The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1904-12-17
COOPERATIVE
GRAIN CONCERNS
HOW THE IDEA rs BEING SPREAD
IN IOWA THIS WINTER.
History of the Rise Of the Movement
Bylaws Of the Company-How a
CRATER Has Been Working the
Lodges of Modern WoGdmen in Iowa
The Same Story Told at Webster
City and at Des Moines. ..>
Special TO The Journal.

Special 10 The Journal. .s...-s.zs ,-..
Webster City, Iowa, Dec. 17.-1f the plans
Grain Dealers Association of Iowa, do not fall
thru. there will be at least ffty-fve of the
farmers cooperative concerns established III
Iowa before the first of February.
Mr. Messerole is manager of a farmers co.
operative grain buying association at Gowrle,
and was in this city today He is looking
about and may decide to interest one OF the
elevator companies in the city to become u
farmers cooperative concern. or at least to
become interested in similar project. AT the
meeting held in Rockwell last month he was
chosen secretary of the newly organized state
associa ton.
At the meeting held at Rockwell last month
there about thirty of these cooperative
concerns in the state represented. Since that.
meeting there have been about ten more COM
panies organized and there are now fifteen more
organizations under way. Inside of year
nearly two hundred such cooperative concerns
are looked for in the state.
These independent, cooperative companies
were formed because of a move made against
several grain buyers In Chicago who were puS :.
ing direct from the farmer. In the opinion VI
these buyers. known as line companies. the Chi
cago commission have right to do this
and these line buyers were going to boycott
them. The farmers took hand and in a very
short time this meeting at Rockwell was calleS
and the who were going to be boycotted by
the trust concerns are now made the benehci-
aries by Of the Independent organization
The cooperative concern at Gowrie, of which
|
for about two years. The companies members
are from the best farmers in that section and
number about one hundred. During the two
years the company has been organized, an
enormous business has been done, and Is contin-
ually growing, not only in the way of buying
and selling grain, but in the hauling Of lumber
and building supplies
The company being controlled by the farm
ers Of course the farmers buliness comes &c
the company. During the past week Mr. Mes
serole says the company has bought 25,OO
bushels Of sheled corn, and the daily average is
from 1000 to 5000 bushels. The company II
now paying 33 cents bushel for the shellet
corn and from 81 to 80 cents for ear corn
When asked If the farmers who hold stoci
in the company sold their product to the com
pany even tho competitors might be paying
higher price, Mr.. Messerole said they did. Their
were backsliders in the concern The organ
izers and members Of the company worked to
: gether and when anything was for sale tn
farmer sold it to. the firm that most bene
, fitting him. Then, in addition, the bylaws of tn
company provide that i'll the instance Of mem
Der of the company selling his grain to any othe
f concern, that he must pay into the treasury q
the cooperative company a cent bushel 70
l what he has sold. Under these conditions tn
Gowrie company is success and is daily grow
8 ing,