The Colfax gazette. [volume] (Colfax, Wash.) 1893-1932, 1912-02-16
union HAS MANY
irons IN THE fire
WOULD ESTABLISH Big STORE and
CONTROL ALL FARMERS TEL.
EPH0NES in COUNTY.

There is nothing small about the
number of schemes in the embryo
state in the innermost circles of the
Farmers unions of Whitman county.
This week a new one has piped in the
incubator. 1t is the control of all the
farmers telephone lines of the coun-
ty.. Eggs were put to hatch in the
different locals of the county. Tests
have been made in the last two
weeks and in such places as the
germs were found fertile, delegates
were sent to Colfax and an enthusiast
tic meeting was held Wednesday.
Pacific Telegraph and Telephone
company men were informed they
were not wanted at the meeting;
they, however, were persistent and
succeeded in getting within ear shot
OF the proceedings.
The proposed plan is to incorporate
all of the farmers lines of the county
in one company with exchanges at
Colfax and other points and the reg
ular monthly charge to include SER
vice to any point in the county with
out any additional cost The promo
ters of the plan believe a rate can be
maintained that will be no higher
for county service than is paid at prs
ent for local service in Colfax. At
the present time all kinds of con-
tracts for different periods and diff
ferent charges are in force and be-
cause of the different rates much dis
1r-ic
plan is to put every telephone in the
county on the same basis.
The meeting was a lively one and
there was no lack of enthusiastic
takers. Many signed a document to
show their good faith in the cooper
ative scheme and a meeting was
called to be held at Garfield Febru-
ary 27 at which time delegates from
all the telephone districts Of the
county will be present for the pur-
pose of forming an organization. The
36 lines centering in Colfax have
chosen John Bloom as their delegate
to the meeting.
Representatives of the Pacific
Telephone company say they have the
assurance of many farmers of Colfax
and vicinity that they are with the
old company.
Store Comes Next.
The Union has advanced so far on
the proposed organization Of a COM
pany to conduct a union store under
the Roachdale system that an option
has been taken on the whole main
floor Of the Pioneer building, owned
by Livingstone & Kuhn. The option
is good until April 1. The plan is to
sell one membership for 800 to
each of 500 men and it is understood
the company will not begin operation
unless 500 men can be secured to go
into the enterprise. Two weeks ago
the proposed company received a
good start and at the meeting last
Saturday enough more went in to Sc
cure the taking of about $4,000 of
the capital stock. Leaders in the
movement in the union say the
scheme will be on a sound basis or it
will never be launched. The plan of
operation includes a 30-days settle
ment either by cash or note, there is
to be no price-cutting and all profits
will be distributed in the form of
dividends.
Another act of the union at the
meeting last Saturday was to increase
the order for sacks placed with Bal
four-Guthrie company two weeks pre-
vious, from 100000 to 348,00O. The
price was $3.50 per hundred.
A committee consisting of F. B.
Rogers, Sam Lyons and Claude Hol-
lingsworth was appointed to look up
the twine business.
Tuesday, March 5, at 10 o'clock a.
m. is the time set for meeting to be
held at the A o. U. w. hall in Colfax
for the purpose of organizing the
mercantile company under the Roach
dale system of cooperation.