Bismarck daily tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, Dakota [N.D.]) 1881-1916, 1912-08-31
INDUSTRY THREATENED
What the Big Interests Have
Done to Kansas Dairy
Business

If it be true that every plant has its
bug and every animal its parasite, it is
also true that every infant industry has
its ]treachcrous enemy, laying in wait
to exploit it and rob those engaged i'll
it of their just and reasonable profits
Reference is had particularly to the
promising young creamery industry OF
North Dakota and the menace which
already ~overshadows it in the shape OF
the so-called Centralizers, who are
seeking to rob it of its vitality and ap-
propriate to their own nefarious or
CARNATIONS the profits that should
properly accrue to the actual producer
on the farms of the butter fat which
constitutes the unit of value in esti-
mating the profit or loss to an individ-
ual or concern.
These Centralizers are associations
of cream buyers that maintain large
plants in some central city SO situated
geographically as to have rapid railway
communication with all parts of a ter
ritory often reaching out with a radius
of 500 miles. They solicit cream ship
ments from this immense territory, the
product being handled by express, spe-
cial long distance rates beinq often Sc
cured through the operation of the in
terstate m law, thus overcom-
ing to a large extent the handicap of
distance which might otherwise pro-
tect the local creamery. Shipments are
often made for 500 miles or more with
out refrigeration, and the condition of
cream, after such a journey, in ten
gallon cans which have been some
times two weeks in filling, in some
warm, hy-infested kitchen, can better
be imagined than described. Only
treatment by lime can make the result
ing product even %presentable to the
innocent consumer. These concerns
are backed by unlimited capital and
the wide range of their operations en-
ables them to outbuy their local COM
petitors at one point while reimbursing
themselves at another where they have
already secured a MONOPOLY, by lower
ing the price paid for butter fat. The
quality Of their product is Of but sec
ondary Importance to these operators,
just so long as it is 1ashily presentable
to the eye and not absolutely repulsive
to the taste, Monopoly and dividends
are their sole object, and the destruc-
ton Of an industry but an incident in
procuring the same.
Opposed to these Centralizers both
in principle of organization, manner Of
operation and ultimate aims, are the
local, cooperative creameries. Con-
corning these President w. F. Siege,
Iof the North Dakota Dairymen's Asso-
citation, thus %succinctly describes the
system:
"Under the cooperative system the
local creamery deducts the actual cost
sof operation, and a small sinking fund,
returning the balance to the patrons
pro rata in proportion to the amount
.of butter fat delivered"
Organization is effected by the cali
ing Of a mass meeting wherever four
or FIVE hundred mich cattle are avail
able within a reasonable distance from
the proposed creamery. At this meet
ling a temporary organization is formed
for the purpose Of soliciting stock, Sc
curing subscriptions and completing
the cow canvas with a view Of organ
izing and building the cooperative