The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1904-02-03
WILL ORGANIZE A
STATE ASSOCIATION
Minnesota Farmers Propose to
Manage the Proposed Com
bine for Themselves.

Independent organization is the plan
upon which the Minnesota Farmers
exchange will proceed to its perma-
nent establishment. That much was
definitely decided upon yesterday after
noon at the opening session of the con-
vention now being held at the state
capital. 1t was made manifest in the
proceedings that the Minnesota farm
ers as there represented are in favor
of organization for their mutual bene-
fit; that they indorse the nationaliZa-
ton of farmers cooperative associa
tons and will send delegates to the
national convention to be held In
Omaha March 1. 1t was also made
plain that they will not be organized
as a branch of the American Farmers
exchange, although they contemplate
with favor the idea of afhliation with
that central body.
The Minnesota exchange was tenta-
lively organized at meeting held in
this city some months ago, and there
were elected as officers of the tempo
rary organization, c. e. Jackson, presi-
dent; J. p. Carey, Glencoe, vice presi-
dent; J. S. Macdonald, secretary, and
w. s. Wetherston, West Concord,
treasurer
The meeting Of yesterday was called
as a general convention of farmers
under the auspices or this temporary
organization for the purpose of or
ganizing permanently.
II. N. Gaines, of Topeka, Kan, was
present as chairman of a committee of
five on organization appointed at
national convention of farmers held in
Chicago Dec. /. The work delegated to
this committee was the Capitalization
of the farmers cooperative associa-
lions of the country into one organi-
cation
Mr.. Gaines occupied a greater por-
ton of the morning and part of the
afternoon with an address, urging Min
neSota farmers to join in the national
movement rather than to organize in
dependently. He argued against indie
pendent local organization as being SO
circumscribed in it's scope as to per-
nit of practically no good results On
the other hand he said that if the
eight million farmers of the United
States or even a good proportion of
them should organize, there need be
no limit to what they could accom-
plish.
Advocates Cooperation.
w. W. p. Mcconnell, state dairy and
food commissioner, was called upon
and spoke enthusiastically in favor of
organization among the farmers. He
declared that without organization on
their cattle and hogs from 10 to 40
be ground down by the Iron heel of
centralized capital" and said that only
within the past four or five months the
meat trust had held up the farmers
and made them reduce the price of
their cattle and hogs from 10 to 40
per cent, while at the same time the
trust was putting up the price of meat
to the consumer.
Mr.. Mcconnell said he could not
speak accurately as to the general lines
of farming but he could tell what the
benefits Of organization among dairy
farmers had been. He said that there
are now 600 cooperative creameries in
Minnesota and they paid $4,000, 900
last year to the farmers Of the state.
Addresses on the subject of organi-
cation We're delivered by M. Ninless.
of Ellsworth, Wis; w. S. Wetherston,
j. S. Macdonald and several others.
COMMITTEES on Constitution.
On motion it was determined to make
the temporary organization permanent
and appoint committee Of one mem
Der from each county represented in
the convention to prepare a constitution
and bylaws. There were twenty coun-
ties represented and the committee on
constitution and bylaws was appointed
as follows
J. H. Coats, Benton; N. K. Hunt.
StearnS; +. A. Hill, Mcleod; p. p. FenS-
ter and w. ]. Swenson, Goodhue; H. w.
Reinecke, Waseca; E. r. Jackson, Nor
rison; William Miles Dodge; Elias Steen-
erson, Polk; ]. F. Brady, Steele; A. A.
Liederbact Wright; W. G. Scott, Ohm
stead, s; J. Leahy, Rice; J.. S. Mac
Donald, Chisago; S. W. Powell, Wash
ington; ]. P. Carey, Sibley; S. G. L.
Roberts, Pine; w. w. P. Mcconnell, Blue
Earth; George Hill, Dodge.
1t was proposed that this convention
merely appoint delegates to the Omaha
convention and then adjourn until after
the convention, leaving further work
of organization to be done later, but
Immediately this motion was cried
down and a substitute by ]. S. Mac
Donald indorsing the naturalization of
farmers cooperative associations and
providing that not less than two dele
gates be sent from this body to the
Omaha convention, was adopted
The committee on constitution and
bylaws then proceeded to it's work, and
the convention took a recess until $50
this morning.
There were between fifty and sixty
farmers present at the meeting yester-
day, and it is expected that more will
arrive today.