The representative. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1893-1901, 1899-03-29
DON'T LIKE III.
DiSapprOveS Of the BOen-OlSOn Society.

OlSdQpIONSS VI lnc bOtu.OlSOu SOCleIys
Editor Representatives the meet
ing of March 9TH, 1899, the committee
created by the convention of January IA,
seems to have been made thing of the
past
The action taken by the meeting of the
9TH of March defeated the end and the
object sought by our January meeting;
by the Boen-Olson combine, or Farm
ers' Cooperative Elevator Business So
ciety."
The elevator site at Duluth ought not
to be transferred to this new company,
whose stockholders charge cents per
bushel now for handling our grain at To-
cal elevators; and if that business So
ciety shall take charge of the terminal
elevator they will be apt to Guido the
elevator companies in the field, I6toI,
in charges for handling our grain at
terminals. | venture to say that the To-
cal farmers elevators and the Grain
Growers COOPERATIVE Association will
never be a success if divided Intelligent
farmers will not patronize the tools OF
the Minnesota elevator combine. The
bill before the legislature to lease, or con-
tract, to this business society. whose
members to great extent are not grain
growers, the state elevator site at Du-
luth ought to be defeated.
If there are any men left on the COM
mlttee appointed at Our January meeting
let these men take hold and save the
Grain Growers Association, as original
ly organized on January "a. 1899, from
being annihiated by this later move of
March 9TH, 1899.
We had the hope that the Grain Grow
ers' Cooperative Association of Mime
sofa would be the means OF lifting a
much abused people OUT of the mire of
poverty and discomfort in which it has
been pushed by trusts and combines.
March, 1899.
H. L. Sand,
Cokato, MINI.
We fear there is too much truth in the
view of our correspondent.
At the January meeting OF the dele
gates for the Second Congressional Dis
tract they threw Mr. Eric Olson over
board, by refusing to make him one OF the
Board OF Managers. Eric was disgruntled;
and persuaded Mr.. Boon to help him
start another Grain Growers Association
to supplant the society organized Janu-
airy sd, 1899, taking the same name and
adopting some OF its officers.
1t was the old game-"divide and con-
quer" But the worst of it was that the
new society was to be composed, not of
'grain-growers, but of grain dealers; -
and the actual farmers were. as farmers.
to have nothing to do with it. and would
possess no control over it.
1t practically took the bowels out of
the Growers Association.
Then the new society appealed to the
legislature to lease them the Duluth site
paid for by the money OF all the grain
growers of the state; and talked about
getting 200 farmer warehouse-companie
to put in ST 900 each to build 5000 900
elevator at Duluth. We doubt if there
are 100 farmers warehouses in this state,
and we do not believe one OF them would
put in $1,000 for such a purpose.
We are very sorry. We spent a great
deal OF money and labor in the project:
and it hurts us to see it shipwrecked bv
such a man as Eric Olson. Boen is not
a bad fellow, but Eric is using him as a
cats paw
What is the remedy. farmers?
Organize local branches of the general
society, and meet in convention in Julv
and make your own arrangements for
the sale OF your wheat By that time
Erics impracticable scheme will be play
ed out, and the deck will be cleared for
practical and sensible action. Id.