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About Heppner herald. (Heppner, Or.) 1914-1924 | View Entire Issue (Feb. 27, 1923)
"PAGE TWO THE HEPPNER HERALD, HEPPNER, OREGON Tuesday, February 27, 1913 THE HEPPNER HERALD AN INDEPENDENT NEWSPAPER S. A. PATTISON, Editor and Publisher Entered at the Heppner, Oregon, Postoffice as second-class Matter Terms of Subscription One Year $2.00 Six Months $i-00 Three Months $0.50 A BUSINESS LESSON FOR FARMERS Course, of the wheat market, considered in conjunction with the effect of the tariff, provides education for farmers as well as manv others who are sincerely interested in their prosperity. The Oregonian has said that the duty on wheat could not do the farmer any good; events have proved that it actually injures him. The price of goodmill ing wheat at the end of 1922 was not substantially higher than at the end ot 1920, alter cleiiation naa none its on, and certain facts indicate that, but for the tariff, it would have been much higher. As frequently pointed out, the price of the entire Amer ican crop is regulated by the price paid in foreign markets for that part which is exported. In those markets Amer ican wheat is sold in competition with that of Australia, Canada, Argentina and India, and is also regulated by the ratio of Europe's own crops to that continent's demand. Our exports normally total about 200,000,000 bushels a year, but if wle attempt to get more than the world price, wheat from other countries will take its place and a large part of this quantity will be left on our hands. If we try to maintain the price by reducing production, other coun tries may increase their acreage and may harvest a bumper crop, with the result that no higher price will be obtained and that our farmers will simply have handed over part of their business to their competitors. So long as we main tain a tariff wall to shut out Canadian wheat, we simply increase the amount that Canada exports to Europe.! ihere it depresses the price, not only for our exports but for our domestic sales. Writing for the New York Outlook, If. A. Bellows shows that the tariff actually injures the American farmer. t has caused prices in the United1 States "to remain a little higher than in Canada; not enough to do the farmers any real good in the face of a declining world price, but just enough to make foreign trade in wheat and in its principal product, flour, exceedingly difficult." He says that Amer ican flour exports have decreased from. 2(1,449,5X1 barrals in 191910 15,024,62s barrels in 1922, while those of Canada increased from 4,729,(100 barrels in 1920 to 9,4X5,000 bar rels in 1922. American wheat exports in 1922 were only 00 per cent of those in 1921, but those of Canada have in creased 20 per cent since the emergency tariff became ef fective. The decrease in flour exports deprived our far mers of a foreign market for 50,000,000 bushels of wheat. It also deprived them of 370,000 tons, of bran and shorts as stock feed, which is one reason wjhy they are paying as much for bran as they paid in Juhe, 1919, when they re ceived more than double the present price for wheat. The moral of this is not hard to read. The question of finding a market for wheat at a profitable price is a matter of business in which farmers should be guided by economic conditions, not a matter of politics. Farmers can solve their problems by taking the advice of business men, who base their conclusions on business conditions, not of poli ticians, who are often ignorant of those conditions. 15 y organizing lor co-operation of their crops, they can hire the services of business men who will be competent and whose interest will be to advise them soundly on what would then be big business. They would eliminate as many ot the middlemen as are unnecessary to the economi cal conduct of their business, and they could convert those who were necessary into their agents. l!y controlling the marketing of theicrops and by spread ing the operation through the year, managers of co opera tive associations and the middlemen who remained as per forming a u.seiul function would eliminate a large part of the speculative risk, which middlemen, as outright buv t rs, now take. Thai risk, which arises largely from the !ituorganied state of the producers, causes the dealer to seek a large profit when he can get it in order to offset the loss that he often suffers. Well organized co-operative marketing would relieve the middleman of this risk, would make his income safe by giving him a fixed commission, would cut out much of the spread and would put it inthe larmer's pocket. Politicians will not do this sort of service for the farmer, in the first place because they do not know how and in the second place because that is not their game. To provide an occupation for themselves, they have to persuhde farmers that congress and government bureaus can cure all their ills, though both congress and the bureaus are mainly composed of just such men as themselves. Experience has proven that the government is the most incompetent manager possible of its ow'n or anybody's business. Proper management of the farmers' business requires employment of big business men at good salaries and with discretion to act subject to the general pohc laid dow n y a board of directors. The i;o eminent does not pay enough to get such men and when il gets them, il doe-. n,.t iher.i authority or ht them alone to get n .-uhs am! it ,!oes r.ot keep t hem long enomji. What the fanner wants most ft'oin congress is that it shall remove the legal ohMruelions to his managing ids own business and that it shall give him the machinery to manage it to his hest advantage. Much of this has been done by the farm loan law, the law authorising co-operative associations and by representation of agriculture on ihe federal reserve board. Much more will be done by the Capper farm credit law, now sure ot" passage. The farmer would benefit, together w'ith all other industries, by reduc ed railroad rates and by a wise shippng law, but schemes for government marketing or price-fixing would merely take his business out of his hands, or the hands of those whom he would hire and put them in the hands of politi cians who are incompetent to run anybody's business. Oregonian. Ed Houston's smiling countenance has again appeared behind the coun ter at the Phelps Grocery Co. Ed smiles for two reasons because he likes to work rnd because he does not like lumbago. Many citizens had hfen receiving visits from the Cough, Cold and Grippe families lately tiid there are enough frogs in the collective Hepp ner throat to start h sizable French restaurant. J. 0. Turner has gone to KiUville, Washington, where he will enrage in the sale of the Calkins seed -wheat smut machine which Mr. Calkins i;; having manufacture'! at Spokane. Frank Turner also expert.-; to engage in the same business a Utile later NOTICE OF FINAL, ACC'Ol.VTIXO Notice is hereby given that the undersigned has filed with the County Court of Morrow County. Oregon, her final account and report as executrix of the last will and testament of John B. Natter, de ceased, and that the Court has fixed Thursday, March 29, 1923, as the time, and the County Court room in the court house in Heppner, Oregon, as the place for hearing said account and all objections thereto, and for the settlement of said estate. Dated and published the first time, this 27th day of Febrhary, 1923. ANNA NATTER, 44-4 8 Executrix. The Helm Dry Wall System of Pressed Cement and Brick Blocks WITH OOXTINVOrS CITtCTLATIXG AIR SPACE COOi IX SI WI.MEK WAlt.M IX WINTER. CHEAPEN TI1AX IXMiSEH. LET VS I5CILD YOU A HOME THAT WILL LAST No painting No repairing Write us for literature Umatilla Pressed Concrete Brick and Block Co. UMATILLA, OREGON The Well Dressed Man Is Admired and Respected Let us put your clothes in good condition Lloyd Hutchinson Tailoring Where they lean lothes lean Who Wants This Trade? We have for exchange a fire-proof building in the heart! of the business section of one of the best towns in east ern Oregon, now bringing in a rental of $8,ooo.oo a year and under a ten-year lease. Will trade for a good, going wheat ranch in eastern Oregon or Washington. For full information call on or write to L E. Van Marter Real Estate Agency HEPPNER, OREGON DICK ROBNETT PRACTICAL HORESSHOER At CALMUS' SHOP Special attention given to lame and interfering horses I Guarantee Satisfaction. Give me a trial LOOK OVER our line of Fine Candies and Cigars. Something to please every member of the family. Our line of light lunches and hot drinks are just the thing these cold days. McAtee & Aiken NEW GOODS are constantly arriving at CASH VARIETY STORE Big Values for Little Money f ssr f". r mi in. . a, U Eg 'Win h1iirsr. S3 HE; Systematic Saving Leads to Success One dollar will start a savings ac count with us. Add to your savings regularly. We are as eager to see your savings grow as you are. Put system into your saving. Every dollar you save aud'deposit with us earns you four per cent interest. Many persons keep an account with us as a permanent investment. First National Bank Heppner Ore. Kirk Bus & Transfer Co We Thank you for past patronage and solicit a continuance of the same. Our be&st service or you. Leave orders at Case Furniture Co or Phone Main 664 COUNTRY TRIPS & gg