The Wolf Point herald. (Wolf Point, Mont.) 1913-1940, 1929-09-20

American, particularly in view o
the fact that American prces are
depressed somewhat because o.
the glutted condition of terminals
on this side.
Some critics of the American
marketing system, especially Sen.
ator Nye of North Dakota, believe
that the grain buyers h a e
%purposely brought about the con
gestion at terminals in order to
hammer prices down. Our view
is that such criticism is u%njusti-
fed. While it is true that the
Minneapolis and Duluth markets
have been crowded with wheat
from the middle west and south
west which normally seeks an
outlet at gulf ports, this situation
was brought about more because
of an earlier congestion at those
ports than because of any effort
to divert it to the lake terminals
as a price deterrent.
We believe that when the whole
matter is settled down to it's es-
sential factors it will be found
that the wheat grower himself is
more responsible than any one
else for the overcrowded termi-
nails. Neither the grower nor the
buyer of grain yet realizes to what
extent the motor truck, good roads
and the combine have speeded up
the movement of grain to the ter
minals, with the result that u
marketing machinery is INSULT
cient to carry the load.
The Northwestern Miller. in
commenting on this phase of the
situation, says:
1.-THE trade has not yet become
accustomed to a visible of nearly
200, 900, 900 bushels and of over
flowing storage and ~oyertaxed
transportation facilities in every
direction. 1t seems to mean that
there is too much wheat, whereas
it actually means that the wheat
is in a different position. Instead
of being farm reserves it is con-
sp%icuously displayed in the show
window, broadcasting the appear
ance rather than the proved fact
of surplus.
What the farm board, farm
loans. cooperative marketing or
merely farming good sense may in
time do to change this situation
is yet to be revealed. 1t is GER
tain that this year the economies
effected by mechanization of har-
yesting and transportation to mar
ket have overreached themselves
and caused wheat growers tire
mendous losses. Farm storage is
preached, but not practiced. The
government is blamed, the grain
trade is blamed and millers are
blamed, but the real blame rests
with growers of wheat who insist
upon marketing hundreds of mill
lions of bushels of wheat in a few
weeks regardless of the strain on
commercial facilities and the in
evitable effect upon prices.
Orderly marketing like price
stabilization,' is a phase which
means whatever may be in the
mind of whoever uses it. 'Disor-
derby marketing however, has a
definite meaning, since it exactly
describes the disorder and lack of
sense in the marketing of the last
two or three wheat crops, especial
ly the present one. The whole
has been placed in the show
window for the world to see and
note. Surely it needs no 'organi-
from above or any surplus
control or other legislation, to
emphasize the supreme foolishness
Of dumping an entire crop on the
market at harvest. United States
wheat growers will have to learn,
first of all, that modern machinery
will not take the place of trading
sense, and that good roads, trucks,
md tractors can bring evil as we'll
Is good"