Omaha daily bee., 1910-03-13
COOPERATIVE TOWN
Upland, Little Kansas Village, Has
Three Mutual Concerns. F
EFFECTIVE COMBINATION EFFORT
Run Their own Insurance
Company, store and Telephone
ServiCe-AH Pref able and
Run mt Small g. nense, ma

-
An interesting experiment in cooperation
Is being successfully triei in the town OF
Upland, Dickinson county. Kansas. The
town itself is a small one. less than a hun
dred people claiming it as a home. 1t Is.
however, the headquarters OF three sue
cessful mutual companies, a telephone COM
psuy, an insurance organization and a mer-
GENTLE corporation,
That part OF Kansas has been settled
for nearly forty years. The first Corners
were Germans, who still form the larger
part of the colony. Later came a number
of Swedes, and the remainder of the com
muni.y is made up of farmers from Indiana
and Illinois.
The town is on top Of the divide between
the Republican and Smoky Hill rivers and
four miles from the town Of Aida. through
which runs a branch OF the Union Pacific
railroad. A big store building. a telephone
exchange, which also houses the Insurance.
company, a blacksmith shop, a town hall
and four or five residences constitute tho
major part Of the town.
Insurance Comes First.
The community idea took root during
the Alliance days, back in 1891. A
meeting OF farmers was called to take I'm
dNN'NNh - AilouI dlCes y CONF
pany was formed, and each farmer was
constituted an agent without pay to solicit
new members It was decreed that any
time a fire occurred an assessment should
be levied TO make good the loss. Six years
later 1t had PAL members. with SlsS, 900 in.
surance in force. Today II has $500 menu
bers with insurance representing $1,000 O.
When the company started business it
was decided that 81 a 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 SAL
airy list is about $500, due to the simple
methods by which records are kept and the
fact that everybody pays his assessment
promptly under pain Of being dropped at
once.
In 1885 the farmers decided to build a
Later the advent of the farm
separator caused It to be closed I'D. as
there was more money in selling the cream
to the central butter making stations. Ono
day, when a number Of farmers were walt
ing for their tickets from the creamery,
1t was suggested that it would be Just as
easy to bring farm produce along with the
milk every morning. Why not have a
store? Within a few days a cooperative
organization, with a capital of SOS, 900 was
CHhS q part OI lIllS was used at
the beginning, but the store has proved So
profitable that the stock Is quoted at $50,
and the cash value Of its resources ia
around $35, 900.
q Once a year the stockholders meet in
the town hall, hear the reports. declare a
good big dividend and elect officers, No
one is permitted to hold more than 800
worth OF stock. and this entities him to
one vote. By the articles each stockholder
binds himself to sell all of his grain and
produce to the Golden Rule company.
which is its Incorporated name.
Business Done on Credit.
The business is largely done by CREAM
Farm produce brought in is credited -
the man who furnishes il, and he is debited
win whatever he buys in the way OF
groceries and dry goods. Cash settle
ments are made at the end Of each month.
The company own a grain elevator, but
this is at Aida on the line OF the nearest
railroad. A few years ago after a. full dis
cussion it was agreed that as there was no
hope of the railroad coming to Upland the
company ought to buy Aida. 1t did, taking
in the elevator, stock yards, everything
except the towns name.
The telephone company serves over 1000
persons, most Of them farmers. 1t is one
VI the largest CONCERNS IN the state. II Is
purely mutual, with no capital stock. ana
this serves to. make certain the retention
OF the control in the hands OF the farmers
Some fifteen or twenty trunk lines radiate
from the stone building in Upland.
The idea was preached at a township
meeting. The thrifty Germans vuere a.
first disinclined to the experiment. but
finally consented. They said it was all
fOolisEness. The first line was h,,u.
Aida at a cost OF sos. 98.
The success Of the experiment WAS In
Simultaneous, and within six months other
INES were constructed. Seven years AGO
the company was incorporated ana other
neIsnDorhoods. to save expense, Joined the
company. ~ '0
me oficers contend that the success OF
the enterprise lies in the fact that no fiyed
Ien'ai Is charged, each owner Of a tele-
phone paying a proportionate expense OF
operation and maintenance. Each farmer
must buy outright his phone. These. II n.
INSISTED must be long distance instruments
ihey cost about SO apiece. The cost ~
becoming a stakeholder, that is. OF making
a connection, is so. Thereafter he is
stockholder and all receipts from tolls are
credited to him proportionately. The orr
GERS OF the company are paid only for he
actual time they devote 10 the busIns.s
me Irst years cost is about S5. This In.
c'udeS instrument. connection and dues
Aiter mat the cost is about IS a year.
stOr. notified book Beer.