The people's voice., 1941-06-04
The eCO-OPTIMIST
Of the F. u. c.. T. A.

Bottleneck for Sure
Only Farmers Act
"Do 1t First!"
For months our general manager,
Mr.. Thatcher, has been pressing
Claude R. Wickard, secretary of agri-
culture, for action on providing stor-
lage space for grain. A month ago
the secretary saw the point and named
James E. Wells, Jr., as his special
assistant to get action not only to
get storage space but to see about
getting cars to haul the grain to mar
ket and to the terminals. Mr.. Wells
began holding regional meetings, the
first at Amarillo, Texas, then on
through the wheat area, at Enid,
Okla; Kansas City and st. Louis,
Mo-; Omaha, Neb.; Chicago, ILL.,, and
persons attended the meeting, repre-
senting the railroads, the professors,
country elevator associations, commits
sion men and the cooperative groups.
Out of these there were named COM
mittee of 23 men who represent every
branch of the industry. An executive
committee of eight was also named
and on this Mr. Thatcher represents
the Farmers Union cooperative local
and terminal elevators.
Nearly every farmer knows what
has happened. The Ever Normal
granary has suddenly become the Alb
normal granary Why? Warl No
exports and the surplus piles up. The
Credit took over about 200
million bu. of the 1910 crop-and that
is taking storage space. Now along
comes the 1941 crop and country ele-
vators and terminal elevators are
pretty we'll filled. No room for the
new crop. Some of the surplus is
being moved into eastern and gulf
ports, but there the space is limited.
On top of that, freight cars have been
aiken east to move the national de-
ense material and how will the grain
get to market without cars? The
Department of Commerce has ordered
)ox cars to be sent west but only
When they are loaded with goods. No
ong strings of "empties" any more
md no chance to use them for even
emporary storage.
The committee named at Mr.. Wells
Meeting has a job on it's hands. 1t
must find out how much grain is in
he country, how much in the termi-
als and figure how much will be
moved out and processed to make
DOM for the new crop. 1t must press
or moving the grain that now clogs
be country elevators and find where
can be stored 1t the spring wheat
rop comes through there will be the
arts. There may even be an en-
argo on shipments That crop can
Q harvested in so days, but it may
Ike 10 months or more to move it
} markell It's bottleneck, for sure
nd no vote for or against market
lg quota will widen it. Quotas won't
rovide box cars or elevator space
nd if quota marketing is beaten May
[, terminal elevator storage space
i'll go to 10 or IL cents bushel
At the Minneapolis meeting it was
ought out that there is about 20
illion bushels additional space be-
G built in this area. 1t that includes
q new Farmers Union grain termi-
Il at Superior and the two sub-ter-
n Grain Terminal Association is put
lg up 80 percent of the new space.
it does not figure in the F.U.G.T.A.
ace, the farmers are putting up 25
rcent of the new space. No other
ncern seems to be making any such
fort to get new storage room for
2 coming crop. It's like the wealth
complains about it, but
body does anything about it. It's
good thing that some of the farmers
, in the grain marketing business
themselves.
Are the Farmers Union elevator di-
,tors and managers going to sing:
that to do about it? Let's put out
} light and go to sleepi" Not muchl
ey will try to ship every bushel
grain on hand now while there yet
time. They will "clean house" and
all ready for the 1941 crop. They
| keep in constant touch with Mr..
atcher and keep tab on what the
,cutive committee is doing to pro-
e ways and means. They know
t the privately-owned elevators are
er the Commodity Credit Corpora
4 to get shipping orders SO they can
re space for the new crop. 1t was
avid Harum" who said. "Do unto
ers as they would do unto you
do it first" Our Farmers Union
vators must "do it first" They
e been handed a package marked
gent, Immediate" and if they and
ir farmer patrons and shareholders
to get going, the battle of Dun
que will have nothing on it for
confusion. Remember the wheat
to be stored-in the local elevator.
the terminal or on the farm-to
that 85 percent loan on it-or else.