The Bottineau courant. (Bottineau, Bottineau County, N.D.) 1895-1929, 1919-08-28
POLICIES OF COOPERATIVE PA.
PERs OUTLINED AT Ed
TORS MEET. 3

St6IC1uCIC IudL tlS CIcdtAVAA VI w.
operative papers owned by the COM
mon people would give editors real in
dependence and permit them to strive
in a fair and fearless manner to work
for better citizenship and higher ideals
was greeted with cheers by the assem-
bled editors.
1--WE now have cooperative news
papers organized in every county in
North Dakota" said MI. Liggett, and
these papers, owned by the people Of
the community, are free to serve and
represent those communities, and are
certain to set new and higher stand
ards Of journalism for the whole Unit
ed States. Our motto is Service"
and we intend to work for the upbuild-
ing of the various communities and
not to advance narrow selfish inter-
ests as so many newspapers have hone
in the past. :,
Bureau Not Autocratic :
"The story that the Publishers bu-
reau owns or controls these papers is
/ utterly without foundation. The bu-
reau owns less than one-third Of the
voting power in these cooperative pa
pers. I want to assure the editors and
managers Of these papers right now
that these shares will never be voted
against the farmer owners of the pa
pers, but will always be voted to pro-
tect their interests. Had this bureau,
owned the usual amount Of stock in
the Morton County Farmers Press,
LANCER, Maggie and Mees would never
have obtained possession Of this pa
per to use against the farmers move
ment and against the wishes of the
farmer stockholders TO this paper.
"This bureau is not autocratic and
was never intended to be. It's policy
is to work in harmony with the direc-
tors Of the cooperative papers. It is
here to supply service, and advice
when wanted, and to prevent hostile
interests from stealing the farmers
papers. 2
1.-THE ideal condition is when a CO.
operative paper is owned by the most
solid elements Of the community, and
when editors are free to represent the
community as a whole. Formerly
there was no field for a free press.
Papers were entirely owned by in
terests and individuals who used the
press for private profit or political
ACKNOWLEDGEMENT. Now we are build
ing up a system wherein the papers
are controlled by communities as a
whole and wherein all special inter-
ests are excluded from ownership in
these papers. Under such conditions
only are papers free, and only then
does the editor feel that he has the
whole community back of him.
Organize Buying Power
I'm many instances hostile interests
have attempted to destroy the coop
erative papers. 1t is just in this field
that cooperative papers are hardest
to destroy. When the people own a
paper this ~boycotting business works
both ways. Where hostile interests
attempt to. destroy a farmers paper
through a refusal to give such a pa
per any advertising, the farmer-own-
ers can with perfect propriety trans
fer their patronage to other interests.
The cooperative paper has exception
al opportunities to increase it's adver-
Using by organizing it's buying power.
When merchants learn that the farm
ers follow a principle Of reciprocity
in trading they quickly respond to this
condition. If only a limited number
Of farmers mention their paper when
they buy, the effect IN advertising will
be remarkable.
"On the other hand, the farmers
press should be fair and liberal to
merchants. The propaganda in the
cooperative papers, designed to bring
about reforms in financial, industrial
and marketing facilities, should be
based on an appeal to reason. Where
propaganda has been made to con-
form to this standard, there has al
most invariably been an increased vote
for League reforms in the towns.
"The sudden appearance Of the CO:
operative papers in Sc many commun-
tiles all over the state has in some in
stances aroused suspicion and resent.
ment among merchants. Nothing is
gained by feeding or inflaming this
feeling. The better way is to con-
vince these merchants by the merits
of the paper that you are there to
work for the community and serve
every legitimate interest. Show them
you are willing to meet them half way
and you will find that this hostile feel.
ing will gradually disappear. Make
the paper a public institution.
Good Newspaper Business
"The cooperative paper must first
Of all be q business success. Every
paper should be on q business basis
that will enable the farmer stockhold.
ers to get their money back. Il il
imperative that we reach this condi.
ton in North Dakota ia order TO make
easier the work Of building up the PEG.
PIES cooperative press in other states
Here is our friend RishoR who ha.
managed the Organization Of cooper