Little Falls herald. [volume] (Little Falls, Morrison County, Minn.) 1889-1950, 1919-01-10

}. JANUARY 10, 1919
"a FARMER WANTS TO KNOW
Fort Ripley, MINI, JAM, 1919.
Editor Of Little Falls Herald,
Little Falls, MINI.
Dear Sir:
IF you would kindly give few lines
Of space in your valuable paper, would
like to ask the Farmers Co., Of Nor
rison county, the best method OF mark
citing potatoese In late issue Of the
Herald, report was given of the
election Of officers Of the Company etc.
II am a new conner to Morrison
county, but as L live about nine miles
from TT. Ripley, I hauled my potatoes
there to market them last fall and was
persuaded to put some 800 bushels into
! the farmers warehouse there for sale.
! At the time, however, I was getting 80
! cents per bushel Of local buyers there,
! but the officials Of the Farmers ALI
ance represented that could likely re-
alize $l.00 per bushel by letting them
; l.
about 800 bushel. They were going to
hold back 80 per cent Of the returns
with which to pay for labor and sacks
and when this was paid they would
pay back whatever balance was due
after paying expenses. This Company
then sold my potatoes and sent me a
check for fifty.eight and half cents
per bushel.
+; I wish to submit for the enlight-
enment of the farmers, that my pota-
toes were evidently sold for eighty-three
and half cents per bushel but instead
Of keeping back thirty per cent of the
lwhole consignment, by statement Of
the account according to the returns,
the manager sends me check to the
EFFECT that I had received fifty eight
and a half cents per bushel and the
president of this Farmers Alliance
said that this likely is all the money
you will get for your potatoes.
! Now, the fact that the Company is
alleged to have handled over 10000
bushels of potatoes, each man paying
his pro-rata of the. expenses according
to the number Of bushels that each man
iunloads at the warehouse of the Farm
ers Alliance, seems to prove on the face
of it, that no single man should be held
up to thirty per cent Of his returns for
the purpose Of paying into their "sink-
ing fund.- an amount that is merely
to be an equivalent for the actual ex-
!pense of handling each share of every
mans potatoes. I submit this report
as I consider the management Of this
company to be radically wrong.
Two Of my neighbors, not long ago
had each Of them a fat beef to sell
They were Offered certain price by
a stock buyer who came from town, but
p, these two farmers, thinking they could
do better through the Farmers Ali
ance, refused to sell to the stock buy
CT. Shortly after, they took these an
imals to Fort Ripley and the Manager
} who bought my spuds, shipped theil
. stock away and when the returns came
back, these two farmers each received
$40 less than the local buyer Offered
them.
I submit these figures for the per
usal and investigation Of the farmers
of Morrison and Grow Wing counties
and if anyone desires my help to prove
, my contention, I stand ready to give
(. the best Of my services.
= Another man who sold spuds at Fl
,, Ripley, is my nearest neighbour.
i He claims the Farmers company
only allowed him about fifty cents PEI
: bushel and Frank Cook, living only two
: miles east of Fort Ripley, declares tina
, the car in which my neighbours Pc
! tatoes were shipped, was discounted
fifty dollars, though the potatoes il
question, were some Of the best grown
: in the country. Mr.. Cook also stated
q that a charge Of fifteen dollars wa!
S also made for demurrage on this same
g car. I submit, if you please, there is {
wheel missing somewhere.
! I did intend to join this Alliance
: but I found out later that their poo
i management was the cause Of the clos
ing down Of their creamery at For
: Ripley, so now I prefer to stay out.
However, I believe any Farmers Al
lance that is properly conducted ant
1 which has good, efficient management
! is productive of much good and may
be Of the best results to all the mem
7 bers. I mean to join the farmers of thi
county soon as I can learn their stand
; ing and manner Of doing business.
! I would like to hear from one Of thu
y officials Of the Morrison County Farm
! ers' Alliance and learn Of what you:
l company has accomplished.
F. A. Chamberlain
i County agent O. P. jacobson, wht
has been residing at SIP Fourth stree
southwest, has moved his family tt