Wausau pilot. [volume] (Wausau, Wis.) 1896-1940, 1910-01-11

First County Convention of the Amer
lean Society of Equity.

Members of the A. S. E. met in the
court house, this city, Saturday for
the purpose of talking over business
affairs, discussing plans, listening to
addresses and working for strength
ening of organization. The meeting
was presided over by Fl. G. Tank of
the town of Stettin, president, while
Sec'y Anthony Vetter of the town
of Marathon took down the minutes
There was an attendance which filled
the supervisors room.
The secretary, who also serves as
treasurer, read his annual report,
showing that the society is in healthy
condition and making Roadway.
The following resolutions <were
passed:
RESOLVED, by the Marathon county
union of the A. S. of E., that we de
mand completion of the prison
Irvine plant of Waupun, and that our
representatives at Madison be in
Structed to that effect.
Resolued, by the Marathon county
union of the A. S. Of E. of North
America, in convention assembled,
that we oppose the reduction of the
tax on Oleomargarine, when coloTed in
imitation OF butter, also that We OPP
pose any legislation that would enable
this counterfeit butter to successfully
compete with the genuine article.
ReSOtced, that we favor the adOp-
ton OF a parcels post system; also
that we favor the postal savings bank
and request our representatives in
congress and the senate to work for
legislation to that end. And be it
further
Res0lred, that our county secretary
be and is hereby instructed to for
ward a copy of this resolution to both
representatives in congress and senate.
1t was decided to increase the men,
bership fee and to make an active can
vas for new members, especially in
districts where there is at present no
organization. The membership COM
mittee will distribute literature and
solicit new members.
President Tank made an address,
telling of what progress the local
union has made and of the difficulties
it has met, the greatest of these be-
ing fear-fear on the part of nom
members that the organization will
not hang together
|. NJ. j. Chryst of Hudson, state
president, was on hand and spoke in
favor of legislation which will favor
the farmer. Among the things he
advocated was the establishment Of
postal savings banks. He made charg-
es against the present system of ex-
aiming banks, which brought S. NJ
Quaw to his feet. Mr.. Quaw is presi-
dent of the Citizens State bank and
he took exceptions to Mr.. Chryst's
remarks.
Later in the meeting Mr.. Chryst
told what the objects of the society
are, what progress has been made
throughout the country by it, and
difficulties it has met. 1t has been
called the farmers trust, he said,
but the object of the society is any
thing, but to form trust. As an
illustration Of the equitable dealings
of the society, he cited the dealings
of its price list committee for two
years. The price list committee is
made up of representatives of cereal,
cattle, sheep and other districts, the
object being not to get too many men
on it representing any one line of
agriculture or farm products. One
year the wheat man was asked what
he thought wheat ought to be worth.
He figured that 81 per bushel would
leave fair profit and the committee
fixed that figure as the price Next
year he thought S1.25 per bushel
ought to be fair price, but the other
members of the committee, who
were consumers of wheat and not
raisers, thought he was spreading it
on pretty thick and fixed the price at
s1.1O. Thus, the speaker argued, the
society protects the consumer as well
as the producer. The price fixed by
this committee, he said, is not what
the farmer will receive, but what the
commodity will bring when it is put
on the market in the great trade
centers. That wheat some. time ago
reached S1.40 was due'he said to board
of trade gambling and not to the A, S.
of K. The society, he said, has taught
the farmer a lesson. 1t was formerly
the custom to thresh the grain and
haul it to market as soon as possible
in fear that the market would break
Now the farmer holds his grain until
he gets his price and the board of
trade, chamber of commerce and ele-
vator men have learned that the
farmer is now to be reckoned with.
Since the society has been organized,
he said, these fellows have learned
that as soon as they try to force prices
down, there are no receipts of grain.
One day following such an attempt
only two car loads of wheat were
offered or the Minneapolis market.
The sheep man, the tobacco grower,
in fact every man who is engaged in
agriculture, stock raising or allied in
dustries have gained financially
tI,ro,,rl, +tha orrapi1otion Of thic