The Ward County independent. [volume] (Minot, Ward County, N.D.) 1902-1965, 1910-12-01
SUCCESSFUL
COOPERATION.
Upland, KAN, Possesses Three
Mutual Concerns.
FARMERS RUN EVERYTHING.

Conduct Business Of Insurance Com.
pany, Store and TsIsphons Service
Probably and at Small Cost-Offi.
GERS Receive e Day For Thsir
Labor.
A very interesting experiment In CO
operation is under way In Upland,
town in Dickinson county. Kan. The
town itself is not large. but is the
headquarters of three successful mu.
tual compnnies--a telephone company.
| an insurance organization and mer-
camille corpora ton.
| The town is on top of the divide be-
tween 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, telephone exchange
| which also houses the insurance COM
paDy. q blacksmith shop. a town hall
and four or five residences constitute
the greater part of the town.
The community idea took root some
time ago. A meeting Of farmers vas
called to take up the question Of mu.
tual insurance. A company was form.
d, and each farmer was constituted
IN ageut without pay to solicit new
members. 1t was decreed that any
time Are occurred an assessment
should be levied to make good the loss.
Six years later It had al members.
with $16SOOO insurance in force. To.
day it has $500 members, with insur-
ance representing $4,OOO,OO0.
When the company started In bust.
ness it was decided that 81 q day was
enough to pay any officer, and that
amount has never been raised. This
II paid only when the officer works.
The average yearly salary 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.
Later farmers decided to build
creamery. Then the advent of the
farm separator caused It to be closed
up, - there was more money In sell
IND the cream to the central butter
making stations One day when u
number Of farmers wsrs waiting for
their tickets from The creamery It was
suggested that 1t would be just as
easy to bring farm produce along with
IL milk every morning. Why not
have q store? Within a few days q
cooperative organization With q CAPT.
tai of $4,000 vas formed. Only q
part of this was used at the begin
ming, but the store has bsen 20 profita
bic that the stock is quoted at $50
and the cash value Of its resources is
around $35'OOO.
Once year the stockholders meet In
the town hail, hear the reports. de
clare 3 good big dividend and elect
officers No one is permitted to hold
more than 500 worth of stock. and
this entities him to one vote. By the
articles each stakeholder binds him
self 10 sell all of his grain and prod,
uce to the Golden Rule company. which
Is its Incorporated name.
The business Is largely done by cred
II. Farm produce brought in Is cred
tied to the man who furnishes it. and
he is debited with whatever he buys
Of groceries and dry goods. Cash set
Elements are made at the end of each
month.
The company owns 4 grain elevator
but this is at Aida, on the line Of the
nearest railroad. A few years ago
after full discussion 1t was agreed
that as there was NO hope Of the rail
road coming to Upland the company
ought to buy Aida. 1t did, taking in
the elevator, stockyards-everything
except the towns name.
The telephone company serves over
1000 persons. most of them farmers
1t IL one OF the largest concerns in the
; state. It is purely mutual. with no
capital stock, and this serves to make
certain the retention OF the control in
the hands of the farmers F1fteeB or
twenty trunk lines radiate from the
soo>c t=ilding IN Upland
The officers contend that the success
OF the enterprise lies in the fact that
NO fixed rental is charged. each owner
OF telephone paying proportionate
expense of operation and maintenance.
Each farmer must buy outright his
phone These, 1t is insisted. must be
long distance instruments. They cost
about $40 apiece. The cost Of becom
| hot 10 80 TIM
connections $40. Thereafter he Is
Q stockholder. and all receipts from
tolls are credited to him prop0rtionate-
y. The officers Of the company are
paid only for the actual time they de-