The Wolf Point herald. (Wolf Point, Mont.) 1913-1940, 1930-02-14

picture much more rapidly than
Montana, he asserted, for those
states cannot compete with Mon
tana, Russia and Australia where
low cost production can be car
ried on efficiently.
Speaks AS Individual
Explaining first that he was
speaking from an individual stand
point and not as a member of the
federal farm board, he said a tar
if to be just must be equal in all
commodities, whether farmer or
factory. He advised raising the ag-
ricuItural schedule to meet that of
the industries. When the welfare
of the nation is at stake and con-
%sideration given to both consumer
and producer, the United States
senator or congressman who votes
against a tariff on sugar which
is to protect the American beet
grower is not to be commended,
but has gotten off on the wrong
foot, the farm board member said.
"The federal farm act was de-
signed to help and not hinder the
farmer and we propose to carry
out that obligation" said Mr.. Nc
Kelvie. "Our work is to see that
the farmer is so organized that
he can compete with other indus
tries. We cannot revamp in a few
months a marketing system that
has been in operation for years,
nor is it our intention to do any
thing merely for the sake of ex-
p~ediency, instead we intend to
make our work lasting and Of
permanent value to the farmer.
1--WE desire to eliminate specula-
ton by placing The marketing ma
chinery in the hands of the farm
ers themselves. 1t will be a farm
er owned and a farmer controlled
scheme.
One Scheme
"The American farmer is the
NOSE efficient producer in the
world, but he is lacking in distri-
button intelligence. One solution
of this problem in Montana would
be to store the product on the
farms here in the state or at a
nearby terminal where the bar
gaining power would remain in
Montana and not in eastern cen
ters."
In answer to the common ques-
ton that the marketing act will
get the farmer further in debt,
Mr.. McKelvie said the statement
was not true. 1t is rather to en-
courage the farmer to conduct his
business on a b~usiness-like basis
through cooperation. Better prices
cannot be guaranteed by the
board, he stated, but if the farm
ers will place confidence in the
federal farm board and will pat
ronize the cooperative system
they will be in a better position
to dictate the prices that they
should receive than under the old
system.
Mr.. McKelvie said he hoped to
see the day that the cooperative
would stand alone in face of COM
petition and against other indus
tries. The money loaned at the
present time is costing a little
over 3 percent, which added to
the charge made by the subsidiary
cooperative organizations might
boost the rate to a little over 5
percent to the farmer.
Answers Questions
Following his general address,
questions were raised by a num-
Der of those in the audience. In
answer to the question, "Is spec
ulation is eliminated, what will
happen to competition? Mr.. Nc
Kelvie replied:
"If the farmer owns his product
and keeps it properly warehoused,
competition will be with the buy
ers and not the farmers"
Answering the question, eff the
farm board is successful will the
independent buyer be eliminated?"
he said:
Independent buyers will exist
long after you and l are dead and
gone and 1 do not believe it to be
a bad thing, especially if the buy
err is rendering a good service"
The question, "Is it the policy
of the board to work through ex-
listing co-operatives rather than
set up new ones?" was answered
as follows:
at is the desire of the board
to reach all the farmers and have
them associate with some cooper
ative that will function under the
National Grain corporation. l pre-
dict that there will be fewer in
stead of more cooperative organi-
cations due to consolidation,
which reduces overhead expense"