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
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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.
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Economy the Spirit
of the Times
DID YOU EVER STOP TO THINK WHAT
YOU PAY FOR FANCY CONTAINERS?
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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 .?
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