Montana farmer-stockman. [volume] (Great Falls, Mont.) 1947-1993, 1956-10-15
a FAIR
EXCHANGE:
by
Cedric Adams

Iald SchemeS can go aStray. | had
planned on using this column to
give you a complete rundown on
all the excitement of Anniversary
Day at the Minneapolis Grain Elk
change. Big dOingS are in the offing.
you know, with Secretary of Agricul-
ture Benson coming to speak, and
members of Congress and other of
ficialS planning to attend and I
understand that even a couple of
live burrOS will pay visit to the
trading floor.
THEN L REMEMBERED. On the
big day, Wednesday, September IL,
I'll be many miles away as a
matter of fact, I'll be in Russia.
That's why I've asked George viii
kenS, Secretary CT the Grain Ex-
change to do the reporting job for
me. He'll be in the thick of things
all day and viii do a good job, |
know, of telling you all about it. ]
give you George Wilkens.
WELL, YOU WE'RE RIGHT about
one thing, Cedric, there was plenty
of excitement around the Grain Elk
change on September IL. That was
to be expected, considering that we
were celebrating the 18th birthday
of the Grain Exchange.
The day started by going out to
WOld-Chamberlain airport to well
come Secretary of Agriculture Ben
son. Naturally, since the Exchange
people are pretty fair cross section
of ordinary citizens, we had to urge
some Of our members to temporarily
light the political peace pipe and
give Mr.. Benson, as our Secretary
OF Agriculture, a warm and friendly
welcome. We are happy to report
that everyone went all out to make
his visit a pleasant and memorable
one.
After hectic news conference in
the Exchange auditorium. lam
packed with reporters. photographers
and visitors in general. the Secretary
went up onto the trading floor where
he was erected with a round of ap-
nlauSe from the grain men.
A few minutes later, Cedric. is when
the two live burroS you mentioned
made their appearance. Sacks of
grain loaded on their backs. they
we're Daraded around the EXCHANGE
floor to portray the methods used in
marketing grain in the DAYS before
the t'v"hanoe was founded in 1881.
The 18th birthday dinner took Mace
that evening ct the NicOIIet Hotel.
and we had quite a turnout. The $50
persons attending renresented lead
Ars in business. government, educa-
hon and agriculture, plus visitors
from twenty-siX cthay- orain markets
throughout the United States and
Canada.
Secretary Benson smoke on the dan
gers of government in competition
with its taX-paving citizen. He re-
earded the wheat EXPORT proposal
which became government nolicv on
Seoten1ber 4 as a step in the right
direction, the returnino of the grain
business to our private nnarketino
system. He praised the MINNEAPOLIS |
gam EXCHANGE for its leadership in
orln0ing about this PROPOSAL. Secre-
tary Benson also CONGRATULATED the /
Gram EXCHANGE for its educational |
nrooram which serves to inform the |
public of the facts abort our mar
Fetlng system. He said. 'I am firmly
Of the opinion that we cannot have |
free, private marketing system |
unless we understand it,"
ALL IN ALL. Cedric, it was an ex-
citing 18th birthday from start to fin
we'll remember for long
'lme. AS a matter of fact, we're
already LOOKING forward to another
1le day that will come around in the
tall of 1881. On that day. well be
;yeleDratlng 100 years of service to
he Northwest by the Minneapolis
ram Exchange and you're in
'lted.