The nonpartisan leader. [volume], April 05, 1920, Image 3

About The nonpartisan leader. [volume] (Fargo, N.D.) 1915-1921

Image provided by: State Historical Society of North Dakota

                
In the interest
of a square deal
for the farmers
4''
Washington Bureau,
Nonpartisan Leader.
ORTH DAKOTA and Minnesota farm
ers scored a triumph over the grain
speculators and millers of the North
west when they convinced Secretary
of Agriculture E. T. Meredith, in a
special hearing on the federal grain
grades in this city March 19, that these grades
must be simplified.
For more than three years they had appealed
and protested to Secretary Houston in vain against
the rules fixed by Director Brand of the bureau
of markets for administering the grain grades act.
Led by Congressman Baer and Editor Owen of
Farm, Stock and Home, they took the first op
portunity after the selection of a new secretary
and the resignation of Brand to raise the issue
again. Secretary Meredith, .himself the publisher
of a farm paper, waB in no position to refuse them
a fair hearing. The outcome has, thus far, been
most satisfactory.
At the end of the first day's discussion the sec
retary informed the North Dakota and Minnesota
congressmen and state commissioners and other
witnesses that he had determined to go to the bot­
.Hie
Official Magazine of the National Nonpartisan League—Every Week
VOL. 10, NO. 14. WHOLE NUMBER 237 MINNEAPOLIS, MINNESOTA, APRIL 5, 1920 $2.50 PER YEAR IN ADVANCE
Grain Grading Victory at Last in Sight
New Secretary of Agriculture Admits Justice of Farmers'Complaints
and Considers Revision of the Rules
tom of this grievance with them, that he was satis
fied that the wheat grades set by Brand were too
complicated and that they must be reduced in num
ber, and that he would ask the state commissioners
to stay with him, for several more days, to work
out in conference the basis for a new and workable
set of grades.
He said that he had in mind his duty to see to
it that farm production in this country is maintain
ed. He knew that existing conditions, both as to
marketing and labor supply, were driving the farm
ers from the land. America was in danger of a
serious decrease in its output of foodstuffs—a sit
uation that must be avoided by prompt redress^of
the economic grievances which the government may
be in a position to remedy. Readjustment of the
wheat grades seemed to be one of the things near
est at hand to be done. He was ready to do it.
Minnesota sent two members of its railroad and
warehouse commission and State Senators Mag
nus Johnson and Cashman to take part in the hear
ing besides Mr. Owen. North Dakota sent Chair
man S. J. Aandahl of the state railroad com
mission. Congressmen from principal wheat
growing districts of Minnesota and all three mem
bers from North Dakota—Baer, Sinclair and Young
THE FARMER—"WITH HIM GONE I CAN DO SOMETHING"
ft
Uncle Sam is calling upon the farmer to produce more. The farmer is responding, Very logically, that if unwelcome trespassers can be ejected, lie can get to
work and do more. Fair the last few years the federal grain grades have been among the handiest tools of the profiteers in gouging the farmers. At last, it
appears, Unde Sam is going to help the farmer to the extent of amending th^se unfair rules. Farmers are beginning to
get attention at Washington today because they are organized politically.
PAGE THREE
A magazine
that dares to
print the truth
—made oral or written arguments. Acting Direc
tor Livingston of the bureau of markets, with three
of his staff, tried in vain to show that the federal
grades were just to the farmer in actual practice,
and that if the number of grades should be reduced
the farmer would suffer. Senator Johnson, speak
ing for the Society of Equity, with 70 co-operative
elevators in the Northwest, declared that the farm
ers are universally opposed to having so many
grades, and that they believe they will be robbed
on the grades so long as a simpler system is not
established.
Some of the points brought out were:
That the Brand grading rules impose an exces
sive penalty for moisture in the grain, but give
no bonus for extra dryness the rule works only one
way.
That the tests made by the state of Minnesota
proved that wheat with moisture as high as 15 per
cent will keep perfectly for a year. Yet the 1918"
crop, harvested under ideal conditions, was graded
down, on pretext of high moisture, to a point which
embittered the farmers of the wheat country.
That three general grades, with three subdivi
sions of each, are far more likely to give justice to
the farmer than five general grades of three sub-
flr
OF.TJ
—Drawn expressly for the Leader by W. C. Morris.