The Manning times. [volume] (Manning, Clarendon County, S.C.) 1884-current, 1910-03-23
FARMERS COOPERATE
THREE MUTUAL COMPANIES OP-
GRATED IN KANSAS
Insurance, Telephone. and Mercan-
tile Companies Have Headquar-
ters ut Upland.-Au Paying

Farmers in Dickinson county.
Kan, are working ou; an interest
ing experiment in cooperation. iheS
own three successful mutual com
| aanies. each paying . good dividend
and under competent management
! That part Of Kansas was settled 40
wears ago BY Germans. who are su!!
the majority OF population.
Later came Swedes and then farm
ers from Indiana and Illinois. Up
| land is the headquarters OF the tel
ephoae. insurance and mercantile
companies 1t boasts less than 100
| population. but the amount OF bus
mess transacted there is wonderful.
Farmers attribute the success OF their
! companies TO the low cos; OF admin
;stra,ion. no Official receiving more
than So day and that only while be
is actually employed on the compa-
| ny'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 It was decreed that any
| time q Are occurred an assessment
should be levied 20 make good the
loss. Six years later it had 24i
members. with s1SS.0o0 insurance
In force.
Today il has $500 members. with
insurance representing Si.000.000.
When the company started in Sus:-
ness it was decided that So 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
methods by which records are kept
and the fact that everybody pays his
assessment promptly unde: pain of
being dropped al once.
IN 1885 the farmers decided to
build a creamery. Later the advent
OF the farm sepera;o. caused it 10
be closed up. as there was more
money in selling the cream 70 the
central butter making stations. One
day when number Of farmers were
waiting for their tickets from the
creamery it was suggested that it
would be Just as easy 10 bring farm
produce along with the milk every
morning. Why not have store?
Within a few days q cooperative
organization with a capital OF s25.-
900 was formed. Only part ct
this vas used at the beginning. but
the store has been so profitable that
the stock is quoted AZ $3.50 and the
cash value o: its resources is around
: 1000. Once year the stock
holders meet in the town hall. hear
the reports. declare good diviGead
and elect officers No one is permit
ted to hold more than 500 worta
OF stock aal this entities him 70
one vote. By the articles each s,cck-
| holder binds himself TO Sell al Of
his grain ana produce 10 ne Cole
Rule company. which Is its EncorpoC-
| ated name.
| The business is dona largely by
credit. Farm procuc" hrough1 in
is credited to the man VINO furnishes
it. and .e is deb:tcd w'.h whatever
he buys of groceries a.. dry S.>ods
Cash settlements are made at the
end Of each month. The company
owns grain elevator. b@t this is at
Aida on the line OF the nearest
railroad. a few years ago after 2
full discussion it was agreed that as
there was no hope Of the railroad
coming 70 Upland the company ought
by buy Aida. II did. taking in the
elevator. stocSyards. everything ex-
cept the towns name
The telephone company serves or
er 1000 persons. most OF them be-
Ing farmers. 1t is one OF the biggest
concerns il the state. Il IS purely mu-
;Ual. with no capital stock, and this
serves TO make certain the retention
OF the control IN the hands Of tie
farmers. Fifteen or twenty trunk
lines radiate from the stone building
in Upland The officers condend that
the success Of the enterprise lies in
the fact that 20 fixed rental is charg-
ed. each owner Of telephone pay
ing q propo-tionate expense OF oper-
alton and maintenance.
Each farmer must buy outright
his phone. These. it is insisted.
must be long distance instruments.
They cost about $40 apiece. The
cost OF becoming s,ockholder. that
IS OF making connection. is $40.
Thereafter he is q stockholde- and
all receipts from tolls are credited
to aim proportionately. The officers
os the company are paid only for the
actual time they devote 10 the bus!-
ness. The first years cost is about |
$So. This includes instrument, con-
neccon and dues. After that the
cost is about IS a year. Il
REVOLT AGAINST MATRON,