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About Heppner herald. (Heppner, Or.) 1914-1924 | View Entire Issue (July 3, 1923)
PAGE TWO THE HEPPNER HER ALB, HEPPNER, OREGON Tuesday, July 3, 1923 THE HEPPNER HERALD AN INDEPENDENT NEWSPAPER S. A.' PATTISON, Editor and Publisher Entered at the Heppner, Oregon, Pesiotf ice as second-class Matter WHEN FARMERS WOR KTOGETHER (Editorial in New York World) WHEN FARMERS WORK TOGETHER Bernard Haruch's plan for the marketing of American wheat abroad by an organization of American wheatgrow crs probably looks to the average city dweller and to many farmers also like just one more visionary effort to put agri culture on its feet. There have been dozens of schemes, from the Non-Partisan League to the food rates in the tar iff, for increasing farm returns, all of them, when tried, leaving the farmer in a predicament worst than before or iuite as bad. He is tired of clutching at straws. But co-operative marketing is not a straw. I t is the one 'demonstrably successful method of establishing the busi ness of farming on a business basis- Tt is the method of Aaron Sapiro and the fruit growers of California. It is the method of the Dairymen's League Co-operative in New York, which handled $82,130,902 worth of milk last year. It has been found profitable in dozens of other lo calities wherever a group of growers has come together to jjool its products and sell through a regular sales force. There is no especial reason why Mr. Armour or any other well-known man or firm should be1 called upon for aid. If the growers are willing to pool their grain they can build up their own sales company. Nor is there any reason why the farmers should not market their grain at home as well as abroad. Whatever co-operation will do in the European field it will accom plish in the United .States, and since the larger parti of the American-grown grain is consumed in this country, there is ample reason for concentrating on the domestic end of the project. The export demand for wheat does, as Air. Baruch states, fix (he price of wheat at present, but it is not as much the price as the farmers' share of the price which matters. The farmers' share of the price would be larger if the farmers controlled the machinery for distrib uting their output. As things stand, the farmer buys in a seller's market and sells in a buyer's market, with the result' that he loses on every transaction. No other great business in the country allows its prices to be fixed, as are the farmer's prices, by outsiders. When a farmer threshes his wheat in the fall he dumps it on the market, not because that he doesn't know that the price is likely to increase, but because he has no storage facilities and needs ready money to pay the store keeper, the banker and whoever else has carried him through the year. Precisely when this one farmer is dumping his wheat all the others are doing the same- Hence the market common ly breaks under the first few million bushels; the dealers and speculators buy up the crop, and the grower goes Jiomc with an average return equalling 3 per cent interest on the price of the farm to show for his year's work. Be fore the year is out the dealers have moved the wheat at a profit and the cities are paying prices for bread and flour which would have made all the difference to the fanner be tween poverty and affluence. A co-operative association, if it can be made to work, should end this state of affairs very simply. The farmers vool their product, store it, borrow money on it to carry Ihem while waiting for a more favorable moment to sell, and pay a selling organization to market the goods. When this scheme was first put into practice bankers were du bious. It looked like treason to the jobbers. The jobbers are still inimical, but the bankers are coming over. A group of farmers with their storable products in the warehouse is a much, better risk than any one speculator. There could hardly be better security. The fruit-growers of California and the dairymen of N'ew York can testify to the readiness kiI the hanks to accept such security. In the past, the stor age ol lood for distribution and future consumption has been in the hands of dealers. In the future, it now looks as if it will be in. the hands of the producers. What the farmer needs, as the American barm Kureau Federation has long insisted, is not price-fixing bv the gov ernment nor a tariff or a subsidy, but organization to meet the commerce of the cities on equal terms. If the farmers can get together they can sell their goods not only in Eu rope but also in the United States. Moreover, thev can make a living at it, which is more than they do now, and in the case of perishable goods, lik,e milk, they may even succeed in enlarging sales by decreasing the price to the consumer. FOOD PRICES AND THE FARMER The price of food, according to the Department of La bor, averages 4.' per cent higher now than it did in 191 3 The Department of Agriculture reports, however, that the farmer is receiving less for the staples like wheat, corn, bat ley, hay and livestock than he did in 1013. What causes the difference. , Higher wages in every line except farming account for discrepancy. Miners, steel workers, railroad men, labor in packng, milling and canning plants, all are receiving more money with the result that the cost of transporting and transforming the farm output into finished products has greatly increased. These increased wages are a distinct economic benefit except to the farmer. The size of his compensation is tixed by the price his surplus brings on the world inaiket. The world market is low, hence the fanner gets less for his work than he did in 1013. The situation can be remedied in two ways: An effort can be made to lift the worlk market price bv improving world conditions, or the American fanner can reduce his output, thereby forcing the price up. His chances of im proving world conditions are microscopic, but he can re duce his output. In fact, he is almost compelled to pro duce less. He is doing it. He is cutting down. Pretty soon fewd prices will go up. When they do, don't howl. On the contrary, be thankful that for the last three years the farmer has been working for you for less than othing. lie is entitled at least to the wage of a day laborer- July Sunset. j p tj ! ! j s CECIL j j j Walter Pope was visiting friends In Olex on Saturday. Geo. Wilson, whilo mowing at Butterby Flats on Thursday, had one o his fingers so severely damaged that he had to go to lone and have Dr. Walter dress tho wound. Mr. and Mrs .Earl Morgan and family of Broadacres ranch near Cecil were calling on their friends on Wil low creek on Sunday. Misses Annie Hynd and Mildred Henriksen accompanied C. Henrik sen as far ps The Dalles on Monday. Mi. Henriksen was enroute to his home in Portland after visiting his sons on Willow creek for several weeks. The ladies visited friends while in The Dalles, returning home Tuesday. Miss Ester Logan of lone spent Thursday visiting Miss Georgia Sum mers at the Last Camp. Miss A. C. Lowe returned home on Thursday alter spending a few days at Hynd Bios.' ranch at Sand Hol low. Mr. and Mrs. Ed Bristow and fam ily of lone were calling on the Mayor 011 Sunday. Mrs. Joe Fake and children of Portland arrived in Cecil on Sunday and will visit with Mrs. Fa'ke's mother, Mrs. Mary Halt'erty, at Shady Dell for tho summer. Mrs. Geo. Henriksen of Strawberry ranch was doing business in Arling ton on Monday. Mr. and Mrs. Geo. Krebs and sons and Miss Georgia Summers of the Last Camp were calling on Mr. and Mrs. C. A. Minor at Athlone Cottage near lone on Sunday. Mr. and Mrs. Zenneth Logan of Boardman spent Sunday among their friends around Cecil. Mr. and Mrs. N. Lee and daugh ters of Alderdale, Wash., were the guests of Mr. and Mrs. M. V, Logan at the Willows on Sunday. t r Haymaking was finished on Satur day, Juno 23, at the Last Camp. Oral Henriksen also finished a few days later and the Mayor expects to finish haymaking soon. Master E. Marshall, son of Mike Marshall, of Castle Rock, is visiting at the home of It. E. Duncan and de clares he would rather be among sheep and lambs than the bees and honey at Busy Bee ranch. Master Ed loves the honey but not the sting from the busy bees. Homer Nash, who has been assist ing Oral Henriksen during haymai' lng, left 011 Friday for the Moore ranch whero he will work for the summer for Al Henriksen. Mrs. Mary Nash, sr., who has been visiting at Shedd and The Dulles for several weeks, arrived at the home of Leon Logan at Fourmile on Wed nesday and will visit for the summer. The End of tho Trail, the homo of Mr. and Mrs. Ellis Minor near Mor gan, was the scene of a merry gath ering on Saturday night, the ooo sion being an invitation party given by Mrs. Minor to her Sunday school pn pits. Several young people from Cecil wero among the guests. Every one had u good time, and many thanks are due to Mr. and Mrs. Minor for their fine entertainment. H. W. Younger of Payton was calling at Seldomseen, the home of Mr. and Mrs. Roy Stender, on Fri day. Mr. and Mrs. W. O. Weber of Canby arrived at Strawberry ranch on Friday and will visit with their daughter, Mrs. Geo. Henriksen, for some time. Franklin Ely, who has retired from haymaking, left on Thursday morning for Portland where he will spend a short vacation before begin ning wheat harvesting at Morgan. Mr. aud Mrs. Clove Van Schioach and children of Balm Fork vidto with Mrs. Geo. Krebs on Thursday before leaving for Cottage Grove where they will spend their vacation. One single stem bearing five lovely roses were presented to Mr. T. H. Lowe durimg the week and have been very much admired. These roses were grown at the Last Camp by Mrs. Goo. Krebs and are called Los Angeles. Another proof of the grow ing qualities of Cecil. Thursday heat registered !2 de grees in the shade and Friday at noon 96. Saturday much cooler and wind blowing hard. MAKE 0 lL Tour Next Goal You havo finished high school and, liko all wide-awake grad uates, are looking to college. The State of Oregon offers you the best of training and a col legiate degree in tho leading pursuits and professions, as follows: Engineering, Agriculture, Com merce, Forestry, Home Eco nomics, Military Science and Tactics, Mining, Pharmacy, Vo cational Education and Music. Student life at the College is rich in opportunities for leadership and personal culture. FALL TKTCM OPENS SEPTEMBER 28, 192: For information write to THE REGISTRAR Oregon Agricultural College CorvallU $1 00.00 REWARD $100.00 Wo will pay the above reward for information that will lead to the arrest and conviction of the party or parties that have been cutting wire fences on our ranches. This ap plies to any and all ranches owned by us. HYND BR03. Heppner, Ore., April 10, 1923. 50-tf 4 2 0 0 ACRES FINE SHEEP RANGE to rent for season, in Tp. 6, S. R. 30, near Morrow county line. Frank Hilbert, Ukiah, Ore. 9-10 For eggs next winter, use Kerr's poultry supplies now. Brown & Lowry. IP j AMMCttmMCOtt ikllMlfflllllllllttlliTO iRlIfaat- WOOL MARKET IS DULL Boston, Mass., June 28 . While some wool is being sold in Boston, all the time trading remains very dull. Sales are largely confined to Australian merinos in bond, low foreign scoureds. Merino 6fis to 70s have sold at $1.22. Clean, low scoured stock is taken by woolen mills for piecing out purposes. New territories and fleeces aro not yet moving in quantity. The trad,e is sharply divided on the future of value. One party de clares that prices are top heavy and must soon be readjusted. They point to the declining tendency at this week's London auctions and the cer tainty or strongly organized resist ance to tho contemplated advance In prices at the opening of light weight worsteds in July. The other party avers that Europe still is short of wool, that American growers are disposed to hold their wool rather than sell at concessions and aro strong enough to do so, and that the drouth in Australia will re duce the growing clip there 80,000, 000 pounds. Private telegrams do not bear out press dispatches as to the decline in London this week. They show meri nos par to 5 per cent lower, top, making styles 5 per cent lower, cross breds 5 to 7 per cent lower. They also show selections rather poor and demand good, (especially from Ger many, with a fair chance that prices will recover when offerings improve. Ono authority declares "undoubt edly a grea t wool vacuum exists in Germany and other countries on the continent." From thence como de mand which is clearing the various auctions of surplus offerings of aver age and inferior wools. While this demand continues keen it will be dif ficult for England or, America, act ing together or alone, to bring pres sure enough to bear to bring wool values to a lower level. The deadlock in all wool-growing sections continues. Dealers, while refusing to pay growers' prices, are encouraging consignments. All ad vices from Australia stress the ef fects of the drouth. While rains havo recently fallen in sections of New South Wales and Victoria, the situation remains ser ious in parts of New South WTales. Brisbane and elsewhere. In many sections sheep will go into winter in poor condition. In some cases, lambs are being killed to save ewes. The coming Australian clip is ex pected to show a shortage of about 250,000 bales. Much of that remain ing will show a low condition and quality. Receipts of foreign wool in Boston continue heavy, 6,604,200 pounds of which 244,250,000 pounds aro foreign wool. Shipments since January 1 are 225,830,200 pounda smaller tha nreceipts. .. .PROF. H. H. HOFFMAN VISITS HERE H. H. Hoffman, for several years head of the Heppner schools, surpris ed his many friends here by driviDg into town Thursday evening for a visit during a part of his vacation. Mr. Hoffman is located at Mullan, Idaho, famous mining town in the Couer d' Alenc district, where he has been superintendent of city schools for two or three years. Mullan Is a city of some 3 500 people depend ent almost entirely on mining and as lead is bringing the highest price just now ever known in peace times, the district is prosperous. Mullan is sit uated almost on tho summit of the Bitter Root range and Mr. Hoffman says there was plenty of snow stick ing around the gulches and north slopes when he left there. He will spend some time in Heppner before visiting other sections on his vaca tion trip. Howard M. Anderson, p, director of tho Co-operative Wheatgrowers association, was in from his Eight mile farm Friday. Mr. Anderson says the wheat is looking fine in h!s neighborhood with prospects for a heavy yield. '-MSB "BE" B I I 3V H B H fl B H B m Economy the Spirit of the Times DID YOU EVER STOP TO THINK WHAT YOU PAY FOR FANCY CONTAINERS? CO a B B B B B n B fl IS A GOOD ILLUSTRATION OF THE FACT. YOU PAY FROM 7c to 8c PER POUND FOR THE LITHOGRAPHED CANS WE CARRY A LINE OF BULK COFFEES AT 335c - 35c - 40c PER POUND .? B B ! ! : J Phelps Grocery j Company j B