Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1906-10-23
MATTERS TO BE DISCUSSED BX
THE FARMERS COOPERATIVE
CONGRESS
CoNYENEs IN TOPEKA
Grain States Are All Represented III
Large Gatherings Seek System In
the Raising Of Small Grain SO That
Little VIII be Carried Over.

SAS SS-oPCl dSlPc IouSlucS6 NOASl0bbb
with large attendance of delegates
from western and southern states,
met here today. The purpose Of the
meeting is to more closely unite the
agricultural interests of the west
A concerted and somewhat strategic
movement in the direction of storing
the wheat crop which has been UNDER
way for months. promises to crystal
lize into definite action immediately-
In fact the cornering process has, tai
some extent already been consummat-I
ed, and the finishing touches are to bel
part of the program of the Farmers',
Cooperative congress which convenenl
in Topeka this morning.
This congress will consist Of 1.S0O
delegates and spectators, representing3
score or more of states, all the wayl
from Oregon to Georgia, and will bel
IN session four or five days, The coma
gress 1s an Offspring of the FarmerSA
educational and Cooperative Unfon--
an organization whose phenomenal
expansion entities It to consideration
as factor of material consequence ini
the Industrial and commercial AFFAIRS
OF this country. James Butler OF this
city, national director of the Farm.i
ers' union, was first to suggest such aI
congress. and other leaders promptly
concurred In the idea.
Briefly summarized, the ambitious
plan OF the farmers participating In
this movement Is to store the wheat
IN cooperative elevators which are to
be located at numerous convenient
points In the wheat producing states,
and simply decline to sell until what-
ever price they may agree upon ID
offered.
| Many Elevators Secured.
Forty-six cooperative elevator COM
panies were chartered in the state OF
South Dakota during the first ten days
OF September, and more than twenty
| elevators were purchased by the new
companies and will be operated by
them In the handling of this years
crop. One hundred and twenty seven
cooperative elevator companies have
been organized In the state Of Mime.
sofa, and are now in operation; Kan
sas already has more than eighty:l
there are 100 in Illinois, forty in Okla
homa and 100 in Nebraska.
The purpose is to urge cooperation
all along the line, to keep the farmers
posted and, eventually, to control,
acreage, SO that there will be little SUR,
plus to carry over.
And the money to do all this, where's
Is 1t coming from? For answer the or
ganizers point to the $125,000,000 ly-
Ing in the state banks Of Kansas toi
the credit of the farmers, as guarantee
that this time Wall street will not be
asked to stick finger in the pie, And
they point to the millions of dollars ofI
farmers money in the banks of the
south, h,all subject to check. Farmers1
call attention to the success of the CO.
operative elevators and mills as proof
that the farmer is as good businessI
man as the city chap, and when hel
puts his hand to the business enter
prise can run 1t equally well with the
best Of the city born.
Iowa Men There.
/ Among the states represented In the
congress, as indicated by hotel reser-
walton which has been made, are: I'LL.
nois, Iowa. Indiana, Minnesota, Mis-
souri,. Virginia, Texas, Oklahoma, Ar
I kansas, Louisiana, South Dakota.
North Dakota, Georgia, Alabama, Mis-
s1ssippi,. Wisconsin, Nebraska, New
4 Mexico, Indian Territory, Tennessee.
i Colorado. California and Washington,
majority Of these delegates Will
come as the properly accredited repre-
sentatives OF their respective branches
OF the Farmers Educational and Co
operative union and grain companies.
while others from states where unions
have not yet been organized, will be
present as spectators for the purpose
Of acquiring information in order that
i they may carry the cooperative idea
back to their homes.
!. Wheat is only one of several issues
to be taken up for discussion by tho
congress. Already the union in the
southern states has gained control Of
the cotton situation, and with that
success as an object lesson, the move-
ment is reaching out to include wheat,
corn, oats, hay, live stock, poultry--in
fact, everything that is produced BY.
the farmer and stock raiser.