East Oregonian : E.O. (Pendleton, OR) 1888-current, 1906-10-22

Topeka, Kas, oct. 22.-From away
down south in the land OF cotton, as
well as from the corn belt of the mid
die west and the wheat fields OF the
great north, delegates are congregated
here today to participate in the first
season of the Farmers Cooperative
Business congress. The present
meeting had It's origin in a call issued
by James Butler of this city and re-
ceived the Endorsement of the Far
mers unions of the south and numer-
Gus other agricultural cooperative
societies. Among the staTes repre-
sented at the congress are Kansas.
Missouri, Oklahoma, Texas. New
Mexico, Louisiana, Mississippi, Ala
bama. Georgia, Kentucky. Illinois,
Nebraska, Iowa, Minnesota and the
Dakotas.
The object of the congress, accord
ing TO the statement OF Secretary
Butler. is to unite the cotton planters
OF the south and the grain and fruit
growers of the north for the purpose
of controlling the price of all farm
products and to secure legislation IA
vorable to the agricultural Interests
of the territory represented. To ac-
complish this end the new organization
will demand of the various state legis-
latures a Just and equitable law COW
ering the subject of farmers CO.
operative societies. When this has
been accomplished II Will be the
aim of the society to organize CO.
operative farmers exchanges, clear
ing houses. banks, elevators. cotton
gins and warehouses. telephone lines,
packing houses and insurance COM
panies.
For Cooperative Elevators.
one Of the important movements
inaugurated today was an attempt to
form n combination of the cooperative
elevator companies in order to raise
the price of wheat. Many of the del
egates favor the project and 1t Is eX-
pected that some definite action win
be taken before the congress adjourns.
There are now about 500 elevators
operated by wheat growers in the
Mississippi valley, and 1t is believed
that through concerted action they
could easily raise the price of wheat at
least cents a bushel. The promoters
OF this plan point to the success OF the
farmers unions of the south in main
tanning the price Of cotton, and de-
clare that similar action on the part
of.the wheat growers would be equal
ly as successful.
Other Industries Join.
Representatives of numerous CO.
operative societies producing apples,
potatoes, flour. grain and other COM
modities are here and the numerous
commercial transactions bid fair to be
an important feature OF the congress.
II is expected that many carloads Of
Missouri and northern apples. Minne-
sofa and oklahoma potatoes and
Kansas flour will be sold to southern
cooperative unions as result OF the
present meeting. This will be doubly
beneficial, since the growers will get
a better price for their products and
the buyers and consumers will profit
by reduced prices.
Another matter which will come up
before the congress is the establish
ment of union markets in all OF the
great labor centers, thus affording
the union workman of the city an
opportunity to buy the products OF
union farmers without paying a profit
TO middlemen. II Is believed that the
carrying out of such plan of mutual
cooperation would do much toward
establishing relations of social soli-
darity between the workers Of the shop