The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1897-07-05
FARMERS FOLLOWING SUIT.

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FARMERS FOLLOWING SUIT.
We had occasion recently to COM
ment. without depreciation, upon the
fact that a farmer elevator company
up in the valley Of the RED had actual
ly initiated those other soullass cor
porations byIIchatging so much for the
services of them elevator that they
were able 70 declare a dividend of
about rs per. cent, following a stock
dividend last yesf of 100 per cent, thus
virtually making this years dividend
one Of so per cent. One might infer
from the satisfaction with which this
showing was made, the evident I'M
consciousness of having done anything
wrongful, that the general denunCia-
ton, a few years ago, Of the other Gle
Vator companies which have earned
like dividends. sprang less from an
tlpathy to generous returns on invest
ments than from the difference IS TO
who got them. From this oasis one
might conclude that. in the matter Of
very much different from human ra-
ture in any other vocation
III any one objects to these conclu-
sions and asserts that it was not to
the large profits but to the combjna-
ton through which they were made.
and urges that the Sletten company
Is independent a part of no combine,
we are obliged to refer him to another
instance, in another section of the
state, which has since fallen under our
notice. The Kenyon Leader informs it's
reduers that the managers, directors
ana officers of several farmers elevator
companies in Goodhue and adjoining
counties met in Kenyon to form an or
ganlzat1on for their mutual benefit
Representatives Of nine companies at
tehded. The secretary read the plan
OF organization drawn by a committee
appointed at a meeting held the rre-
V1ous week. The plan is not fully I'M
folded, we observe, but in this they
only follow the precedents established
by other corporations that have hither-
TO organizedrs'for mutual benefit" In
the case of manufacturing 'organi-
Zatlons' we have usually had the as
surance that they were formed merely
10 regulate output and reduce expenses,
out not at all for, the purpose of ad-
Vanclng prices, and this organization
should have, nats the least, assured the
country that it was not formed 10 de-
preciate prices Of farm products. They
have not fully learned their lesson we
apprehend. Butathe Leader assures, us
mat the gentlemen in this combine
Tor that unpopular term is the fit one
are without exception earnest and
intelligent men, who have only the
welfare and prosperity of the COM
pahles ana the farming community at
large at heart" Although the Leader
assures us that "the possibilities that
lay in the direction that has been OH
lined at the above meeting can hardly
be grasped at such short notice" ve
may rest in confidence that the earn
est and intelligent gentlemen of the u
ganization will grasp all Of them as
they arise
We are told that the Kenyon com
pany was the only dissenter; they be-
heved it is good to let we'll enough
alone, and that, anyway, 'tho success
OF their farmers elevator depended
more upon its able management and
the loyal support of it's stockholders
and patrons than upon any outside con-
nections which tend to hamper it's use
fulness." But the Kenyon men wore
alone, and the plan was "overwhrl,n-
ingly adopted" This makes it evil
dent that the Kenyon company IS nor
abreast of the times. 1t is old-fosyish.
cleaVlng to business notions that are
almost obsolete. The modern turns to
combination, to these organizations. Cor
relief from the necessity OF cable nan
agement," by fixing things 50 that loss
es in mismana cement can be reco1Ined
by prices forced higher 40 be sure,
most of these moderns have com. r.,
grief and gone to pieces, because allie
management is quite as necessary in
combination las in separations: but the
instances are numerous enough where
success has attended them when so
managed. But we did not intend to
do more than to note this latter in
stance Of the universally of the ten
dency toward combination and to OBJ
serve that even our friend, the farmer.
is not averse to it in his own affairs
however vigorously he may denounce
it in others
GERMAN POPULISM.