Grand Forks herald. [volume] (Grand Forks, N.D.) 1916-1955, 1918-02-18
FARMERS SEEK
INFORMATION ON
STORE SCHEME
Brinton Refused to Allow
Editor of Minot Messen7
ger to Attend Meeting.
Dissatisfied Farmers Call
Meeting at Minot for Sat-
urday, Feb. %.

urday, Feb. rs.
Minot, n. D., Feb. 1S.-The first of
a series of meetings of the holders OF
buyers certificates in the Consumers
United States company arranged by
President A. c. Townley of the Ma
tional Nonpartisan league, and j. Nj.
Brinton. manager OF the stores, sup
posedly called for the purpose or
Q%uieting the minds Of certificate hold
ers whose curiosity has been aroused
by the publication recently OF the real
facts M circumstances surroundlng
the operations of the company, was
held in Minot on Thursday afternoon
last, and a most interesting session de-
veloped.
The upshot of the meeting was the
action by a dozen farmers who were
not satisfied with the manner in
which Mr.. Brinton handled the ses-
sion, the dissatisfied farmers engaging
the Sons of Norway hall in Minot for
the afternoon of Saturday, February
90, at which time Mr.. Brinton has
been challenged to debate the subject,
Resolved, that the Consumers United
Stores company is not in the interests
OF the farmers" with James S. Milloy,
of the Minot Messenger.
The Minot Messenger, a weekly
newspaper. has for some time been
quite outspoken in it's opposition to
Nonpartisan league, and several days
before the meeting held here, l.. ID.
McGahan, owner and publisher of the
paper, received from Mr.. Brinton by
registered mail a letter inviting him
to attend the meeting and learn all
about the stores. The session was
closed to all out certificate holders.
Mr.. McGahan had only returned to
the city a few days prior to the re-
ceipt Of the invitation. and turned it
over to Mr.. Milloy, who guides the
editorial policies of The Messenger.
The latter answered Mr.. Brinton's let
ter. stating that he would be or hand,
and presenting to Mr.. Brinton a group
of 20 questions regarding the stores,
and asking that Mr.. Brinton answer
them.
Arrangements We're made whereby
every man attending the meeting had
a copy Of h questions. Only league
members Of store certificate holders
were admitted. When Chairman Bert
Solberg called the meeting to order,
Mr.. Brinton asked for Mr.. McGahan.
Mr.. Milloy responded, informing MI.
liz II AI1lStS IIdI liz was
responsible for the news and cdi-
torials of The Messenger. and asked
that Mr.. Brinton answer the questions
p~ropounded, in order that the paper
could be properly informed.
After MIR. Milloy had explained that
Mr.. McGahan had just returned from
California, and was not particularly
familiar with the store scheme, Mr..
Brinton asked the meeting. as a per-
SNna1 favor RI himself. tn nasc q roSo.
luton asking the representative of
The Messenger to withdraw and have
Mr.. McGahan himself appear.
A committee Of farmers accom-
panied Mr.. NJ. Milloy to the Office of
Mr.. McGahan, and the latter returned
to the meeting with them. Mr.. Brin-
ton then demanded that Mr.. Milloy
Milloy insisted that inasmuch as he
was personally responsible for the ar
ticles in The Messenger, and should
be permitted to remain, particularly
in view of Nh. McGahan's lack Of
knowledge of the situation. The
meeting sustained Mr.. Brinton.
Mr.. McGahan then demanded that
his representative be permitted to re-
turn, and commended before the GER
tificate holders that such a move
would be the only fair course, and
would give the farmers a better OPP
portunlty to act as a fair jury. Mr..
Milloy. he said, could produce evil
dence to back up articles published in
the paper, and had additional details
anent the situation.
Many farmers agreed with Mr.. Nc
Canaan that such a course would be
the only logical one, and that Milloy
should be permitted to return. On
a vote, Mr.. Brinton was again sus-
tanned.
Mr. McGahan then declared that if
Mr.. Brlnton was there in the capacity
OF a hired man., that he, Mr.. Nc
Gahan, would not meet him, u
would insist on meeting his employer,
MI. ToWnley. Mr.. Brinton responded
that Mr.. Milloy might quit The Mes
senger and get a job with the Cham
Der of Commerce and reveal facts he
learned at the meeting.
Mr.. McGahan at hat point with
drew from the meeting, and was fol-
lowed from the hall by ten or a dozen
farmers, who insisted that Mr.. Brin-
TONS action a been unfair.
Farmers who remained in the
meeting said afterwards that Mr..
Brinton made a lengthy talk on the
store proposition. Several farmers
are said to have asked answers to the
questions ~propounded, asked aues-
tions about the directors and officers
Oh tHe Dut those interested
failed to secure any very clear idea of
h management. The few farmers
who would say anything about the
meeting at its conclusion, also SAID
that a majority of the men in the
audience thought they held stock in
q cooperative store proposition, M
were further disturbed when Mr..
Brinton ~endeavored to explain the
surplus to be used for educational
work.
The group of farmers who have en-
gagged the sons of Norway hall for the
proposed debate, presented their pro-
posal to Mr.. Milloy before doing so,
asking him if he would meet Mr.. Brin-
ton in public debate. Mr.. Milloy
agreed, and Immediately sent a let
ter to Mr.. Brinton challenging him
to debate. n explaining that the
purpose was merely to e%nlighten the
certificate holders and farmers gen.
orally as to the facts pertaining to the
store system.
Stems have already been taken to
advertise the meeting.
Killdeer-Delegates from Killdeer,
Dunn Center and Dodge who attend
ed a recent community meeting here
are convinced that the project then
launched for the organization of a
Dunn county band can be made a sue
cess. The plan is to draw musical tai
ent from all the towns of the county
for h organization of a band of 90
pieces which will alternate in giving
concerts at various points and which