The people's voice. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1939-1969, 1941-07-09
TheCO-OPTIMIST
Of the F. u. c.. T. A.

II vi NllN ~ NJ - Ne
Mediate on These
Only a Hope, as Yet
Get Your Tickets!
Panicky on Storage
Do 1t Now!
After shutdown, when the sunburnet
earth begins to cool off a little ani
rest comes after the work of the
day, there is time for a little quiet
thinking on the part of the farmer
He has been out all day in the hay
field or in the cornfield where he has
been active in mind and body with the
days task. Nightfall brings its mo
ments for meditation. 1t is safe to
estimate that nine out of ten farmers
at such times, have in the back of
their minds three main subjects for
thought. One is the coming crop, the
second is the new quota marketing
system and the third is storage room
for the grain and the government loan
to be secured so that the best price
may be realized.
AS to the coming crop, which now
promises unexampled size and quality,
most farmers do not rely too much on
appearances. They have had years
xubop fba ORION 1ookad 1iLa human
until a week before harvest and have
seen that crop wither away under
moisture-induced black stem rust.
What has happened before, can hap
pen again. In some degree it has
happened this year in the winter
wheat areas south of us. The drop
in the government estimate of that
crop shows what last minute rains
and moisture can do. AS yet, for the
farmer, the promising crop is but
hope. Not until the combine or
thresher counts out the golden meas
ure will he see the hope become
reality
This new way of marketing, for
which he voted on May 81, has him
bit dubious. He can no longer rush
the grain to the local elevator in any
amount he may have or want to mar
ket. Before he can sell and get
loan or the market price, he must
have a ticket which certifies that he
has complied with the AAA require
ments as to acreage planted. If he
has no such ticket, he must suffer
a penalty of ACC bushel on wheat,
which the elevator man must deduct
from the price. But, he argues, even
that is better than in the days when
he got 35c a bushel. Besides it pre-
vents the corporation farms from
grabbing the market and pouring in
the wheat to sag the price. The big
fellow, unless he restricts his acre
age, will not get any $1.15 at Mime
apolis for No. 1 Dark Northern Spring
wheat Instead he will be lucky to
get SOC, which is about what will be
left after the penalty is taken
D. G. The quota ticket
system has it's compensations, and
the family-sized farm will find that |
out, before the fall work is done.
The third thing that engages his
mind and probably the greatest trou-
Die is that of storage He is not the
only one who is doing some thinking
IN that subject The governors of
both North Dakota and Minnesota
lave been pointing, at this late date,
o the apparent shortage. They pro-
ess alarm and are almost panicky.
Thatcher saw what was coming and
10 did the board of directors of the
Farmers Union Grain Terminal Asso-
cation They began then to do some
hing about it. There are now rising
hree big terminal elevators-one of
| million bushel capacity at Superior,
Wis, one at Shelby, Mont, of 100000
,ushel and another at Lewistown,
Mont, of 100000 bushels, as result
If the foresight of Mr. Thatcher and
he board. That should take care of
lot of the storage of the Farmers
Union Coop elevators at this time of
leed But it is by no means enough
0 take up the slack for the grain that
low promises to pour in from all the
armers of the Northwest
The farmer who cannot get storage
DOM at his local evelator or at the
will have to do some tall
ustling. He may be able to buy bins
r he may be able to repair an old
uilding = granary, barn or poultry
ouse-to meet the requirements of
!. C. c., which grants loans only when
he shortage room has been approved
y the local county committee. This :
ear, if the crop comes through in
nything like the volume expected, it
ill be case of every man for him =
elf in the matter of storage space.
ut the fieldmen of the Farmers I'm
IN Grain Terminal Association, who
let in st. Paul June 80 and July 1,
nd consulted with federal officials,
ecided on the cooperative way =
H. g.. 4.