Wausau pilot. [volume] (Wausau, Wis.) 1896-1940, 1914-11-03
FARMERS COOPERATIVE PACK.
ING COMPANY, WAUSAU
WISCONSIN,.

A few years ago the city of Wausau
through the Advancement associa-
tion, wrote to ]. H. Carnahan, who
lis chairman of the National Packing
Plant committee, also vice-president
of the American Society of Equity,
asking their assistance in building a
cooperative plant. Upon due consid-
GRAFTON the matter was postponed
for the time, pending the passage af
the cooperative bill and the anti
discriminating bill that was at tha t
time before the Legislature, and
which has since been passed, and be-
come law. The cooperative law
provides that 81, 900 worth of stock is
all that can be held by any man, and
that each stockholder, regardless of
| the amount of stock that he holds,
has but one vote. 1t also provides
that six per cent is all the interest
that can be paid directly to the stock
| holders; but that the earnings over
| dIlp dDONC OLA PCA OOilJ diO w bC
divided in different ways, namely: To
the furnishers of raw materials, CO.
operative educational purposes, re-
serve funds, etc. The anti-discrim-
mating law provides that the big
houses cannot sell their products
cheaper in one locality than in Others.
The American Society of Equity
has not, and cannot, back up this, or
any other proposition financially, but
were instrumental in getting these
laws passed for which they deserve
much credit.
So great has become the necessity
of moves of this kind, not only in the
State of Wisconsin, but in the United
States, that our governmental Wash
| ington has made appropriations to
encourage and help TO the extent that
they are furnishing, free of any
charge whatsoever, the plans and
specifications for the plant. This
move was made by the United States
government to help reduce the high
cost of living and to encourage the
farmers to raise more live stock,
which in the last few years has been
decreasing at an appalling rate.
And why are not the farmers rails
ing as much live stock as they did a
few years ago? BECAUSE the pack
ers. commission men, railroads, stock
yard associations, meat spectators
and OTHERS have been making more
out of tie farmers live stock than he
did himself and they have been get
ing so greedy that now it makes it
almost impossible for the farmer to
raise live stock at profit. That is
why the United States government
is encouraging the local packing plant
believing that it can remedy this evil
and give the farmer his just profit
and put the retail price within the
reach of all working men.
The first cooperative packing plant
organized in the United States under
| the cooperative law was dC Id
Crosse, Wisconsin. in the spring of
1914 and visit to the plant less than
six months later brings out the fact
that the plant is running in very
satisfactory manner and on paying
basis. Sometimes they get more live
stock than the capacity of the plant
will handle and have TO ship it to
other markets. The question was
asked the manager if more stock
would have TO be sold 10 enlarge the
plant and he answered, mo" that
the plant could be enlarged out Of
the earnings of the company. All
improvements and engagements add
TO the value st the stock. A packing
rlant located in a live stock raising
community means much in the price
that the farmer receives for his live
stock and and the price that the con-
sumer will pay for the finisLed
product. Let us look for minute
what the saving would be on the aver
zge carload OF live stock driven TO