The evening times. [volume] (Grand Forks, N.D.) 1906-1914, 1906-01-04
FARMERS COOPERATION

The farmers of Ward county will
meet at Kenmare in few days to
organize county association for
mutual protection and benefit. The
meeting will be notable in that it is
the first gathering in the western part
ject the formation of system for
reasonable cooperation. The inten-
ton is to form local branch of the
American Society of Equity, but the
work will go much farther. A CO.
operative buying and selling society
will be formed, farmers will group
their orders on many commodities and
buy largely in bulk. Local merchants
will be given the preference in the
placing of orders, but if they should
insist on unreasonable profits, the or
ders will go elsewhere. The selling
market will also be given attention
and an effort will be made to secure
the best prices for the products of the
farm. The plan is not an experiment
~ S0Ao oCdIC. IL udo UCCu III OUCld
In Ramsey county for three years, as
we'll as in other counties. The work
In Ramsey county has, however, been
ON the most extensive scale and the re-
suits are more pronounced. The first
breach into the buying market there
occurred two years ago on the binding
Irvine question. The farmers of one
township, who were maintaining
local mutual organization, joined
together to purchase their Irvine, and
while the order was placed through
local dealer nearly three cents per
pound was saved on the lot over the
local market prices. When the price
was made, it was demanded by other
farmers and thousands of dollars were
saved from this one deal, though the
merchant who placed the order
claimed that after the reduction he
made a good profit. Encouraged by
this success, the farmers who had first
started the Irvine deal, determined to
save the margin on their grain for
themselves. They organized a mill
and elevator association, and sold the
stock to the farmers throughout the
county. They procured a charter and
after organization, began to push the
work. They purchased one of the ele-
vatOrs at Devils Lake and began the
buying of grain. Last year the differ
ence in the price of wheat between
that point and Minneapolis was seven
teen cents per bushel. This year the
difference was ten and half cents,
and some of the elevators other than
that owned by the farmers, payed a
premium of two cents per bushel over
the standard local price, which actual
" made the difference in price be-
tween the local and eastern markets
eight and one half cents against the
seventeen cents last year. The Great
Northern's freight reduction from that
point granted last summer, was three
and half cents so that the net gain
from the opposition of the farmers as
buyers of their own grain was five
Acents per bushel. There were marketed
ut that point of last years crop ap-
prOximately 100000 bushels of wheat,
70 that the profits to the grain grow
sers Of that tertiary was not far from
SIS. 900. The elevator owned by the
farmers made good dividend ON the
cost of the plant. They took all
gfain that was offered, but when the
other elevators put the price two cents
Shove their own, they let all the grain
- to the opposition, and as the farm
80 concern would get all at q level
rice the others were compelled to
laintain q premium during much of
- buying season.
s This Is 2 part Of the story OF co-op-
tion among the farmers Of that
= llty. and IT. eject upon the markets
thsif products. II the sarganiza-
n shpuA rs pernec4ed II Ward
It would ID insernmsntai IN
slll 49, ~ orsaailatioa through Il
~ Nv stats: y. VII, n,
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