Plentywood herald. [volume] (Plentywood, Mont.) 1908-current, 1932-08-11
Federal LENIENCY
ASSURED BY GROUP
HERE FOR MEETING
LARGE AUDIENCE HEARS GOV.
ERNOR ERICKSON, OTHER OF
FICIALS SATURDAY

W.
farmers and business men gathered
at the high school auditorium Sat
urday afternoon to hear the ad.
dresses of a group of officials II
regard to crop situation and the re.
payment of the federal seed loans.
Included in the group of official.
We're Governor John Z. Erickson
Congressman Scott Leavitt, James
Griffin off Chinook, state head oil
the federal seed loan force, M. [.
Wilson, eff the state agricultural
college at Bozeman, and j. 70. Hem
bre of Glasgow, federal seed loan
Inspector.
This party made an automobile
tour Of the counties in this section
of the state in an effort to gain
first hand information on crop ano
harvesting conditions in order to
make recommendations for l~eniencv
IN the matter Of loan repayments If
necessary.
AT the meeting here it was stated
that federal officials in charge of
the collection of loaag would be as
lenient as necessary, and were in
sympathy with farmers whose crop
would not return enough TO allow
repayment of their loans.
Mr.. Griffin assured farmers that
they would be allowed to market as
much of their crops as necessary to
pay the actual harvest and thresh-
ing expenses, regardless of the prior
government lien. He stated that it
IS not the intention of the govern
ment to be hard-boiled in the matter
OF collections, and if yields were not
SUFFICIENT, at present prices, it was
possible that repayment would not
be asked this year.
Ihe department, he stated. lis IA
voaable to the growers storing the
wheat ON the farm for the present
TO avoid market congestion, selling
only enough to cover harvest and
~threshlng expense. That wheat held
on the farm is covered by the seed
lien and crop mortgage which is
pr1or 20 all other mortgages. The
seed notes are not due until Novem-
Der 81, and the grower has that
much time TO allow the market sit
uatbon to clarity itself and the price
60 recover from the early season
rush.
The purpose of the seed loan was
TO enable the farmer to stay on the
farm, and they intend to follow a
sympathetic curse and help the
farmer avoid a distress of gl.t
wheat ON the market early in the
season. To haul the wheat to town
for storage means adding to the
cost of handling the crop, and that
IS not desirable in a time of such
low prices. The allowances of 4 cents
per buhel for cash outlay is design
ed to allow the grower to sell en-
ongh wheat to take care of ffeces-
sary harvesting expense. But the
payment of the loans is not going TO
be rushed on farmers who hold them
wheat at home and play fair with
the government, stated Mr.. Griffin.
Each individual collection case will
be considered alphabetically on its
merits but as a general rule farm
storage for a while is believed bv
the department to be wise and de-
s1nable. The government will not
waive its first lien to allow other
creditors to force the distress mar
keting Of the grain.
The question was asked Mr.. Crit
fin whether a farmer would be al
lowed ito sell part of his crop to en-
able him to buy groceries for his
family. He stated that such cases
would be entirely up to the field in
spector but it was not the intention
of the department to force starva-
tion upon anyone.
Following this meeting with these
officials, the Farmers Union held an
open session for the purpose Of or
ganizing a movement for holding
until the dollar price was
reached. After much discussion ii
was decided that it would be i'm
practible for many farmers to sign
an agreement to this effect, as i'm
mediate sales In some cases would
be necessary to take care of ex-
penses, and for the purchase OF
food and clothing this fall and win
-er. Many farmers expressed the de-
stability of cutting their grain and
stacking it, ito await an increased
Tice before they attempt 10 thresh
t. I'm some cases, farmers will not
wen use Irvine in their harvesting
operations, but will cut their grain
Dose, either with a binder or now