool
method of doing business.
Mr.. Demaree was at a disadvant-
age as he was unable to answer off
hand questions directly dealing with
the Wolf Point situation without ref
erence to records at Grand Forks. He
promised, however, to take the mat
ters up by correspondence. He urg
ed any who were dissatisfied to have
their contracts returned.
Mr.. Demaree had engagements at
Havre and Chinook and he and Omar
Fundingsland, manager of the pool
elevator, made the trip to Havre by
car from Wolf Point.
-----------O------
Mr.. and Mrs. A. +. Ziebarth re-
turned from tha Rainvill To- Wolf Point