The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1912-01-19
From Fridays Daily.

dressed the convention last evening
on THE Benefits and Necessity OF
the Cooperative Movement" He
said: During the course of events
in the history Of our country the
railways have developed from the
private freighters which went across
country. Men are now combined to
control every commodity. Lines OIL
elevators were built and the producer
realized that one of the great food
stuffs was fast getting into the hands
Of men who held the prices OF grain
where they wanted it. The line ele'
vators were in a position to make
the independent elevators buy grain
on the same margin with them, and
the Independents knew it. The ele.
ment of competition was entirely
driven out by the power of the line
houses.
This condition Of affairs led to
the cooperative elevator idea. The
elevators were organized to get the
market price on grain. At first the
elevators paid less than the line
houses, but in the elevator in which
am a stakeholder at the end OF
nine years We had an undivided prof.
it of $4,000.
Middleman the Beneficiary.
There is a cry that the co-opera'
tive elevators destroy competition
We hear the howl about the high
cost of living, and city people have
an idea that the farmers are the
men who are reaping all the benefit
from the present high prices. But
the fact Is the middlemen, between
the producer and the consumer, add
100 per cent to the value of the
food stuffs in getting it from the
farm to the consumer.
When the cooperative elevators
are started the line elevators i'm
mediately begin to pay higher prices
for grain and many men, even stock
holders in the farmers elevators, are
so anxious to get the high prices
that they will sell to the line com
panies. There should be loyalty to
the elevators when the cooperative
company has been formed.
"One cause for unsuccessful farm
ers' elevators is a poor business
man as manager. Don't be too penu
rious with your managers salary. A
man who gets good salary will use
every effort to make the business
a success to keep his job. Then the
dissensions which arise within the
company. AS long as a spirit OF
jealousy exists the organization can
not be a success. One of two classes
of men in this country is going tc
control the grain market-the line
elevators or the farmers grain com
panies. 1t depends upon the com
mon sense of the farmers which il
is"
After Mr.. Adkins speech the sub
ject Of raising the dues was discuss
ed and was left over until morning
Success of the Elevator. .-
During this mornings session w
f. Justice of Chicago spoke or
What Contributes Most to the Sue
cess Of a Farmers Elevator" He
said:
"Mr. Chairman, Officers and Mem
bers of the Minnesota Farmers Grain
Dealers association: When / receiv
ed notice of the unexpected honor Of
being included in your program as
a speaker, | felt highly fiattered
After some thought 1 saw the point
of the joke and concluded to carry
it out to a finish. Nobody ever &C
cused me of being an Abraham Lin
coin Dunn. a Henry Clay Messerole
or Patrick Henry Fleming, even il
l do know more about the grain
business than all these gentlemen
combined. Why then, was I asked
to lead in this discussion? l will
tell you. w..
'In the great stock yards at Chi
cago, time is money. For years
much time was lost in driving the
many herds of cattle over the Bridge
of Signs into the hands Of the knock
ers, Understand gentlemen the
knockers are the men who hit the
animals and finish their career) bu,
in recent years this delay has beer
avoided by fine, handsome bull
who leads the more timid to theil
doom. ...
81 am the bull, so follow me t.
your slaughter.
What contributes most to the sue
cess Of a farmers elevator? Wha
insures success to any mercantil,
business? The questions are alike
for farmers elevator is a business
Capable management and conserva
tism is the answer. f . ....
Capable management means t.
place the running of the business il
the hands of man who knows wha
is expected of him and how to ac
complish it.
Conservatism means that officer.
and directors confine their efforts t.
careful supervision and conservative
dictation of general policy to the man
ager II officers and directors die
tate general policy or plan to ;
competent manager, the latter cal
carry out the plan If left alone. If h,
is bothered and pestered by this in
dividual officer or director or tina
one, he will be like the man wht
attempts to carry water on boil
shoulders and balance barrel q
cider upon his chin at the same time
Somthing must give way and tn,
chances are that someone will b,
soaked.
Conservatism means that direct
ors should dictate policy that insure,
HOW'S THIS .-s