The Redwood gazette., 1918-01-16
Officers Put
Out of Office
Meeting at Wabasso Shows Disap-
roval of Work of Safety Com
mission Director
NEW BOARD ELECTED
A. d. Stewart Deposed After Years
of Efficient Work as Organizer
And Secretary

At a meeting of the Farmers Mu-
tual Insurance Company of the Town
of Redwood Falls held Saturday, jan
uary 5, at Wabasso, the attendance
was about $50 members, the entire
membership of the organization be-
ing nearly 5000. This small attend
ance was undoubtedly the cause of
the electing of an entire new board
of directors for the company and the
putting on the shelf of the old board
which had done such efficient service
in the past. The old board included
Andrew Stewart of Redwood Falls
who had served as secretary of the
association since it's organization and
had been, more than any other per-
son or group of persons, responsible
for the growth and splendid success
of the company.
The matter of Mr.. Stewards re-
tirement from the board as well as
that of the others of the board, is the
source of strong feeling on the part
of every staunch American in the
county who feel that the vote against
Mr.. Stewart was meant as punish
ment for his very efficient work as
the representative of the State Safe
ty Commission, and especially as
punishment because of his having
stopped meeting, known to be dis
loyal in it's character, which was ad-
vertised to be held at Wabasso early
last summer. The basis Of this feel
ing lies in the fact that the group
which was so disgruntled at the sup
preston of this seditious meeting was
the group that dominated the 'insur-
ance meeting, and they came with
their ballots all ready prepared for
voting, apparently after carefully
laying their plans. When they found
that these ballots would not be count
ed as legitimate votes they were in
structed by one of their number to
copy the names from the prepared
ballots onto the blank ballots fur
nished.
The success of the carefully laid
scheme of these people who appar-
emily set out to annihilate Mr.. Stew
art for his faithful performance of
his duty to his government, undoubt-
edly lay in the fact that the weather
was bad and the attendance was linn
tied to the immediate locality in which
the meeting was held. Friends Of
Mr.. Stewart would have without doubt
been present in large numbers had
they felt for a minute that such
plan had been made against the fu-
ture welfare of the Company. AS it
is these friends-and other members
of the company who are not willing
to risk their investment to the mex
perience of the new board, are urg-
ing the formation of new company,
with Mr.. Stewart as its leader. AS
one prominent farmer who has been
one of the ardent supporters of the
company for some time said 81 feel
that my money is no longer safely
invested and shall withdraw from the
company" While Mr.. Stewart can
get along nice without the secretary
ship, tits hard to see just how the
company will continue in its present
| thriving condition without his expert
experience, which he has gained
through twenty years of efficient
work.
If this thing is done as matter
of showing Mr. Stewart that he was
"in bad' as a result of his work on
the safety commission, certainly a
part at least of Redwood County is
| in bad condition as far as its patriotic
citizenship is concerned. The men at
tending the meeting at Wabasso prac-
tically put themselves on record as
being against the Safety Commission
and must expect to abide by future
outgrowth of the sentiment against
any such lack of Americanism as well
| as further investigation into their
motives by authorities. 1t looks as
though their triumph would be short
lived and very dearly bought.