The Fargo forum and daily republican. [volume] (Fargo, N.D.) 1894-1957, 1918-02-16

]
1 sumers' United Stores Company, wi
You tell us briefly the object an
9 purpose for which that was start
Y ed?
t A. Yes, sir.
. q. The Consumers United Store
Company was organized for the pur
pose Of cutting out unnecessary ex
pense Of distribution of necessitie
that the farmers and members OF tn
organization have to buy?
A. For the purpose Of eliminating
as much waste in the distribution a.
possible.
Q. Under the articles of that cor,
poration could you use or divert an!
OF the funds to your own persona
use?
A. / couldn't, as / understand it.
Q. 1t is testified that they
had paid in about 6O,000-do you
mean i'm cash?
A. No.
Q. How much of that is in cash
or do you know?
A. Well, ] don't know. dom
think there is more than $751; 900 OF
$4,000 in cash. A very small par
Of it.
Q. Could you tell us who were the
prime movers in the organization Of
the United States Guaranty Co?
A. Mr.. Hastings. and Mr.. r. O.
Richards, a South Dakota man, a
league man. AS a matter Of fact did
the executive committee Of the
league or yourself have very much
to do with the organization of that
| institution?
| A. 1t was organized at the sug-
gestion, of this South Dakota man.
Q. Has it done any business that
| Won know Of to sneak off
A. No.
! .. Have you any agreement or
| have you any expectation to get any
money or property from that organi-
zation?
A. I have not.
Q. Have any funds ever been paid
over to you from any of these organi-
cations for other than political pur-
poses or purposes as just stated in
regard to the stores company, for
your own personal use?
A. No, sir.
Q. What was the original purpose
Of the League exchange-you stated
it was for the purpose Of selling real
estate. Do you mean real estate or
the purpose Of getting immigration?
A. l mean for the purpose Of
handling real estate for the farmers,
members Of the organization and the
farmers.
Q. Was it's object to cut down the
commissions?
A. Yes, sir. EmphaticalIy so. Mr..
Lemke, If you will permit l would
like to say here that the Nonpartisan
league up to the time the League ex-[
change was organized had been
financed very largely upon farmers
notes loaned to the organization.
Farmers had given their personal
notes to the organization upon which
to borrow money. and they handed
them over to the organization with
out any security or collateral or any
assurance that they would ever get
them back.
Q. Accommodation notes?
A. Yes, sir, and to avoid the
burden and the irregularity of going
out and asking a man for $4,000
or $4,000 note on which to borrow
money without giving him any
security we organized the League ex-
change, and sold stock in that COR
poration and used the League ex-
change to serve the purpose that the
accommodation notes had been serv-
ing up to that time. And IL served
its purpose in aiding the organiza- |
ton, but incidentally we hope to !
make 1t of use to the farmers Of the !
state otherwise through handling Of !
real estate or anything else that may
be done to earn some dividend or
interest. The stock is very much /
distributed. / don't think very few |
own more than 5000 worth of stock, |
and very few over 500 worth.
Q. Have you any financial interest !
directly or indirectly, or do you ex-
pect any financial reward in property !
or otherwise from any of the follow
ing organizations in the future, the /
league, the League ex-
change, the United States Guaranty
Co, the Consumers United Stores
Co, or the Nonpartisan Publishing
Co?
A. I don't.
Q. Excepting your salary7
A. Excepting my salary.
Q. Or such salary as the execu-
tive committee of the league or diff
ferent officers may allow you in the
future in those organizations at their
A. I presume It is understood
though that l hope sometime to own
property outside of my clothes.
Q. You hope that sometime in the
future they may give you a larger
but there is no understand
ng?
A. hope to own property and
nave a part in some business enter
prise sometime. That is commonly
Understood when a man undertakes
procedure Of this kind, that it is
or the purpose OF enabling him to
stand on his own feet, but / have no
expectation or arrangement or agree
nent with any of these organizations
hat you mention by which / will get
larger salary, or own them or !
orofit financially from them. II
Q. You wish to wipe the slate
lean so you can begin your life
new financially, is that 1t?
A. / think that is it.
Q. Without being interfered with
" garnishment proceedings and so
orth? III
A. Yes, sir.
Redirect examination by Mr.. ]
Iurphy:
Q. You say this procedure is
tarted so you can stand on your
wn feet? r
A. BY that, Mr.. Murphy, 1 mean n
o that won't be bounded to death c
y fellows that sold me that junk
hat they called machinery.
Q. How about the men who sold
on labor? =
A. The men who sold me labor
re possibly with one or two excep-
Ions paid.
Q. There are several exceptions in ;
our schedule, aren't they?
A. I don't think there are very \
lRny.
O. Aside from that you expect a
our salary to be raised right after I
lis proceeding is closed and you get d
our discharge IN bankruptcy, IL you q
ct q discharge?
A. No, don't expect II to be rails 4
q, and 1T won't be raised =
@. DO you expect these various >
ther institutions who are not pay G
lg you q salary now to start IN do
II It? j