The Northern Pacific farmer. [volume] (Wadena, Minn.) 1878-1885, 1884-10-09
COMPTON, October 9Th, 1884.

| 1Nltof1 ". r. farmor.
| DEAR sIRs- hear some dissatisfaction expressed
with tho way the Farroers' Elevator is now run.
Mr.. Dawson gives his services and pays half the
expenses. net including taxes and insurance. and
! takes half the profits; the house gets the ether
half. After taking everything into confederation
| the above u rraHsemsnt was the free choice ofthe
| directors, aud we hear 1t said with much truth
! that under such arrangements, 1t is not 4 Farm
| er' Elevator. None con know, 10 well a. the
directors do how much 1t lacks Of being Farm
| er's Elevator in the best sense of the title. We
know that from q community Of hundreds, less
than thirty have taken shares We know that six
or seven men have been, on two occasioi,s forced
to save the house from sheriTs Sale, by hrgly
adding to their stock when it was highly improi-
liable to do so They also know that near 5000
must be raised three months from now, and it is
not quite clear at this moment no " 1t can be done
but we leok for small sum from the business to
help reduce the debt. To those who have not
taken any stock, I think I may say that those
who have, agree with them who hav, not in
their wish to have the elevator run more In the
interest OF the farmers and merchants than it Is
this season. hope to zee the dny when every
cent will be given for wheat except * cents or
less for handling, and we will do we'll to lnd out
how we can reach that desirable end; we don't
seam to be agreed as to the best means. For in
stance, some have given their time and attention,
besides purchasing stock and passing their wheat
through the said elevator. On the other hand I
know some men who have only given 4 promise
30 far of no intrinaic value, and few have added
gratuitons falsehood with intent to hurt. Now
gentlemen, ii we are to have real effective Farm
er's Elevator, you must alter your tactics You
must take one share or more, and you must give
the house fair trial when you have wheat to SELL
allow that there was time when there could be
no trust placed in tho company. mean in the
fall of 1889, when only few shares were paid up
and the officers Of the company. along with
others held liens against the building for money
invested by them in the house. but surely 1t is not
so now. About two thirds Of the tetal cost of the
building, namely $4et'0 is paid up, and the share
list will be found to include mostly Trustworthy
men who are i'll the habit Of backing any good
cause. Now, to all who believe that an elevator
under control Of the farmers and merchants will
be bensdcial, would say there Is a short and
legitimate way to attain that object; stock is on
the market and am sure that those who invested
heavily to save the house, will relinqu in favor
| of small purchasers at par and rejoice to REQ the
corporation worked on sound principles. In the
| meantime after we have allowed that the present
way Of running the business is not the best we
wish for, but rather tho best our circumstances
will allow at this time, are prepared to assert
that the Farmers Elevator at Wadena has al
ready produced results beneficial to the farmers:
reflection on the motives that actuate men tells
| US that it must be SO, and We have besides evid
ence In the relation now existing between large
and local market prices and the relation Of former
years whic will satisfy any impartial man that
the elevator Is now doing gosd But we have reason
| to think that hard times may make the payne Mt
| OF notes, held by tho company rather difficult at
| this time, and a. We are old enough to kaow that
voluntary support is the only support possible in
| such matter, it has been decided to return the
| notes to the signels, and we cannot doubt but
| many will ind themse Ives in position to take q
| share or more according to promise. may state
| that the unredeened pledges gross over 1880,
surely it Is not all bogus. Before closiag wish to
| say that both farmers and merchants will make a
mistake II they allow the Farmers E. vator to 20
on much longer without something ike general
| support. The few men now carrying the bulk of
the stock are not men to cry over split milk. and
they can do with as mean grades and a. low prices
as any oftheir neighbors II 1t comes to that. ut
an sure that they join me in this, another ap-
peal to both farmers and merchants, to uph old
the Farmers Elevator. GEORGE STEWART,
=. Preside mt Farmer Elevator Co.