Courier Democrat. (Langdon, N.D.) 1891-1920, 1910-08-25
SUCCESSFUL
COOPERATION,
Upland, Kan., Possesses Three
Mutual Concerns.
FARMERS RUN EVERYTHING.

Conduct Business of Insurance Com
pany, Store and Telephone Service
Proftahly and at Small Cost-O#i-
GERS Receive So a Day For Their
Labor.
A very interesting experiment in CO.
operation is under way in Upland. a
town in Dickinson county. Kan. The
itself is not large. but Is the
headquarters Of three successful mu-
tual companies-a telephone company.
an insurance organization and a mer-
camille corporation.
The town is on top of the divide be-
tween the Republican and Smoky Hill
rivers and foul miles from the town
of Aida. through which runs q branch
of the Union Pacific railroad. A big
store building. a telephone exchange
which also houses the insurance CON-
pany, a 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 was
called to take up the question Of mu-
tual insurance. A company was form
ed, and each farmer was constituted
agent without pay to solicit new
members. 1t was decreed that any
time u fire occurred an assessment
should be levied to make good the loss.
Six years later it had 241 members,
with $16S,OOO insurance in force. To-
day it has $500 members. with insur.
ance representing $4,OOO.O00.
When the company started in bust
ness it was decided that 50 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 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 ii
creamery. Then the advent of the
farm separator caused it to be closed
up. as there was more money in SELL
ing the cream to the central butter
making stations. One day when a
number of farmers were waiting for
their tickets from the creamery it 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 CAPT
tai of $4,000 was formed. Only Il
part of this was used at the begin
ming, but the store has been so protta-
BILE that the stock is quoted at $3.50
and the cash value OF it's resources is
around $35, 900.
Once a year the stockholders meet in
the town hall. hear the reports. de-
clare Il 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 to 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
1t. 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 u grain elevator,
but this is at Aida. on the line Of the
nearest railroad. A few years ago
after a full discussion it 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. notwithstanding
except the towns name.
The telephone company serves over
1000 persons. most Of them farmers.
1t is one of the largest concerns in the
state. 1t is purely mutual. with no
capital stock. and this serves to make
certain the retention of the control in
the hands of the farmers. Fifteen or
twenty trunk lines radiate from the
store building in Upland.
The officers contend that the success
of the enterprise lies in the fact that
no fixed rental is charged. each owner
of a telephone paying a proportionate
expense Of operation 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 becom-
ing a stockholder-that is, of making
q connection-is $40. Thereafter he is
a stakeholder. and all receipts from
tolls are credited to him proportionate-
ly. The officers of the company are
paid only for the actual time they de-
vote to the business. The first years
cost is about $35. This includes in
strument, connection and dues. After
that the cost is about SIS a year.
QuarreIs Don't Help the Town.
Too many small towns exhaust their
energies in petty quarrels and local
rows in which the disputed issues do