The Princeton union., 1907-05-23
A FARMERS MEETING
Two Hundred Farmers Assemble in
Court House Hall and Listen to
Address by Mr.. Aldrich.
He Advises All Farmers to Join Amer
ican Society of Equity and Pro-
tect Their Best Interests.

tect Their Best Interests.
Owing to the fact that the meeting
had been thoroughly advertised in the
q n O n there was large attendance
of representative farmers assembled
in the court room of the court house
last Thursday afternoon to greet Mr..
r. 81. Aldrich, secretary of the Min
nesota Union Of the American Society
of Equity. Quite number of the busi-
ness men Of the village we're also
present. Mr.. George Carr Of Wyanett
presided. The meeting opened with a
song by Mr.. Ernest Radeke.
Mr.. Aldrich delivered a talk of an
hours duration.' He is an earnest
and convincing speaker and his. soul
seems to be in the work. He COM
menced his address by explaining the
necessity for organization among
farmers, and quoted freely from the
constitution of the American Society
of Equity.
The first and great object of the
American Society of Equity, said Mr..
Aldrich, is to obtain profitable prices
for all products of the farm, garden
and orchard. He urged the farmers to
organize for the betterment of their
condition and said in part:
There are 100000 farmers in this
country and their average income is
about S4OO per year. The average in
come of trades union and profess
sional men is $1,000 per year. BY
organizing and maintaining their
trades unions the working men in the
cities have immensely bettered their
condition. The farmers are the only
people who have not organized to pro-
tect their own interests. If the farm
ers were organized and each member
of the local union was to report to the
local secretary the prospective yield Of
crops, the local secretary report to
the state secretary, and the latter to
the national secretary a minimum
price for products could be established
in the different localities and the
farmers could, to certain extent,
control the price Of their products. If
farmers stopped marketing their prod
ducts for p days every elevator and
warehouse in the country would be
swept as bare as Mother Hubbard s
cupboard. Farmers ought to manage
to market 10 per cent of their products
each month for ten months of the year
save August and September when
they should be busy harvesting
Farmers ought to sell for cash and
patronize home dealers. Don't worry
about the city people: they can afford
to pay fair prices for farmers pro-
ducts.
Mr.. Aldrich showed how the farmers
in Kentucky increased tobacco prices
by organizing and refusing to dispose
OF their crops for less than a stipu-
lated price. He also referred to the
benefits derived by the cotton-growers
of the south from organization. He
made particular reference to the pea
nut farmers of several Virginia coun-
ties who had bettered their condition
immensely by combining and with
holding their crops from market until
adequate prices were received.
At the close of the meeting Mr..
Radeke sang another song and several
farmers and business men came for
ward and joined the society.
There is not the least doubt but in
telligent and systematic marketing of
products would tend toward better
prices, but farmers must not be carried
away with the idea that they can alb
solutely fix the prices at which they
will sell their products. Perishable
products must be sold at certain times.
Wheat, corn, oats and barley, for
instance, could be held by the farmers
for an indefinite period, but fruit and
Segeta bles must be marketed in the
proper season. Then again supply
and demand must of necessity have
much to do with fixing prices. But
the farmers have much to gain and
nothing to lose by organizing. The
U nj o n wishes the American Societv
OF Equity hearty God-speed.
Langum Pokes Fun at O'Day.