The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1903-08-27
ANOTHER CONSOLIDATION.

n
The plan which it is reported that
the Milwaukee road has approved Oh
consolidating the business done by the
country creameries along its hne' VIII
denend for it's success upon the energy
and business sagacity with winch II Is
handled. That is the secret OF pretty
much all the consolidating business III
| this country, and it must be emlnently
| true of an industry in which people
NAV engage so readily and which re-
o11ires so small an amount of capital
for it's conduct.
The advantages of Capitalization
have been pointed out. by the gentle
man who has been perfecting the plan.
They are summed up in the statement
that the farmer can get better returns
for his, labor and his product by deal
ing with central concern than with
the country creameries. Larger prices
and prompter service are. promised to
him. If he gets these, he will be. both
| benefited by the change and satisfied
| with it. If he does not get them. he
| will not patroniZe it.
The question of fact will prove to be
an exceedingly important one. The
creamery interest Of Minnesota is
enormous 1t has been probably the
chief factor in the Industrial emanci-
patton of this state 1t has aided to
comfort and to- wealth those who, be-
fore dairying vas practiced on large
scale, were struggling to make both
ends meet and to pay interest on their
mote it's growth and swell it's profits
will be welcomed by the whole COM
munity Anything that should have the
| contrary effect would not be tolerated
| by the farmers, and would presently
| become a target for such determined
hostility that it could not possibly
maintain itself in the face of popular
opposition.
The opportunity for Capitalization
of the industry arises from the fact
that some creameries are not managed
in the most businesslike way. They
are started for the convenience of their
territory, but are deficient in the latest
and best methods, are handicapped by
insufficient resources and are slow in
renting to their customers. There
are others which are up to date in all
their methods and give the completest
satisfaction to the farmers and dairy
men who deal with them. 1t is easy
| to see that the former could not stand
| competition with large centralized
| institution, while the latter could re-
| tain their patronage without difficulty.
| Undoubtedly the progress of the
movement should be watched and will
| be noted with the keenest interest by
! the farmers Of the state. II it simply
offers to them this opportunity. gives
| to them a choice Of the best markets,
| and returns to them larger net profit
| than they have hitherto received, they
will have no complaint to make. And
! it is quite possible that, according to
the economic advantage which modern
/ methods of consolida ton have dis
closed, such results may follow in
whole or in part. IT, on the other hand,
| there should appear the slightest dis
position to make the profit out of the
| farmer himself, to discriminate in any
| way between the carriage of the local
! product and that of the centralized
| concern, to force consolidation to a
success by crushing out competition
/ through any unfair means, then the
| country would rise up in protest and
legislation would be appealed to not in
/ vain.
The project thus appears in the light
of an interesting experiment which is
to be known by lis fruits. 1t will be
well for the farmers, dairymen and
! creamery operators of the state to keep
a careful eye upon its operations and
it's practical returns 70 the producer,
whose interests ought to be and must
be held paramount To all others.
A Washington man lives in spite of
! the fact that his neck is broken. The
i case would not attract unusual atten-