Willmar tribune. [volume] (Willmar, Minn.) 1895-1931, 1913-04-23
Back From the Sunny South.

IL
Back From the Sunny South.
A. O.Nelson Of Svea returned yester-
day from his trip to Richmond, Va. He
said he* had the time of his life, but
we fearI that should we have depended
upon what he told us Of the part he
took insITthe great gathering in Dixie's
old capital we would not have been
able tos3 say much. Looking over the
official program and a bundle of news
papers which he kindly loaned us, we
find that Mr.. Nelson took very cred
itable part in the proceedings.
In the conference on Cooperation
held at the Richmond high school audi
torium Mr.. Nelson spoke on "The Co.
operative Farmer Enterprises at Svea,
Mimi" In the Farmers section Mr..
Nelson spoke on "An Association for
Selling Live Stock Also on the CO.
operative creamery. That he made
good isievident from the fact that he
was later asked to address the entire
Educational Conference Of the South at
one Of the general meetings, when WAL
ter H.:@Page, the newly appointed en-
bassador to Great Britain, presided.
The Richmond Daily News-Leader Of
April g in it's report of this meeting
'Ole'h Nelson, who has captured all
the hearts in the conference, told in
vivid and even dramatic language "The
Beginning and Growth of the Co-Opera-
tive Farmers Enterprises at Svea,
MINI. The first cooperative enter
prise at Svea was the church. The
second was the school, which teaches
sewing cooking and manual training, as
we'll assbooks. The head of the school
is an5sagricultural expert. The next
movement in connection with the school
is a Ste#hers' shome-to give the teach
:ers & shome. The next enterprise was
a. cooperative elevator, and next was
a creamery.
Next was a cooperative telephone
system, which has grown to big pro-
portions. Then came the cooperative
store. All this ten miles from any
railroad. and starting with few peo-
pie and almost no money. Mistakes
were made, but these were promptly
checked up. Much opposition develop
ed, but no opposition can beat real CO.
operation.
For the first time the program was
interfered with. When Mr.. Nelson's
time was out the audience simply in
sisted that he should go on.
"The Struggle at Lakef1eld, Minn,
and It's Outcome" was told by J. G.
Caldwell. Here, said he, are Swedes,
Germans, Bohemians and native Amer
leans. It has been struggle; all the
better, because anything worth while is
worth struggle. There must be strug-
gle because cooperation is opposed to
present business methods. I'VE have
succeeded. Why can't you Of the Sum-
ny South?" After several cooperative
enterprises succeeded, the first attempt
at creamery failed. The reason was
that many of the farmers were tempted
away for temporary gain, which ended
in permanent loss. This taught les
son. There is the cooperative bank,
but no bank can be safely operated this
way without effective legislation. e
There is a cooperative elevator; a
cooperative store The distribution of
profits was carefully explained by Mr..
Caldwell. The demand for Mr.. Cald-
we'll to continue was so strong that 1t
was agreed that he and Mr.. Nelson
should be at the Christian church an
mex at o'clock to answer any ques-
tions.
AS further evidence that our Svea
citizen made an impression at this big
Southern gathering we find in an edi-
torial in the Richmond Daily Times
Dispatch, which sums up the results
of the conference. THIS statement:
"The biggest exhibit at this gather
ing is men, Men like DR.. Bourland, J.
c. Caldwell, A. o. Nelson, John Lee
Coulter-they are the secrets. They
are the men who welcome struggle be-
cause it is noble thing. They know
men are lethargic, selfish, dollar-mad
full Of pride, ignorance and supersti'
ton. But they work with these ele'
ments to win great victories. They
have faith in the essential goodness Of
men, and they labor until the faith il
| justified" -... .
The conference for Education in thu
South" was a large gathering of pro
gressive people from all the southern
states, and appears to have been rur
along the lines of what might be imag
ined cross between the Minnesota
Educational Association and q Con-
servation Congress. There were man!
distinguished men present from al
parts Of the country. ..@%s.=.:
Mr.. Nelson visited the National Cap
| ital enroute and saw the sights ant
| oaOn1o ~ e