Great Falls tribune. [volume] (Great Falls, Mont.) 1921-current, 1921-02-11
CO -0PE PERAT0RS'
A|DFOR ,P,[,
PROGRAM URGE
Recent Political Re-
verses Explained to
Cleveland Cooperators
Grand Chief Stone Re-
peats Success of B. of
l.. E. National Bank.

Cleveland, Feb. 1O.-The All-Amer-
ican Cooperative congress. represent
ing farm and labor organizations OF
the country was appealed to Thursday
by Spurgeon ODell, representing the
state Bank of North Dakota to give
the moral and financial support of
labor and farmers organizations of
the country to the Nonpartisan lea
gue's program for the sale of bonds
of the state of North Dakota for the
development of rural credit loans, the
purchase of mills and elevators and
home building.
Explaining recent political reverses
of the Nonpartisan league in North
Dakota, O'Dell said:
Referendum Mistake.
Zone mistake we made in North
Dakota was that we have been too
democratic. We gave the people the
initiative and referendum and they have
forced US to referendum seven times.
Last July the recall went into effect
in North Dakota, and now they are
trying to trump up charges on which
to recall the state officials.
Warren s. Stone, grand chief of the
Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers,
and Frederic c. Howe, secretary of
the committee on cooperative banking
and credit Of the American Co-opera-
tive commission, discussed co-opera-
tive banking systems and credit unions
Thursday night.
B. of L. e. National Bank.
Mr.. Stone pointed to the co-opera-
tive national bank established in Cleve-
land by the Brotherhood Of Locomtive
Engineers as an example of what labor
Stone declared, means that for the
first time in the history Of the United
States, the depositor is to have con-
sideration in the matter Of dividend
earnings"
Credit union banks for working men
and farmers in which small loans could
be negotiated on character of persons
seeking the loans were explained by
Mr.. Stone and Mr.. Howe. They pre-
dicted that the time was not far distant
when there would be thousands of the
credit union banks and hundreds of
the cooperative commercial banks scat
tered throughout the country.
Establishment of direct marketing
between farmers organizations md
city consumers organizations and CO.
operative banking institutions, oper--
ated by farmers organizations and
labor organizations, was recommended
by G. H. Gustafson of Lincoln. Neb..
on opening the second All-American
Co operative congress here Thursday,
for three days session.
Farmers and labor represent the
two biggest interests in the country
he said. "and they must understand
each other If they are going to be |
able to free themselves from the
stranglc hold which financial and other
big interests now have on them.
Producers Organize.
Producers should organize, and
provide the necessary machinery for
delivering their produces to the gates
IF the city markets. City consumers
should organize to provide the machin-
cry of distribution, thus eliminating
the middleman waste" =.
Gustafson declared it would be i'm
possible for either farmers or labor
% accomplish anything until they can
finance cooperative projects. He said
legislation would be sought permitting
Cooperative banking in many states.
Aims Of Two Clarified.
Better understanding of farmers
problems and more sympathetic ac-
ion between organized farmers and
organized labor have resulted through
he work of the All-American Coop
,rative commission, George p. Hamp-
on, general manager, announced in his
'eview Of the years work and recon-
presented at the opening
ession of the All-American Co-operat-
We congress here Thursday.
Leaders Of farmer and labor organ
zations from al over the country are
attending.
Cooperative production, education,
Investigation and research. insurance
md business standardization are among
he work which must be undertaken
y the commission, Mr.. Hampton re-
,orted.