The Bismarck tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, N.D.) 1916-current, 1931-11-19
Manager of Farmers Organize.
ton is Witness at Mime.
sofa Hearing
TELLS OF GROUPS D0INGs
Says Storage Act Helped Farm.
or But Was Opposed BY
Commission Men

wv ouA, ANOts -HJ- ClldI &c OF
eight cents a bushel made by the
Farmers Union Terminal association
for marketing grain on which North
Dakota and Montana farmers had re-
ceived loans, was defended Thursday
by M. W. Thatcher, st. Paul, general
manager Of the association, at the
Minnesota railroad and warehouse
commission custer hearing.
The charge, Thatcher said under
cross-examination by Tom Davis, at
torney for the Farmers Union, COW
cred all costs Of grain handling re-
quired by the federal intermediate
credit bank and the federal farm
board from the Farmers Union, and
soliciting, radio and field men,. office
expense and interest reserve for
losses.
Thatcher took the stand to explain
the eight-cent charge which Senator
George T. Mullin,. Minneapolis, con-
tended was excessive and exorbitant"
in his accusations against the COM
mission.
Testified Wednesday
Thatcher was questioned concern.
ing the charge when he testified
Wednesday, but asked time to refer
to his records. A statement wa pre-
pared by him prior to the hearing
Thursday, but when Davis attempted
to introduce it Governor Floyd B. o.
son. who is hearing the charges, ruled
the statement not proper upon objec-
tons of Chester Nichols and w. M.
Nash, attorneys for Senator Mullin.
Davis then started to bring out the
facts in the statement through cross
examination.
Previous to farm storage laws
passed In Montana and North Dakota,
which permit farmers to store grain
in farm bins, the farmers were forced
to ship grain to terminal elevators In
the Twin Cities, Duluth and Superior,
because Of the limited capacity Of To-
cal elevators, Thatcher said.
AS a usual practice this grain OF
the farmer, which he desired to have
held in storage, was sold when
shipped to these terminal markets,
Thatcher claimed, although he was
charged one cent a bushel a month
for "oStensible" storage Of the grain
on which he held a storage ticket.
The grain allegedly was sold without
the consent or knowledge Of the
farmer holding the storage ticket.
Practice Glutted Market
The result Of such q practice,
Thatcher said, was to glut the mar
ket and depress the price Of grain and
to charge the farmers for storage they
did not receive.
In order to correct the alleged
abuses, Thatcher testified, the Farm
ers' Union ~inaugurated an intensive
educational campaign in 1928 to in
form farmers Of this condition" and
bring about public sentiment for
enactment Of storage laws enabling
them to store his grain on the farm
as a basis for credit.
The program was opposed by men
engaged in the commission business.
by the Minneapolis Chamber Of Com
merce, and the Duluth board Of trade,
Thatcher asserted.
Under the provisions Of the farm
storage laws, farm storage tickets
were issued and the Farmers Union
arranged a line OF credit In order to
loan the farmers money on the wheat
stored on their farms, Thatcher said.
The Farmers Union arranged loans
approximating 100000 at a rate OF
interest Of 5A per cent he said.