The Devils Lake world and inter-ocean. (Devils Lake, N.D.) 1915-1920, 1919-11-26

uVe1dsaA sdIeS "AoOC FSA
Entered atthe Post-oaice at Devils Lake, n. D. as.second class
afsS8%p
"DANcER POINT PAssED"-DEMocRAcY
The Consumers Stores are to be made democratic. The an:
nouncement is official and is made by H. A. Paddock, general
Another very important announcement is made; one that,
while important. would sound ridiculous to anyone not &C
.quainted with Townleyized methods. The announcement is
made that the danger point has been passed and that it is now
. .Ssy@ Something ell ne to say regarding the management
TheaLeague papers devoted a lot of space in announcing the
.onsh Importance to play up on both the news and editorial
:pagesJ sJhe League editors profess to believe that the change
sknesked,A9e props f,em n.u under T the ;. enemy e4S Pres pfSsr:h.n ,Mot fnqnz
.;shad t te opponents ~l Of Townisyism With additional material
for argument. The fact is that in making such a radical change
:s = t Saa%i f. ma1 the oggssi 1T ah e1 stores h Mss r sptaerstts fo tfs
;lrst degree: The official organ Of the II League e que a a.: ana%ec auto,
Gan a wage a successful warfare-but on the battle line there
MUST be a military Autocracy to obey that democracy The
beiiatted. but it is right in line with the argument put up by At
tprnex Mapahan at the shahedoxn meeting meet in ~ when Man ne was was pl : a
que. Up to present time the League papers and SPEAKERS sa nave
NOT managed in a democratic manner. They maintained that
these enterprises were farmers stores in every sense of tine
e~er a% LARGE roe Der centaee Of the people knew better and the
League editors only made themselves ridiculous py sucn state-
But what about the ~autocracy on the battle line, obeyi!ng
the the, de% 2od %y,t M 1n he =. B baazs s 1inss We nst so US see = run Il t nsars
every community where . store was established memberships
r. The amount of $50, 900 to $50, 0DD was sold to the farmers.
NJ promise was to put in at least $4,000 worth Sof goods, OF
ninety per cent of the FIRST $1OO 600 worth of memberships. Now,
is there a single store in the state where this part OF the agree
ment was lived up to-. Not one. Most of the stores have less
than $4,000 worth of goods in them. Did the "autnoracy odn
the battle line" consult the democracy that put up the money
when they only invested $4,000 in goods out of $4,000 sub
scribed? No one ever heard of them doing anything of the
kind. Some of these stores have carried such q small stock OF
goods that members have been compelled to do two-thirds
of their trading at other stores. If the farmers themselves had
been in charge they would have been put into the business
and thus a stock of goods would have been provided which
would have been sufficiently large fol-. the average community.
In the adoption of the new plan-that OF making every mem,
Der a stockholder--a and giving him q voice---in the MANAGEMENT
of his own money-are they furnishing the farmer With an
asset or a liability? How much money has been subscr1ped
in all and how much of it has been invested in goods! With
an average stock Of less than $4,000 for every $4,000 sub,
scribed, it would seem that the company ought to be out OF
debt and possess a snug bank account besides: But such is not
the condition. The investigation at theScandinavlan- American
Bank showed that the Consumers Stores Company had borrow.
ed $40, 600. Do the bosses figure that with only twenty Pc
centao the money collected invested in merchandise and with
stocki in the concern and a voice. in the management? stock
holders will Of course assume the indebtedness. The North
Dakota Leader assures the people that the danger point has
passed and that it is safe to let the farmers in on the manage
ment. Has the danger point passed? The farmers in each
communityWher a store has been established know how much
money ha8akeen subscribed. They. know approximately how
much ofnha&sbeen invested in merchandise. They now know
that $170YgOOh has been borrowed AT one bank. Has the dang
er point been passed? Wilt farmers appreciate being g
"voieessd66y accepting a liability At this late day?