Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1931-07-16
WHEAT MEN WORK
TO AVERT DISASTER
kansans Plan to Hold Grain,
but Mortgage Holders
Force Some Sales.

special Dlspstch to The star.
GARDEN CITY, Kans.. July Is
(N.A.NAD .-Reviving the pioneer spirit
which built their country, Western
kansas business men are joining hands
in an agricultural debt holiday to es-
cape the catastrophe of 25-cent wheat.
Although no concerted movement has
been put underway, the community
consciousness" as one banker described
it, in every locality is centered on help
ing the farmer hold back his wheat
from the present market.
Some stumbling blocks are being
found. Two Of the large implement
companies have failed to follow the
policy established by Alexander Legge
for the International Harvester Co. and
are pressing mortgaged wheat Tor sale
In one important town in nearby
county the local banker Is insisting that
farmers liQuidate their mortgages, even
at present distressed prices. In general,
however Western Kansas business men
are riding along with the farmer.
Some ingenious plans : re being worked
out. Out here the Lions Club Is Cd
tanning empty buildings to offer as Tree
storage places to hard-pressed farmers
who have no storage facilities on their
farms. A huge airplane hangar. several
garages and barns, the space totallng
more than $4,000 bushels, already nave
been obtained.
At Colby, Dodge City and other points
merchants are offering to accept Wheat
from farmers on their Indebtedness az
As to so cents a bushel or 20 TO 20
cents above the market price. one
Dodge City merchant Is seeking space
for $4,000 bushels.
The movement of wheat to market
is showing up radically at country points
despite the cent or two rise in prices
! this week. The initial movement Largely
| represented wheat sold to obtain reaoy
money for harvest expenses. Now MIL
lions of bushels are going into storage
on the ground. Nearly every farm mouse
| has it's huge pile, the amounts seen IN
15O-mile drive In this vicinity today
ranging from 1000 bushels up to 10000
bushels on the Luther Ranch near Clm-
arron.
Inaugurating thsir wheat moratorium
many business men are opposed TO q
general declaration OF debt holiday
| They say that the problem must be
worked out locally by the men who per-
! sonally know the farmers. Otherwise ii
might be found some of the mortgageo
wheat had been slipped out Tor sale.
work out methods by which wheat can
be held of the market, Western Kansas
still believes the farm board should
take some leadership in helping 1t out OF
| its dilemma. Announcement that the
board would hold back its stock OF old
wheat still would be tremendously help
| full. since only about IS per cent Of the
new crop has moved to market.
Collection Agents Busy.
Probably no wheat would be sold at
| all were 1t not for the pressure OF the
| collection agents for the banks, imple-
| ment companies and credit associations
At Cimarron it was said there were IL
| such agents working. They keep the
road hot between the farmers fields and
| the elevator.
The general practice OF an elevator
operator is to write in the names oil
| the holders of mortgages against the
| wheat as we'll as the farmer on the
check given in payment for wheat. In
| that way the elevator operator is re-
| lieved of any obligation and all the in
| terested parties must indorse the check
This situation brought up an extreme
case cited at Dodge City. The names
of seven holders of lisns against a
| farmers crop were written on the
checks, including three implement COM
| pdIllSS, iii OlI COLlPdHS. HAL
ance company and two landlords. Wher
the farmer finished hauling his wheat
he had only 1000 bushels-he met with
| his creditors His help. which had not
been paid. trailed along.
The total payment for the wheat
lacked thousands of dollars of settling
all claims. The sugge stion was made
| that everybody waive his claim and lei
the farmer continue operations. A
unanimous decision necessary for In
dorsement on the checks could not be
obtained and the SESSION broke up after
| half a days discussion. The checks
haven't been cashed yet.
| tCopyright, 1891. by North American News
| paper Alliance, IncD