Askov American. [volume] (Askov, Pine County, Minn.) 1914-current, 1915-02-18

$AeS~A sAbS aga a. WEE aDADIuLGly
impossible for the tenant to procure
OF the dealers fertilizer containing
these elements in proper proportion.
Fertilizers were high too"
Now. az he explained, the co-opera-
tive societies buy the elements going
into the fertilizers and themselves
mix them in the proper proportions.
The cooperative association not only
guarantees the quality of the fertilizers
furnished to their members. but sells
them at greatly reduced price. That
they are better than the manures pur-
chased of the regular traders Ia xvi.
denced by the actual effects upon the
crops.
Cooperative Credit.
1t was evident that In Meeghans es-
timation the greatest benefit to the
members of the local organization Is
from the credit society branch of 1t.
The farmers In this vicinity had been
we'll taught and were anxious to I'm
prove their stock to get better nipple
ments, to use commercial fertilizers
properly compounded, to plant better
seeds. Before the cooperative credit
association was organized they were
unable to do anything of this sort.
Since the cooperative organization
has been In operation, however, 1t Is
easy to get from the society a small
loan for any of these purposes and the
farmers were In consequence steadily
improving their property. In other
words he seemed to think that the i'm.
provements In rural agricultural mern.
DDS which we see everywhere would
have been absolutely impossible with.
out this little local credit society.
Meeghan himself through loans Sc
cured OF the cooperative credit society
had been enabled to purchase blooded
stock and had bought improved nipple
ments and tested seeds.
We found upon our return to the vii.
lage that school was just closing and
Quinn went with US to his home, which
although modest, was as trim and com
Portable as any village home which we
have ever been privileged to visit in
America, He talked freely of the af.
fairs of the society, showed us the
books and records and explained the
methods and practices employed In the
cooperative conduct OF the business.
A Simple Organization.
The cooperative society has no
headquarters and consequently has no
rent to pay. The home of the score
tary is the Office of the society. There
the banking business as we'll as the
other affairs of the society are con
Quoted by him out of school hours. The
little society has 500 members, each
member having one share upon which
he has advanced about sixty cents.
The credit society. a branch of the CO.
operative association, has 161 mem
bers.
THE society meets" he said, -four
times each year. At those times the
members give US orders for these
goods which we handle comparatively.
including seeds. manures, implements
and occasionally other articles, We
go over the old accounts and arrange
for their payment or extension. We
talk over the plans of the society. We
consult about local farm problems,
about seeds, manures and rotation of
crops, exchanging ideas as to methods
of meeting various questions that
arise, There is no cooperative store
here and we never keep articles in
stock. We order seeds, manures or
implements end notify the farmer
when they arrive. He takes care of
them generally within twenty-four
hours. We can do this because most
OF our members are near by: We get
everything a little cheaper and of bet,
ter quality than do the regular traders.
In nothing, however, has the improve
ment In quality been so marked az In
seeds and manures.
How a Farmers Bank Loans Money.
Our organization loans money to
its members at 6l5 per cent To de.
positors we give three per cent on all
deposits, We thus do business upon
a margin Of 2a per cent. On the 9th.
or hand the Joint stock bank nearest
here charges Ga per cent interest.
but pays only IN per cent. interest on
deposits, They require a margin of
four per cent. on which to do business.
Not only have the joint stock banks q
wider margin on the loans, but the
worst of 1t Is you cannot get a loan
from a joint stock bank for more than
three months. They never loan for
longer than that time although some
times. OF course. they will grant re-
newals. The trouble 10 that these re-
are hard On the farmer. These
banks are only in the larger places, |
Very often the farmer has to go some
take his sureties with him,
pay their expenses. give them their |
and / am afraid sometimes
treat them to liquid refreshments. III
we have man who wants money and
be lives near by We simply ask him to
bring in two good men as sureties. and |
II they are all right and the maa Ia |
honest and a good worker and his /!
neighbors speak we'll OF him there is !
no difficulty and very little formality |
In getting the loan. In addition to our |
deposits we have arranged for an over /
draft from the Bank Of Ireland at Dun |
aalk. They cooperate with US in q |
friendly manner and help us much. |