The Ronan pioneer. [volume] (Ronan, Mont.) 1910-1970, 1914-05-22

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 affil-
lated with banks and other business
institutions of Minneapolis.
At the big cooperative marketing
convention held in Minneapolis few
weeks ago, St. Paul business men In
vited the farmers to locate their CO.
operative exchange in that city. The
fact that the large 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 its opportunity st. Paul
business men see in the Farmers
Equity Cooperative Exchange an op-
portunity to get for st. Paul good
share of the grain trade.
Movement Grows Rapidly.
1t is predicted by men who have
given the matter careful study that
the Cooperative Exchange will be
handling a 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 own agency
only a few years ago and are now
handling almost one-half Of Canada's
annual grain crop. The Equity Co
operative Excb nge has shown that it
can build up 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
crease rapidly This business cleared
through St. Paul would add nightly
to 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-
marketing conditions. The recent CO.
operative marketing convention in
Minneapolis took steps to carry on the
fight for an open public grain market
and to reform abuses which they say
have grown up in the grain trade.
Some of these abuses they propose to
reform by legislation, others by Gre
ating an open board Of trade, which
will be established in St. Paul in case
the Equity Cooperative Exchange
moves to that city.
Exchange Entirely Cooperative.
The Farmers Equity Cooperative
Exchange is entirely cooperative
organization. 1t is owned by farmers
The men in charge of the exchange
work on salary. The profits. over and
above the 8 per cent dividend on CAPT
tai stock, are shared among patrons
according to the amount of grain
shipped to the exchange.
The movement to establish farm.
ers' cooperative grain exchange in
the terminal markets originated among
Equity farmers in North Dakota, but
the movement rapidly spread to other
states and there are now on the board
of directors of the exchange represen-
tatives Of the principal farmers CO.
operative organizations Of Minnesota,
North and South Dakota and Mon
tana The exchange has the endorse
ment of the genuine farmers CO.
operative organizations of those four
states.
The farmers cooperative terminal
grain marketing movement is the out
growth of the farmers cooperative
elevator movement, which established
the farmers elevators as important
factors in the local grain markets at
hundreds of points in the Northwest.
These farmers cooperative elevator
companies are now carrying their CO.
operative marketing of grain into the
terminal markets with the purpose Of
controlling the marketing of their
grain from the fields to the actual
consumer.