Willmar tribune. [volume] (Willmar, Minn.) 1895-1931, 1914-01-14
BY MATHEW S. DUDGEON


suit was that the farmers ordered a
1o-ton lot of fertilizer through a little
cooperative society in an adjoining
village. They found that they saved
5000 on the manures and besides Sc
cured super-phosphate of 80 per cent.
instead of 20 per cent. strength, and
dissolved bone instead Of worthless
compounds. The battle for co-opera.
ton was already half won, for there
was no further question as to the ad'
vantages to be gained through 90
operation.
Tho "Gombeen Man.
1.-THE old methods of buying and sell
ing were the cause of much poverty in
this district" said Mr.. Gallagher
"The traders have generally kept the
public houses. They were gombeer
nen-money lenders. Poor farmer,
A~4e couId not pay cash for what they
bought. They had to get goods on
credit. Once farmer got into debt
to these retail dealers he seldom got
free from the big mans clutches
While he was in this state he was nc
better than a slave. He was charged
tremendous prices and had to pay big
interest. myself have been charged
interest on what I bought on credit
at the rate of IA per cent. per annum
My father had this sort of interest to
pay while he was, bringing up his fam
lily. That Is where the three pounds
went that it took me six months to
earn when I started to work.
What Cooperation 10 Doing.
But Notwithstanding the smallness
Of the holdings, and the poor soil, con
ditions in Dunglow are improving.
never knew an organization to do sc
much for community az the Temple
crone Cooperative Agricultural soci
ETY. Is doing for Dunglow. The So
ciety started In a little one-room cot
tage on farm where lived. We be-
gan by buying manures and. later a
few groceries. We had fierce opposi'
tion at first from the gombeen man
and traders, as fierce as any communi.
ty ever had. Some of the members
were in debt to the gombeen men and
had to come into the cooperative quar-.
tiers at night and over the back walks
In order to conceal from the gombeen
man that they were members. If
the gombeen men found out that any.
one trading with them was trading
with us they refused him credit and
issued a writ II he owed them" +
A Little Democracy. :.
I'VE wish no one any i'll. We do
not do business that way. We have
simply demanded the right to attend
to our own little affairs. We meet In
our little parliament here to discuss
our business. We have given some
entertainments which have brought
the people nearer together and given
them good time. This year we or
ganized an industrial show In which
we exhibited everything which we pro.
duced here, including lace and knit
goods, as well as some offouf farm
products. We did this to encourage
others to make these things. Now
we are looking around to get some
little local industry started. We need
something of the kind badly. SO that
more money can come into the com.
munity. Lace making, knitting and
work Of that kind is important, too,
for every little helps here. We are
willing to work when We can.
. On the UPGRADE.
The boys are learning to farm bet
ter than their fathers farmed. We
are raising better cows, and pigs and
chickens. and producing better eggs,
poultry and meat than we ever did
esfoEs. ThEQagh our little oopsrl.