The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1903-10-09
FARMERS ORGANIZE.
But Their Union Meeting Yesterday
Lacked of Big Crowd.
From Wednesdays Daily

The Minnesota Farmers Exchange is
the name selected by the subcommittee
on bylaws appointed by twenty dele
gates consisting of farmers, who ment
yesterday afternoon at the office of Gov.
S. R. Van SAINT to form permanent
state organization. The committee, con-
sisting of C. E. Jackson and E. R. jack
son of Buchanan, w. S. Weatherman OF
West Concord and ]. P. Carey of Glen
coe, was appointed at the afternoon ses-
sion, and decided on the name and some
of the features of the organization at a
meeting last evening at the Merchants
hotel.
The state organization is to be affiliat-
ed with the Farmers National Co-opera-
tive Exchange, recently organized at Chi
cago with capital of $4,000, 600, mil
ion shares at $40 each. Hamilton White
of Chicago, financial agent of the nation
al organization, and Il H. Carr of Chi
cago board of trade addressed the meet
ing in the afternoon and will assist in
perfecting the organizatio C. E. Jack
son of Buchanan was q delegate to the
national convention and was elected or
ganizer for Minnesota.
The committee ON constitution and by
laws will report at meeting at the
Merchants hotel at $50 this morning,
when state officers will be elected Lo-
cal organizations win be formed in coun-
ties and townships. The state organi-
cation will make st. Paul its head
quarters.
The farmers seek to form an organiza-
ton that will own and operate grain
elevators, storage plants, canning fac
tories, stock yards, packing houses and
banks. The plan is to send the raw pro-
duce to be finished in the mills of the
exchange and to be sold by the exchange
in the best possible markets.
Plans Suggested.
Various methods Of organization were
discussed at the meeting in the COVER
nor's office H. FL. Carr advocated a
plan by which all the farmers of the
northwest should bind themselves to
ship their grain and produce to central
plant in Chicago or some other large
city offering the best market.
Mr.. White of Chicago explained in de-
tail the work of the Farmers Nation
ell Cooperative Exchange Of the $780,
100000 capital stock, farmers were to
own SO per cent. The exchange is to own
elevators, stock yards and cold storage
plants in all parts of the United States.
These and other plants of similar
nature seemed futile to S. M. Owen,
editor of The Farm Stock and Home of
Minneapolis. Mr.. Owen said that the
question had been agitated for twenty
years without any practical results, and
that the failure was due to lack of bust
ness method. He said farmers must
first learn the lesson OF obedience to a
higher authority and cooperation at
home before they undertook to form a
national organization. He recommended
the formation of local farmer elevator
companies and the combination of these
into district, state and national associa-
tions as the local organizations become
effective.
Among the others present at the meet
ing were Representative Ole Peterson of
New Ulm, l. W. Tolbert of Rochester,
j. S. Macdonald of Chisago county and
Charles F. Ceilley, general organizer of
the Amalgamated Woodworkers of Am
erica.-St. Paul Pioneer Press.