The Princeton union. [volume] (Princeton, Minn.) 1876-1976, 1920-11-25

IS cents pound for their wool. When
the farmers refused to sell at this price
and turned their wool over to the as
ISOLATION to form the pool, the buyers
offered IS cents pound. The pooling
continued, however, and this year they
pooled four times as much wool as
last year. There is a movement on
foot to organize a national pool and
an attempt is being made to have GER
tain bankers advance three-fourths of
the estimated value to the producers.
Last July a live stock survey was
made of Illinois. It was found that
the number of tenant farmers is in
creasing in that state and there is a
proportional decrease in the live stock
production. To correct this evil
longer term lease was advocated by
the association. It should be noted
that this same provision was adopted
by the Minnesota Farm Bureau feder-
alton.
DR.. Mumford advocates the estab-
lishment Of a cooperative commission
company for the handling of live stock
in the leading markets of the country.
He says that such commission,
backed by the farm bureau, providing
the right sort of man is chosen as
commissioner, should be able to look
after the interests Of the farmers. He
urged the farmers not to choose one
of their number for this position but
to engage a man who has demonstrat-
ed his ability in this business. All the
speakers especially emphasized the
fact that the farmers associations
must engage agents competent to deal
with those men in the service of priv
ate organizations.
N. j. Holmberg, state commissioner
of agriculture, urged the farm bureau
federation to adopt definite agricul-
tural program, promising that he
and Governor-elect Preus, working to-
'getther, would do everything in their
power to push such program.
c. w.. Glotfelter, president of the
crop improvement association, said
that Minnesota ranks first among the
states Of the union in .dairying, the
production of cattle and oats.
According to the statement of Presi-
dent Cummings, the cooperative mar
keting association has already handled
between 1000 and LOO cars of pota-
toes.
The entire session Friday evening
was spent in discussing an agricul-
tural program. The program finally
adopted appears elsewhere in this
issue.
Saturday morning was devoted to a
business session and the following Of
ficers were chosen: L. E. Potter of
Springfield was reelected president;
R. L. Scott, Borup, vice president; G.
E. Anderson, Wheaton, treasurer, re-
elected. Two directors, A. E. Rako of
Bemidji and C. M. Bendixen of Nor
gan were not reelected because they
are members of the state legislature
and the federation is determined to
keep the organization out of politics.
Farmers associations are usually
handicapped by a lack of funds but
the Minnesota Farm Bureau federation
represents an investment of $82,51O,
every cent of which has come from the
farmers. Of this amount SOL 1923 is
ION deposit at banks ready for use. The
membership drive this year has yield
ed $68, 3O4. Each farmer is asked to
pay IS year to his county farm bu-.
reau, and on joining he pays SIS year
TO the state federation to defray the
expenses Of the present membership
campaign. On June 1, 1921, this cam
bpaign will have been completed and
the state federation will thcnceforth
receive annually from each farm bu-
reau member $3.50; SO cents of this
amount will go to the national fedora
ton. The $3.50 will be included in the
annual fee of SIS paid by each farm
burau member. The state federation.
with $4,000 members, will then have
an annual income of $4,000.
On Saturday afternoon, w. G. Eek
hardt, director Of the grain marketing
department of the Illinois agricultural
association, delivered an address on
marketing and distribution of grain.
He said that the selling prices which
the farmers are receiving this year
do not in many cases pay for the cost
of production. In making this csti-
mate, Of course, fair wage is fixed
on the labor of the farmer and the
interest on the money invested is al
so taken into consideration. Mr.. Eek
hardt maintains that the farmers will
never be sure of receiving fair price
for their produce until they make pro-
visions for marketing through their