The nonpartisan leader. [volume], July 19, 1920, Image 7

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

Image provided by: State Historical Society of North Dakota

                
ment-
Though the Sfoimgestorganizatiori, the Victo
rian Farmers' union is typical of all the state as
sociations. It has, within the -space of four years,
reached a membership of 18,000, running its own
central office, district organizations and a weekly
newspaper. Its membership is limited to those di
rectly interested in land and land industry.
The objects of the Union may be indicated by
the fallowing extracts: S
To unite the primary producers of Victoria
with the object of safeguarding and promoting
their individual and collective interests industrial
ly, commercially and politically, and to secure for
them-the full results of their labor.
To g^rd primary producers against the wither
ing effects of monopolistic combinations of
form by the application of the co-operative prin
ciple on safe^etbrtdmlc lines.
I To improve marketing facflHIes. so
as to enable the producers to sell their
produce -direct to the consumers.
To oppose all unjust demands made
by any individual or union or associa
tion 6f individuals upon farming and
industries connected therewith.
To encourage amicable relations be
tween all classes of the community
and to promote the adoption of sound
principles of economic production and
distribution.
To provide legal advice and said to
members of the union.
To secure for .the primary pro-'
ducers, through the union, represen
tation on all boards, commissions or
other bodies, governmental or other
wise, that deal with interests and mat
ters, affecting primary production and
the primary producers.
To Maintain affiliation with the Aus
tralian Farmers' Federal- organiza
tion and to promote 'the objects for
which it was created.
The state political platform includes
the following planks:
Reduction in the. cost of government
by the amalgamation or reduction of
those boards or -commissions where
work is being duplicated and by rigid
economy in all departments.
Maintenance of the living wage and -j^
a fair stapdard of comfort for all
To maintain the principle of free
hold, tenure of land.
Building houses and boring for
•water for new settlers, repayment to
spread over the whole period of pay
ment -for land.
Compulsory grading of cream to
improve the. standard of butter."
GOVERNMENT MUST PAY
FOR CONDEMNED STOCK
Compensation for stock owners for
all stock destroyed by government
under the "contagious diseases act."
Registration of brands and ear
marks.
State to eradicate noxious weeds
and destroy vermin 'on crown lands.
•». i* -j_ ,, •'-'j*
It has been a matter for comment and not a little
amusement that since the first publication of the
farmers' platform, other parties have lifted large
slices of it and incorporated same in their own.
It is a ruse, of course. "[Those parties have bad so
many years in which to give these reforms that,
the farmers have ceased to trust them. sx
kast one-third of/the members of the new parlia- is on a thoroughly democratic basis/ The individ-
every.,
•Ji
In view of the prohibitive price of
bags, the conclusion of the war, the
surplus of labor, and probably more
reasonable prices of materials, the system of bulk-, agement. These firms at the first were actually
handling of wheat be installed at the earliest pos^. given a monopoly of the handling, and were paid
sible moment. .j-i* tremendous aggregate sums in. commissions and
*gi More liberal administration of "the Credit Fon-" charges for the work. In the state of Victoria^
cler system. -j the Victorian Farmers' union waged a successful
Nationalization
headworks.
Representation
and water supply commission. ralian Farmers' Co-Operative company, eventually
Nonpolitical management and control of railways handled the whole of the wheat produced in that
and lowering of rates to encourage farming. state during the last two years. In the other states
.^Greater educational facilities and accommoda^ -cwjperative companies have, under the pool
tion for country children and teachers. ing system, since their admission, handled 66 per
More prominence and effort in primary and seci-* cent and upwards of the *otal wheat output.
The system of government of the Farmers' uniott" Australian yearly butter output. Almost in every
ual member, through hisbranch, districtcouncil,
state conference and federal conference, determines
the policy of the movement. He it is who alone
finances the movement. He will accept no finan
cial assistance from outside in carrying on bis or
'Pities 4*' 1.!- 1
IT CAN'T BE DONE
STOP rr
0ROTH ER1
riotp
Just like flies, the reactionaries are trying to stop the Nonpartisan league
wheel from rolling over the rtwd of progress to the goal
of industrial democracy.
ondary education to matters affecting rural pro^^fe$The past fewryears have seen an eattraordinary" prices on flour," Mr* McGovern said* "According
auction.
in MA xt. itij' -i- 1 1
duction
growth in co-operation of primary producers.
They comprise all branches of the industry, and
are represented in every state. The start was
made some 15 years ago by the butter producers,
who were shocked by revelations of corruption and
fraud on the part of private distributing firms and
companies. The^ co-operative better companies- of
Australia now dispose of" over 60 per cent of the
PAGESEVBN,
ganizatiof. This preserves^to him his political in- freezing chambers, fruit canning %orks jam fac
dependence. r'-v': fiTAnni.Ui _..i _•»
ORGANIZED- FARMERS FORCE
GOVERNMENT PARTICIPATION
The political and economic problems incident to'
the' war created a vast number of activities for
the farmers' organizations. Almost without excep
tion the farmers were at the outset excluded from
a direct share in the management of the various
govegrnment-controlled pools and marketing schemes
of Primary products.^e g^yernments^alled in .. „vw
the representatives of large private trading firms of £588,000 ($2,940,000) and an annual turnover
an9 companies'for advice aiid assistance in man^*.? of £20,950,000 ($104,750,000).
~Drawn expressly for the deader by W. C. Morris, contractors are making arrangements
dairying district of Australia there is now a co
operative butter factory. Each factory in turn
sells through its own co-operative selling company,
whose headquarters are in the capital city of the
state concerned. Then, there are co-operativd
cheese factories, bacon factories, abattoirs and
tories, tomato and vegetable pulping worfis and co-•
operative livestock selling companies. 'v:MIS
Recently, the leading co-operative companies in
each state formed the Wholesale Co-Operative
Federation of Australia, with the object of concen
trating the buying and selling for the whole com-:
monwealth co-operative movement. The federation
has established direct representation in London as
a preliminary to further extension in the eastern
countries and probably America. The nine largest
co-operative companies now have paid-up capital
Again it must be emphasized that flf
of Australia's 5,000,000 people half p|
live in the capital cities. Of the re- |§i
mainder probably one-third live in the fp
provincial cities, towns, villages and ffl
mining districts the rest being on I|
the land and engaged in primary pro
duction. No wonder, therefore, that |j§
.the tillers of the soil are trying to lift
the load from their backs by business fp
and political co-operation.
By exchanging newspapers, and the M'
production of their own newspaper^ p|
they are kept closely in touch with the
efforts of their brethren throughout .0.
the world. They are intensely inter
ested in the. farmers' emancipation
movement in the western United
States and Canada and send their
greetings.
New N. D. Elevator
Completion of Structure ill Time
for
1920 Crop Assured Iggggf1
HE state elevator which
is being constructed at
Grand Forks will be com-'
pleted in' time to storp
the fall crop, according
to the contractor. The
state mill will be. completed several
months later. Carpenters, an exca
vating crew of 30 teams and other
workers are already on the job. The
excavating machinery which was ship
ped some weeks, ago is held up by
congested railroad conditions. When
it arrives two shifts will be arranged
and the 30,000 yards of -dirt will be
moved in short order.
Great economies are being effected
,by the purchase of materials through
the industrial commission instead of
by the contractors. On the cement
alone $12,000 was saved, according to
J, A. McGovern, manager of the State
Mill and Elevator association. The
t0
-to
hon*
employes comfortably
and this end are erecting temporary
frame buildings where 400 to 500 men..
1 ^.v..
can be accommodated.
The state mill at Drake is running
24 hours a day, according* to Mr.-McGovern. It is
receiving more wheat than it can handle and its
orders: for flour have been so heavy that at present
it is 11 carloads behind the demand. For the farm
ers' wheat the mill is paying from $3.26 to $3.40 a
paying about 44 cents a bushel more than the local
price prevailing at Grand Forks.
Mr. McGovexn-also gave some interesting figures
on flour prices.
"I saw .this, morning a card from the Russell-»*
Miller Milling company
this city quoting the
Auiuvi vvutyoiiy Wilis dbj UUUblUK ^UC
at
to the card, this concern asks $16.95 per barrel for
flour in 98-pound sacks, and $17.15 in 49-pound
sacks. The Baldwin mills are selling the former for
$16.60 and the latter for $16.80. At the l)rake mill
flour in 98-pound sacks is sold for $16.40 per barrel
and in 49-pound sack lots for $16^60 per barrel.v..
There is riot any question that we can do bette#
yet with the big mill at Grand Forks." ISt
The Drake/plillacontinues to make a good profit.