Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1910-03-29
FARMERS COOPERATE

FARMERS COOPERATE
Three Mutual Companies Operated In
Kansas.
Farmers in Dickinson county.
Kan, are working out an interest
ing experiment in cooperation. They
own three successful mutual COM
panies, each paying a good dividend
and under competent management
That part Of Kansas was settled forty
years ago by Germans who are still
the majority of population.
Later came Swedes and then farm
ers from Indiana and Illinois. Up
land is the headquarters Of the tel
ephone, insurance and mercantile
companies. 1t boasts less than 100
population, but the amount of busi-
ness transacted there is wonderful.
Farmers attribute the success of their
companies to the low cost Of admin
istration, no official receiving more
than 50 a day and that only while he
is actually employed on the COM
pany's business.
The community idea took root
during the Farmers Alliance days.
back in 1891. A meeting of farmers
was called to take up the question
and each farmer was constituted an
agent without pay to solicit new
members. 1t was decreed that any
time a fire occurred an assessment
should be levied to make good the
loss. Six years later it had 241
members, with $16S,000 insurance in
force.
Today It has $500 members, with
insurance representing $4,OOO,OOO.
When the company started in busi-
ness it was decided that 50 day was
enough to pay any officer, and that
amount has never been raised. This
is paid only when the officer works.
The average yearly salary list IS
about $500, due to the simple meth
ods by which records are kept and
the fact that everybody pays his as
sessment promptly under pain of be-
ing dropped at once.
In 1885 the farmers decided to
build q creamery. Later the advent
of the farm separator caused 1t TO
be closed up, as there was more
money i'm selling the cream to the
central butter making stations. one
day when q number of farmers were
waiting for their tickets from the
creamery it was suggested that IL
would be just as easy to bring farm
produce along with the milk every
morning. Why not have store?
Within i'm a few days n cooperative
organization with Il capital OF VA
600 was formed. Only a part OF
this was used at the beginning, but
the store has been so profitable that
the stock is quoted at $3.50 and the
cash value of its resources Is around
$4,000. Once year the stock
holders meet in the town hall. hear
the reports, declare good dividend
and elect officers. No one is permit
ted 1o hold more than 800 worth
of stock and this entities him to one
vote Nv the articles each stock
holder binds himself to sell all OF
his grain and produce to the Golden
Rule company. which is its incorp"r-
ated name.
The business is done largely by
or. dit. Farm produce brought in
is credited to the man who furnishes
it, and he is debited with whatever
he buys of groceries and dry goods.
Cash settlements are made at the
end of each month. The company
owns Il grain elevator. but this Is At
Aida. on the line of the nearest rail-
road. \ few years ago after full
discussion il was agreed that as there
was no hope of the railroad coming
to Upland the company ought 10 DuE
Aida. 1t did, taking in the elevator
StOckyardS, everything except ''''
towns name.
The telephone company serves oV-
or 1000 persons, most Of them De-
ing farmers. 1t is one of the biggest
concerns i'm the state. 1t Is purely
mutual, with no capital stock. ana
this serves To make certain the re-
tcntiun of the control in the hands
Of the farmers. Fifteen or twenty
trunk lines radiatc from the stone
building in Upland. The officers con-
tend that the success of the enterprise
lies i'm the fact that no fixed rental
is charged, each owner of telephone
paying Il propOrtionate expense "i
operation and maintenance.
Each farmer must buy outright
his phone. These, it is insisted
must be long distance instruments.
They cost about SO apiece. The
cost of becoming a StOckholder' thal
is of making connection, is $40;
Thereafter he is stakeholder ana
all receipts from tolls are credited
to him prOportionatcly. The oihctrS
of the company are paid only for the
actual time they devote To the busi-
ness. The first years cost Is about
$35. This includes instrument. con-
ncction and dues After that tn" cost
is about 81 year.