AGRICULTURE. LABOR AND INDUSTRY 7 



Such Storage as the state might obtain should be carefully man- 

 aged by the state to the end that in mingling grain not only federal 

 grade lines would be observed, but sub-classifications as well, so 

 stored grain would not be subjected to the risk of blending to its 

 owner's financial disadvantage. 



Adequate warehousing is a problem which the State of Montana 

 must definitely face and it will be unavoidably attendant upon the 

 financial measures which may be expected to pass Congress soon. In 

 this connection consider a statement by Bernard M. Baruch made under 

 this date : 



"As a background for financing when the crops are in the 

 process of marketing, there must be established public ware- 

 houses, storehouses or elevators to which the farmer can bring 

 his produce * * * When justified by agricultural conditions 

 dependent upon the volume of crop production and the failure 

 of existing agencies to function adequately, an elevator or ware- 

 housing system should be established in every grain-growing 

 state * * * i3y tijg issuance of bonds of that state; and every 

 bushel of grain * * * should be charg-ed sufficient to pay 

 for the upkeep, the interest and the amortisation of the funds 

 advanced for that purpose. This system is in no sense paternal- 

 ism or socialism. It is relief paid for only by the farmer. 

 * * * The building of the system I have outlined is not a 

 question for the fedei'al government to decide but a question for 

 each state to determine for itself * * * With the state to 

 provide the machinery through which the produce shall pass, 

 the national government to help supply the credit, the Amer- 

 ican farmer is due to get a fairer share of what he produces." 



Changes In Grain Laws: Finally, it is the duty of the state to 

 examine intelligently and impartially into marketing practices and 

 if it finds that certain laws confer an unfair advantage upon handlers 

 of farm produce, then such changes should be made as will tend to 

 equalize the bargaining advantage between the buyer and seller. Cer- 

 tain recommendations as to needed legislation embodied in this report 

 are of this nature. 



State Land Policy:-. ..Thousands of farm homes have suffered com- 

 plete financial extinction because settlement of lands was permitted 

 by state and federal land policies in advance of knowledge as to the 

 proper utilization of such lands. In this mistake Montana has not 

 been singular but has followed in the trair left by other states earlier 

 in date of settlement. Montana needs more information concerning 

 her lands upon which to base a sane policy of guidance of the present 

 farmer, and the settler to be, toward successful homemaking on the 

 farm. Our land policy must be worked out with a proper understand- 

 ing of the factors of production, marketing and transportation that 

 surround us. 



Terj' Satisfactorj' Co-operation: Work of the department of agri- 

 culture touches at many points with that of the United States depart- 

 ment of agriculture, the Montana State college, and the Livestock 

 Sanitary Board of Montana. Without exception, the co-operation af- 

 forded in all contacts in the work, have been valuable, generouslj' 

 given, and without friction of any sort. With federal departments, 

 three specific co-operative agreements have been entered into since 

 the creation of the Montana department of agriculture, covering sta- 

 tistical and crop reporting activities; direction of labor and employ- 

 ment ; and shipping point inspection of fruits and vegetables. Each 

 joining of forces in this manner has resulted in more work accom- 

 plished at less cost than would otherwise have been possible. 



