Pierre weekly free press. (Pierre, S.D.) 1889-19??, 1915-08-05
ST. PAUL WANTS
FARMERS GRAIN
Equity Cooperative Exchange
May Move From Minneapolis.
ORGANIZATION GROWING FAST
Expects 90 Handle Large Percentage
o. Northwestern Crops WI.hIn
. 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. Pau
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
ters 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 eve received = fair deal from
business men Of Minneapolis. The
Equity Cooperative Exchange has
made steady progress since 1t was or
ganized In August, 1912. but 1t has
had the fierce opposition Of the COM
htned grain interests in the Mime
apolis Chamber Of Commerce right
from the start The Chamber of
Commerce interests are closely aff1l-
lated with banks and other business
institutions of Minneapolis.
At the big cooperative marketing
convention held in Minneapolis q few
weeks ago, st. Paul business men in
operative Exchange has shown that 1t
can build up q 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.
termined to secure better terminal
marketing conditions. The recent CO.
operative marketing convention in
Minneapolis took steps to carry on the
hight 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
attng 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 IL entirely q cooperative
organization. II is owned by farmers.
The men In charge Of the exchange
work OF salary. The profits, over and
above the s per cent dividend on CAPT.
tai stock. are shared among patrons
according to the amount Of grain
shipped 70 the exchange.
The movement to establish q farm.
Aro' cooperative grain exchange In
the terminal markets originated among
Equity farmers In North Dakota, but
The movement rapidly spread to other
statos 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
Oent OF the genuine farmers Co
0perstiv0 organizations Of those four
states.
Tho farners' cooperative terminal
erain marketing movement 10 the out
gsowth Of the farmers cooperative
elevator movement, which established
~ tarmers' elevators a. important
motors n the local grain markets q
hundreds Of points In the Northwest
These fArmers' cooperative elevator
companies { now carrying their Co
operative marketing Of grain into the
Nerminal markets with the purpose. Of
o~ontrelling tho marketing Of their
gRain tcm ~ Aslds to the actual