The Wolf Point herald. (Wolf Point, Mont.) 1913-1940, 1930-04-18

agency must direct and contrc
the marketing, both at home an
for export.
The end sought is a reversal O
the situation as it exists today
and which has always heretofor,
existed.
The buyers have always had thu
control in determining prices
When the farmer has produced
the crop, the buyer has told the
farmer how much the price would
be. The Spectator has also play
ed his part in establishing mark.
ct prices. Fortunes have been
made in handling and dealing in
wheat as it passed from the farm
to the loaf OF bread.
When the story is all told, the
consumer has paid a price for
the finished product out Of all
proportion to the price paid the
farmer for producing it, and the
producer has on the average re-
NShfSN 1900 LhdA LIE ldDOi dIQ
investment cost of production.
We have set out to change this
system. We propose to do it by
making the farmer not only a
producer but also a merchandiser
of the commodity purchased.
We propose to accomplish this
by gaining ownership and control
of the marketing machinery used
in disposing Of the crop after it
is produced. The farm organiza-
tons have tried to do this job
heretofore u%naided, but they have
always found their adversary, the
private grain trade, too powerful
an organization with which to
cope.
The grain marketing machinery,
from exporter on back to the
grain exchanges at the terminals,
and then back of the terminals
to the country elevators, has been
owned not by the producers of
grain, but by a commercial group
having no interest in the welfare
of the producer and being con-
cerned only with making money
out of the business.
No organization of farmers has
ever been built in the United
States with members and money
sufficient to wrest ownership and
control of the grain marketing
machinery from the hands of the
private grain trade. 1t takes mil
lions of credit to market the an
nual wheat crop of this nation.
The private grain trade has not
only had the physical marketing
machinery in their possession, but !
they have had ready access to
commercial credit. l
Government Credit Now Available Z
What the producers have hith- |
erto lacked, the Congress and the |
President of the United States {
have now provided by special leg :
islation. We have the Marketing
Act, the Federal Farm Board, and !
$500, 000, 900 of money available as :
aid for cooperative marketing. z
The resources of the Federal In u
termediate Credit Bank have also
been made available for use, so |
that the revolving fund of $780, ?
600, 600 really represents several I
billiotls of dollars available as {
credit facilities to the organized .
grain growers. 9
A part of the credit thus pro L
vided is available for marketing II
facilities. BY facilities with re- .
spect to wheat marketing we Z
mean elevators, terminal and To- y
cal, also storage tanks on the u
farms.
Facility loans are to be made y
to the organized farmer on a '
time payment basis, a little each =
AS loans are repaid, the l
funds thus returned to the revolv- =
ing fund may be loaned for more
and still more facilities, until in
time all of the elevators and all b
the storage facilities may pass +
out of private hands and become IL
the cooperative property of the I
themselves. Y
Grain Corporation Organized pt
Let us examine the steps which Fl
a v thus far been taken to car 10
y out this program. &C
In September 1929 the Farm i'll
Board called the officials of all b
he farm organizations engaged
n handling grain, to a meeting as
n Chicago. To this meeting came m
every type Of existing organiza- Tn
len that by the greatest posi- ne
lie stretch OF rules could call it.
elf a farm marketing group. III
There were Wheat Pool associa- m
ions, terminal sales agencies.
nd state grain elevator associa- by
ions. Some were simon pure CO. as
operatives, keenly DESTROYS OF va
about a National Grain 10
association. Others 10
we're Indifferent, and even hos pa
lie. Id
cooperative minded organizations Tic
t this meeting to make a start, sc
nd the Farmers National Grain I'd
orporation was organized. pa