Willmar tribune. [volume] (Willmar, Minn.) 1895-1931, 1919-10-22


panies was $795. 202. 90 or an average
of three.And one-half per cent on the
5ous1tandin6 capital Under this head
1T shouldabe mentioned that we include
the report of one OF the largest light
and power compa in America. This
company has an outstanding capital of
$19.9S2,100.00. and paid a dividend of
$751; $500. Thus twill be understood
that the other eleven companies were
comparatively small and the gains NOM
inal' s@Ss> III IS. Fl, 80 - - .
From the foregoing quotation, we see.
that the only great corporation, the light
and power company, was practically
the only one that made material gains:
In all Of the other cases, the gains were
SO nominal as to be unworthy of con-
sideration. The report states still fur
Their: 80. ~.
18th. There are sixteen Oil and min
ing companies upon our records show
ing total outstanding capital of ST.
5S5. 500. Not one of these companies
shows a gain and no facts are submit
ted which indicate any great progress
In the way of exploration
{ What Becomes Of Hugh Capital7
f The, above. statement is one that
should attract the attention of the in
vesting public in no uncertain way.
Think of it! In the State of South Da-
kota, where sixteen oil and mining com
pantes report to the Securities Commits
sion, representing from the reports in
that one state alone the immense sum
of $7,535, $500, investments undoubt-
eddy taken from the savings Of the peo-
ple-NOT ONE SINGLE COMPANY is
able to report a particle of gain, not any
progress worth mentioning. Then, what
becomes Of the Seven Millions of Dol
lars which the people invested in these
institutions? This is an indictment
against this class of business that
should be warning never to be for
gotten.
But the report continues:
18th. 1t appears that there are forty
miscellaneous companies with capital
issue totaling $21, 112,751.O0 which re-
port not gains and in many instances
| losses are shown. In fact, there are ten
among the forty companies with an
outstanding capital of $7,677, 10000 which
show total loss of $226,484.00. This
item should be deducted from the gains
shown in paragraph one, thus material
all companies"
| Cooperation Pays.
The report from the Commission, in
| commenting upon the above statement
says very tersely:
From the foregoing figures, several
| conclusions may be drawn. It is amp
ly shown that the small cooperative
| companies Of the state are being con-
| Quoted on a profitable basis. This is
especially true of the elevator compan-
les. The reports show that each ele-
vator is using from $4,000 to $4,000
! OF borrowed money obtained from banks
and commission companies. Notwith-
| standing the payment of considerable
sums for interest, the business is high
ly- profitable"
| This leads to the suggestion that
/ mnnh ito1 ho NJ
in these elevator companies, thus reduce
| ing the necessity for SO much borrowed
| money and saving large sums now being
| paid for interest.
| Commenting further on this report.
| the writer says:
Safer Investment at Home.
| "The Commission has right to feel
a pride In the success of the co-opera-
tive companies. 1t means that the
| TY " TO COOPERATE and make the
| best use of their combined capital and
| credit. The fact also proves that the
| farmer should realize that he can find a
| FAR SAFER AND MORE REMUNERA-
TIVE INVESTMENT AT HIS OWN
DOOR, and one that is very much bet
I ter than the average stock proposition
| offered by other corporations"
| Brother Farmer, when reading and
! analyz1ng the quotations from the Sc
| curities Commission above, it must
be realized that our Blue Sky laws have
| not been fnaugurated in vain. The
| above statements are strong in the
| extreme, and must command the most
| earnest consideration of every co-op-
| erattve Farmer who desires to better
! his own condition. 1t is not hard to
| realize that if these tremendous sums
| OF money which are annually being
| wasted can be turned into Cooperative
/ Companies, Farmer-Owned and Farmer
| Controlled, it will not be long until the
Farmer will have sufficient funds to
I finance himself
The Farmers Society of Equity one
| of our greatest Farmer organizations
heartily commends the report of the
South Dakota Commission, and believes
that the thanks-not only of South Da-
kota constituents, but of every Cooper
! alive Farmer in Americans due to that
body of men who have so diligently
striven to show plainly and concisely
how the people have been ruthlessly
robbed; and who show also, and recon-
mend, measures that can easily remedy
the evil There are many cooperative
industrial institutions which our lead
ers are earnestly striving to promote,
that sadly need the savings and funds
which our Farmers have for investment.
The above report shows conclusively
that II. these savings are invested in
our Farmer-oWned institutions, they will
bring solid returns, and at the same
time every dollar will be working night
and day to increase the prices of the
farm products and bring to our Farmers
Justice and Equity on the returns for
their labor.