Pierre weekly free press. (Pierre, S.D.) 1889-19??, 1914-11-05
81. PAUL WANTS
FARMERS GRAIN
Equity Cooperative Exchange
May Move From Minneapolis.
ORGANIZATION GROWING FAST
Expects to Handle Large Percentage
Of Northwestern Crops Within
q Few Years.

m1nal grain marketing agency, Will
move from Minneapolis to st. Paul.
Business organizations of st. Paul
r negotiating with the farmers and
IL present plans are carried out the
headquarters of the farmers co-operat
tive grain marketing movement will
locate in the Sanity City. This means
also that st. Paul will be %headquar-
tiers for the cooperative marketing
movement in various other products
In which farmers are interested.
The many Northwestern farmers
who. are back of the farmers cooper
ative marketing movement feel that
their terminal grain marketing agency
has never received a fair deal from
business men OF Minneapolis. The
Equity Cooperative Exchange has
made steady progress since it was or
ganiZed In August, 1912, but it has
had the fierce opposition Of the COM
bined grain interests in the Mime
apolis Chamber of Commerce right
from the start. The Chamber Of
Commerce interests are closely afil-
lated with banks and other business
institutions Of Minneapolis.
At the big cooperative marketing
convention held in Minneapolis u few
weeks ago, st. Paul business men in
vited the farmers to locate their CO.
operative exchange in that city. The
fact that the largs volume Of grain
handled by the Equity Cooperative
Exchange Is sold almost entirely to
mills and buyers outside of Mime.
apolis, which would make it possible
for the farmers exchange to establish
its headquarters in either city, gave
st. Paul It's opportunity. st. Paul
business men see in the Farmers
Equity Cooperative Exchange an op.
p~ortunity to get for ST. Paul o good
share OF the grain trade.
Movement Grows Rapidly.
Il ia predicted by men who have
given the matter careful study that
the Cooperative Exchange will be
handling q large percentage of the
Northwestern grain crop in a com
paratively few years. The farmers OF
Western Canada entered the terminal
grain markets with their W agency
only q few years ago and are now
handling almost one-half of Canada's
annual grain crop. The Equity Co.
operative Exchange has shown that 1t
can build up q market for grain out
side the Minneapolis Chamber of Com
merce and Duluth Board of Trade,
and with adequate terminal elevator
facilities and fair treatment in bank
ing accommodations the volume OF
grain handled by the Farmers Co.
operative Exchange Is expected to In
rease rapidly. This business cleared
through ST. Paul would add nightly
% the Sanity City's trade totals and
subtract Just that much from the bust
ness Of Minneapolis.
Farmers Want Open Market.
The farmers interested in the co.
operative marketing movement are de-
t1rmined to secure better terminal
marketing conditions. The recent CO.
operative marketing convention in
Minneapolis took steps to carry on the
hight Tor an open public grain market
and 70 reform abuses which they say
I've grown up In the grain trade.
eome Of these abuses they propose to
reform BY Legislation, others by Gre
atlng an open board OF trade, which
Will bs established In st. Paul in case
Ne Equity Cooperative Exchange
moves 70 that city.
Exchange Entirely Cooperative.
The Farmers Equity Cooperative
Hxchange 10 entirely a cooperative
Dtganixation. ills owned by farmers.
s9he men In charge Of the exchange
work On salary. The profits, over and
shove the 8per cent dividend on CAPT.
~ stock. are shared among patrons
according 70 the amount of grain
shipped % the exchange.
The movement to establish q farm
~ cooperative grain exchange In
51he terminal markets originated anon
Dquity farmers In North Dakota, but
~ movement rapidly spread to other
oeeteo md there are now on the board
q directors 81 the exchange represen-
ta11ves Of the principal farmers CO.
operative organizations Of Minnesota,
s390eth and South Dakota and Mon.
AtnnaTh e exchange has the endorse
Deat 81 the genuine farmers co
Deratiye organizations OF those four
farmers cooperative terminal
o1111maSketing movement Is the out.
E1MstA soe the farmers cooperative