The representative. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1893-1901, 1899-03-15
THE GRAIN-GROWERS' ASSOCIA-
TON.
SOME GOOD SUGGESTIONS

Hendricks, March 10TH 1900.
Editor Representative:
In forming the rules governing the
Gralngrowers' Association, | am of the
opinion that we should take the bull by
the horns and set the price OF our own
wheat
First, build elevators; then get all the
members that can afford tito put in from
ten to twenty dollars to create a fund to
be advanced to farmers who are obliged
to have money; they to deposit their
wheat in the elevator for the same The
wheat to be held there, or at terminal
elevator at Duluth until the price is up
to what the farmers are going to hold
their wheat for that year
Farmers should not transact business
with firms that crowd them when wheat
is below a reasonable price.
II any member sells wheat against the
rules Of the association, they should be
blacklisted.
When wheat is too low our elevators
could run up a red f1ag-and the farmers
also-and they would then soon send the
news to the remotest members, and they
would all stay at home and do their work
till wheat went up to our price, and then
the white flag would replace the red one
II there was thought to be surplus OF
wheat each farmer could report to the
officers OF the association of his town
what he had raised that year: and then
each could be allowed to sell the same
per cent OF what they raised in year.
and keep the balance till it was wanted
From what | can learn by talking with
farmers, it will not be hard to get farm
ers to join if the plan is to set price on
our wheat so as to get the cost of pro-
duction
l don't think that to get commission
men to divide their commission with the
growers will be inducement enough to get
the bulk of the farmers to join When
we set Our own price we don't care what
the board OF trade does then
Very trul yours Geo Mennie
These suggestions from Mr.. George
Mennie, who has been for twenty years
leading worker in the ranks OF REFORM
are we'll worth careful consideration
In all directions intelligent men are
proposing plans for the betterment OF the
condition OF the farmers: but the first
thing to do is to get the agricultural
population to organize gran-growers
clubs, under the constitution which APP
pears in another column Of this paper
AS long as they are divided. like grains
OF sand. nothing can be accomplished.
II they are consolidated into rock they
will fall upon and crush those who OPP
press them.
The first step is club in every town
ship
Then, on the first Tuesday OF July,
1899. we will all get together in Mime
apois and decide what is best to do.
In the meantime we will afford every
man who has plan to propose an oppor-
tunity to present it in the columns OF The
Representative; let it be debated pro and
con and the best plan finally adopted at
the July meeting.
Some of Mr. Mennie's suggestions are
good; but few men here and there can
not fix price for wheat; but if one-half
or two-thirds of the farmers of Mime
sofa and the Dakotas unite in fixing a
price it will have big effect all over the
world
With organization all things are posi-
Bile, without it nothing is possible
Let every man start the work in his