The Charles Mix new era. (Wagner, Charles Mix County, S.D.) 1???-1911, 1909-04-30
Co-Oosrative Elevator Com
panles


Hon. IA. l.. Loueks, who for
twenty years has been cham
pionlng the cause Of cooperation
and who was formerly the leader
OF the farmers alliance move
ment in outh.Dakota. address
Ell the convention on the neces
sHy or co operation.
tie stated that he would not
Saw an unklnd word of the
trusts, nor Of the aistingul>
captains of industry who had
perfected them. They were
All essential factor in our eco
nomic evolution. and as sucn
should ke initiated rather than
denou need. They early saw
that CO operation was much
better than compe tition and
availed them selves of tine oppor
tunitles offered by Us. We put
comfortable saddles on our
backs, invited them to get on
and ride. They accepted. they
were too polite to refuse. In
deed, we would have felt grleved
if they had ***
Every great industry in tie
nation is SO thoroughly organ
lzed that they Tx the price of TIN
product before placing it on the
market, at such a 1igure as Wtit
pay all expenses of production
including interest on investment
etc. and a reasonable " profit,
they deciding for themselves
the definition of reasonable
profit. Usually 1t is all the
traffic will bear. Then they
follow their product through
the jobber, the wholesaler and
the retailer In the consumer to
see that the full price liked IN
advance is charged, and the
middleman who fails to do so
will be cut out aud lose the
trade.
Compare this with the un
businesslike, painless method
of the farmer. He and his fam
lily work hard. early aud late, to
produce an abundant crop he
produces enough for a year 3
consumption. The average
consumer buys for his daily
needs only. The farmer gives
no thought to this. He insists
on dumping the years produc
tion, and the years consumption
on the market just as fast as he
can rush il there, regardless OF
prlce, conditions, or ability OF
consumer 70 buy and store until
needed. His only question IS.
how much will you give:
Business men of means real
lied that this was golden op
portunity for safe investment IN
something the people m must have
so they organized to compete
the farmers work of storing his
gram and delivering it to the
consumer as needed. L re
quired large amount OF capital
and now the farmers work was
in the hands of business men
and business methods were
adopted. They figured interest
on Investments, good wages and
a reasonable profit over all
They knew the farmers habit of
dumping, his anxiety to get rid
Of his years labor as soon as
possible, and when the new crop
was thrown on the market,
down went the price: the lower
the price, the greater the rush
When the rush was over, the
price began to rise. The
farmers must organize to pro
tect them selves. Your organ
lzation, with the start You have.
should take up the economic or
com mercial side OF farm life,
leaving to the Grange the Amer
lean Society of Equity, the
Farmers Union aud kindred
societies, the development o.
the social and educational side.
There is field for all. and an
absolute necessity. The organ
lied few have. and will have, the
unorganized mass at their mer'
cy. Today tho trusts are in
supreme control of this nation
Just one illustration; Take the
panic of 1907. 1t is now gener
ally conceded that it was delib-
erately planned in advance bv
one wing of the system as rep
resented in Wall street viz. the
Morgan Hill Ryan element.
The Morgan-Hill- Ryan element
saw their opportunity in 1907
60 corner the money market,
embarrass, ash later gather in
some of t1eir competitors
strengthen 81 ne of their mono.
poles. and cdrcing the admin