Grand Forks herald. [volume] (Grand Forks, N.D.) 1916-1955, 1920-10-02
PREUS URGES
COOPERATION
FOR FARMERS s
Better Solution Of Market
ing Problem Than State
Ownership, He Says.

Red Lake Falls, Mimi, Oct.
A. Q. Preus and Louis Collins, Re-
publican candidates for governor and
lieutenant governor of Minnesota
Lake County Fair. y
emphasis on the advantages Of CO.
operative marketing systems for tke
farmers, as opposed to the state own.
ership system. He said in part.
There is, perhaps. not farmer In
Minnesota today who is not dissatis-
ned over the difference in the price
which he receives for his raw ma,
.erlai and that which the consumer
pays Tor the finished product made
therefrom. Some people would have
you believe that this tremendous dr.
ference which can be observed ii,
some of the most ordinary necessaries
of life is due only to the abnormal
|profts OF the middlemen whom they
call profiteers. This is partly true
put 1t Is not the only reason for the
wide margin of prices between pro-
ducer and consumer d
Two Plans Suggested.
Two plans have been suggested In
the past few years. One plan advo-
Gated is that of having state owned
elevators, packing houses. factories,
mills, terminals. and 80 forth. oper-
ated by the state in composition With
the privately owned elevators, ware
houses and so forth. The other plan
proposed is that of having more CO.
operative elevators added to the 352
winch we now have throughout the
state and through which approxi-
mately forty per cent Of our grain il
marketed, as well as having other
warehouses to take care of all other
products of the farms Of the State Of
Minnesota. to be owned and controll-
ed exclusively by the farmers and op.
Grated on a cooperative plan.
Farmers Should Consider.
Would it not be well for the
farmers to consider which plan will
be most to their interest? One. pro-
poses bonding the state and taxing Ill
the people in the state for these pur
poses and then having state owned
plants to be administered BY all the
people of the state, 68R Of whom
live in the cities and villages and 22L
on the farms. If the state should en-
gage in these various enterprises, the
state would have thousands of en,-
ployeS subject to political appotnt-
(which would get about the same re-
suits and efficiency out Of the enn-
!ploEes which the federal government
receives from it's various depart
ments. @.7ss
Would it not be better for the
ia rmers to consider the cooperative
plan ? Cooperation Is the opposite
OF state ownership. CO. operation de-
jvelops- the individual farmar,s = au-
4 ffthority over hts own business tn a.
much as he remains in charge OF his
business. and when it becomes too
big for him to handle as an indi-
ividual. he and other farmers handle
their business collectively. One
farmer alone cannot have the ad-
vantages in shipping and selling his
|produce which he can secure by corn-
of farmers. State ownership would
take the authority away from the In
dividual and place it in the hands of
the state as a whole. The farmers,
business would then become political:
| "Our farmers, I believe. are de-
ltermined in securing other marketing
iconditions than those which now pre-
between the state owned plan where
all the people of Minnesota, 6S% OF
whom are in cities and only 38T ID
the country. will control. or the co.
Operative plan Of ownership and OPP
eration by the farmers and farmers
alone. x
Cooperation Success.
II THINK the fafHerS OF Minnesota
, believe in the cooperative method
which has already done SO much fol
them contrasted with the state owned
|method which if once applied to farm
, products will steadily grow and ex-
, pand to embrace the complete pro.
gram Of what is known as Socialism
will confiscate all property which /,
, held for gain whether it be stocks
bonds minesf or farms. that they may
be operated for the benefit of all oul
people and ultimately destroy the In.
dependence. liberty to private prop.
lerty of the greatest rural civilization
known in the worlds history thai
which is found in the United states
,todayo sSs