The Princeton union. [volume] (Princeton, Minn.) 1876-1976, 1907-09-12
MEETING OFF ARMERS.
Two Hundred Representative Farmers
Listen to Address by Mr.. Nor.
rell in HOlthus' Grove.
speaker Gives Excellent Advice Upon
Manner of rlarketing Products
and Other Matters.

Intelligent and representative farm
ers from the counties of Isanti, Sher-
burne and Mile Laos to the number
OF about 200 assembled in a beautiful
grove close by Henry Holthus' resi-
dence in Princeton township yesterday
afternoon to listen to talk by Mr..
4. s. .Morrell, state president of the
American Society of Equity. Quite a
sprinkling of ladies were present and
they appeared to be deeply interested
in the proceedings. III: =. d. ,~
Mr.. Morrell, who is a resident of
the neighboring town. of Bethel, is
plain -, appearing, matter of-fact
farmer of pleasing address. He i'm
presses one as being very much in
earnest in what he says. No one
would think. of questioning his sim
certify, and certainly he thoroughly
understands the underlying principles
of the A. S. of E. Mr.. Morrell was
introduced to the audience by Mr..
Ed. Benseman, county president, and
prefaced his remarks by telling a
story of his college days at Oberlin, O.
In describing the growth of the
American Society of Equity in this
state Mr.. Morrell said, year ago we
had two small unions in Anoka
county and I understand you have
quasi-organization here in Princeton.
Anyhow the total membership of the
society did not exceed 25 or 30. To-
day in the potato belt alone we have
a membership of over 1900 and more
than 1900 in the state at large. Our
ranks are being augmented daily and
it is only question of time when
every Intelligent farmer in the state
will be enlisted under our banner.
The speaker condemned the present
unbusinesslike course pursued by
farmers in dumping all their products
on the market in short space of time.
When the warehouses and. elevators
are glutted and miles of cars loaded
with produce line the railway tracks
at terminal points prices are bound to
decline, and when prices begin to fall
the more eager the farmers become to
dispose of their stuff, he said. He
urged the farmers to be governed by
the advice of the executive officers of
the society who would advise them
when and where to dipsose of their
products to the best advantage. To
illustrate the absurdity of dumping
products on the market Mr.. Morrell
told the story of the farmer whose
wife, in order to save herself trouble
and to prevent her husband from los
ing time, forced him to eat breakfast,
dinner and supper at one sitting. He
also told of recent visit to Chicago
where he found several hundred car
loads of unripe potatoes in the rail-
road yards, while thirty five car loads
daily was all that was required to
supply the market at this season of
the year, then he asked, is it to be
wondered at that there was a sharp
decline in the price of potatoes in the
Windy City? It is as reasonable, he
said, to expect a farmer to dispose of
three meals at breakfast time as to
expect the population of the country
to consume 2S0,O00,O00 bushels in
two months.
Mr.. Morrell pointed out the value of
cooperation and unity of action
among farmers. In that respect, he
urged, farmers would do we'll to imi-
tate the trusts, especially the inter-
national harvester trust.
If you do not get a fair deal from
the local potato and grain buyers put
your own men in the field, he coun-
selled. Recently in Anoka potatoes
were selling at IS cents; the society
put a buyer on the market and i'm
mediately the price scared to 50 cents.
The first car shipped to Chicago by
the society's man Melted the farmers
who furnished the potatoes S75 more
than they would have obtained by
dealing with the other buyers. Mr..
Morrell forcibly impressed upon his
hearers the absolute necessity of not
shipping scabby or inferior potatoes.
Two bushels of poor potatoes, he
said, would spoil the sale Of an entire
car load.
If you employ a buyer of your own
here pay him decent wages; 800 or
even 5000 per month is none too much
for the right kind of a man, he said.
Mr.. Morrell gave it as his opinion,
based on authentic information, that
there was a great shortage in the po-
tato crop of the United States. In
Minnesota he estimated the yield at
SO per cent, in Maine and New York
40 per cent, and in Wisconsin and
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