The great West. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1889-18??, 1891-09-11
81. PAUL, MIMI, SEPT. IL, 1891.
Important to Farmers.

Important to Farmers.
While congress and the state legis-
latures are dillydallying with the
subject of option-gambling the spec
ulators go on working the markets
and the farmers are helpless victims.
An important movement has been
inaugurated among the farmers
themselves which promises to do
much to emancipate them from the
power of the wheat sharks. The
Northwestern Farmers Protective
Association, with headquarters at
Grand Forks, North Dak., is an Or
ganization having. for it's purpose
the selling of farm produce through
authorized agents, direct to domestic
and foreign consumers. The asso-
citation is prohibited by it's bylaws
from buying wheat or other farm
produce, and may sell only under
instruction from the owner, and the
order for payment must be made out
in the name of the owner. The
agent of the association is also pro-
hibited from selling or handling the
produce of others than members of
the association, and members may
not, under penalty, send other than
the products of their own farms.
To be eligible to membership, a per-
son must own or run a farm, and
pay membership fee of $500.
The following is from the Grand
Forks Daily Plaindealer of July 9th:
The Red River Valley Anti-Mon-
opoly Protective Association yester-
day elected Osmund Tharaldson
agent Of the company at Duluth or
West Superior. Mr.. Tharaldson will
handle all the grain shipped by the
members OF the association to Du-
luth Or Superior, selling it there or
shipping to English markets as
deemed advisable. He will be re-
quired to give bonds to the amount
OF $4,000. Secretary Ulven pre-
sented his report showing an aggre-
gate membership in the association
OF nearly 500. The membership
fees amount to three dollars, and
one cent per bushel is deducted from
the receipts for grain which, after
paying all the expenses of the asso-
citation, will, with receipts from
mem bership fees, go to a fund for
the erection of association elevators.
One leading object to be secured by
the association will be in being able
to ship the pure No. 1 hard wheat,
without any oppo1 tunity OF mixing
it, directly to the English markets
and by thus establishing their grade
there secure the highest market pric-
es, amounting in many instances to
quite a percentage over that of the
mixed wheat usually shipped there.
Many of the members of the associa-
ton have large farms with extensive
tracts of grain, and it is claimed
that the association will probably
be able to control three to five
million bushels this year. The asso-
citation has one receiving elevator
at Ada, Mimi, and is building an
other at Perley. 1t is probable sew
eral more will be erected this year
at leading shipping points. At other
stations members of the association
will load directly into cars. The
following board of directors were
elected: Hon. Ole T. Gronli, North
wood, NJ. C. Peterson. Bentrue;
Steen Hofto, Mcintosh, Mimi; O. O.
Estensen, Polk county, Mimi; and
81. A. Rask. Norman county, Mimi.
Also the following committee on
finance:-Sten A. Hafto, Mcintosh;
Ole E. Olsen, Marsh River; Paul
Simon, Nilsville.
The association now has a mem
bership of more than 500 and from
the present rate OF increase it is
judged that it will soon be from
1000 to 1900. Farmers who may
wish to investigate the matter are
referred to the secretary, Mr.. Thos.
Ulven, of Grand Forks. 1t is the
ultimate purpose of the association
to build elevators in Duluth and
Buffalo, and if necessary maintain
their own agent at Liverpool. This
evidences a disposition on the part
OF the farmers to act in their own
interests. 1t is worth So of any
farmer g money to encourage a prac-
teal effort to escape the power of
the gamblers and SPECTATORS.