Willmar tribune. [volume] (Willmar, Minn.) 1895-1931, 1916-05-10
BIG COOPERATIVE
PACKING PLANT
President Chryst Tells Farmers
About This Largest Of
Enterprises.

Ia VA. y. NAlySI, q uaIAOudA u6uIc
in the farmers cooperative move
ment, four years national president
Of the Society of Equity, and president
Of the largest cooperative enterprise
ever launched in the Northwest, a
million dollar terminal packing plant,
now being established at South St.
Paul, addressed a representative gath
ering Of farmers in the schoolhouse in
Dist. 4S last Saturday evening. BY
special invitation representatives of
the press of Willmar were present
Mr.. Chryst, owner Of the Fairview
farm, on R. F. D. No. /, Hudson, Wis,
has pleasing personality, is fair and
reasonable in his utterances, and
knows the cooperative movement
from to z. He is a good speaker
and he held the floor Saturday eve
ming for two hours, with his listen
ers interested thruout.
In his Introductory remarks, Mr.
Chryst showed the great need of the
farmers taking more decided interest
in the marketing of their products.
He quoted Government statistics to
show that the consumers in some in
stances pay as high as eight times the
amount paid the producers for pro-
ducts. He quoted the report of the
Country Life Commission, body OF
men who began their investigation of
the "high cost of living" with the idea
that the principal cause was the
somewhat higher prices received by
farmers, to the effect that there ex-
listed "too many unnecessary toll
gates" which the farmers products
must pass before they reached the ul-
innate consumer. Mr.. Chryst denied
that the purpose of the Equity Society
was to place added taxes to the con.
sumer. They recognize that the in
terests of the consumer are vital to
the welfare of the producer. The OBJ
ject of the farmers cooperative en-
terprises as to do away with "the un-
necessary tollgates" for the benefit Of
both producer and consumer.
The speaker had no quarrel with
members Of the Chambers of CON-
merce or owners of packing plants as
individuals. They had provided the
necessary marketing facilities which
have been unable to provide for
themselves, and were simply taking
advantage of the situation as they
found it.
Mr.. Chryst next discussed the grain
markets showing how they were
manipulated by those in control to
the detriment of the farmer as we'll
as the consumer. He quoted figures
, from reports filed with the Railroad
& Warehouse Commission showing
how the terminal elevators were re-
ceiving little or no No. hard wheat,
but were shipping out thousands of
bushels of such grade. How they re-
ce1ved immense quantities Of No. 4,
no grade, and rejected grain but had
none to ship, it apparently all 4.nding
its way out improved in grade. Far.
mers have established cooperative
elevators all over the Northwest to
correct the local markets, and now
the next logical step was to establish
cooperative terminal elevators to cor:
rect abuses at the big markets.
But the main subject of Mr.. Chryst's
address was the stock markets. He
| gave a graphic analysis of the method
| used to hold down the prices to the
stock raisers at the stock yards, US
y ing a return report blank of the loca]
/ shipping association as text. South
st. Paul, Sioux City, Omaha, Kansas
/ City and other markets are but tribu
tary to Chicago, good safe margin
being maintained to enable the oper
ators to re-ship surplus stock to Chi
cago at profit. The capacity of thu
Swift packing plant at South st. Pau
is often times less than one-fourth o.
the receipts. Buyers never act at st
Paul, before receiving the ruling pric
es of the day at Chicago.
4 The cooperative packing plant Il
no longer an experiment. Wisconsin
has several, in the erection of whic!
Mr.. Chryst has been active. Thei
capitalization range from $250,000 t.
100000. They supply local require
ments, but their operation has give1
the co-operators many valuable les
sons which have encouraged them t.
undertake this greater enterprise:
\ The new St. Paul packing plant
porated under the Wisconsin law, be
cause the "wise" legislators of Mir
nesota saw a danger" in perm1ttin
cooperative enterprises of large cal
italization. The Wisconsin, law
truly cooperative. It recognizes th
individual as the unit instead of tn
dollar. No stockholder is permitte
to hold more than 1000 in stock an
no stockholder has more than on
vote. The company has acquired on
hundred and sixty acres on the Mi
- sissippi river opposite the SWi
4 plant. It is reached by the main line
of the Burlington, Milwaukee an
Northwestern railways, and tn
switching charges from other roa6
has been fixed the same as for tt
Swift plant. The first block of 500
900 in stock has been taken by tt
farmers and the sale of stock is pr
crossing rapidly. The organizatic