The Virginia enterprise. [volume] (Virginia, St. Louis County, Minn.) 1893-19??, 1914-05-22
SIP UI WANTS
ARMERS' GRAIN
Equity Cooperative Exchange
May Move From Minneapolis.
ORGANIZATION GROWING FAST
Expects to Handle Large Percentage
OF Northwestern Crops Within
Few Years.

Indications are that the Equity Co.
operative Exchange, the farmers ter.
minal grain marketing agency, will
move from Minneapolis to St. Paul.
Business organizations Of st. Paul
are negotiating with the farmers and
II present plans are carried out the
headquarters Of the farmers co-opera.
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.
alive 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.
gained 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 a 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 q good
share Of the grain trade.
Movement Grows Rapidly.
1t is predicted by mel who have
given the matter careful study that
the Cooperative Exchange will be
handling a large percentage Of the
Northwestern grain crop in 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 60
operative Exchange 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
ness OF Minneapolis.
Farmers Want Open Market.
The farmers interested in the CO.
operative marketing movement are de-
termined to secure better terminal
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.