The Sauk Centre herald. (Sauk Centre, Stearns County, Minn.) 1886-current, 1928-06-07
UNION OF ALL FARM
CO-OPS FAVORED
Civilization of Agriculture"
Urged by Speaker at
Wheat Session
AID ALL CO-OPS.
Wheat Pool Members From
Five Nations Convene at
Regina, Can.


Regina, Sask., June 5.-An eff
fort to bring all cooperative organ
izations, handling farm products,
into closer harmony in the interest
of a more equitable distribution of
the worlds goods was urged in an
address by C. H. Burnell, chair
man, before the international
Wheat Pool conference here today.
Sixty-five delegates, representing
the United Kingdom, Australia,
Italy, Russia and the United States,
registered before noon today. One
delegate, ]. P. Christensen of the
Nebraska state wheat pool, had
driven 1000 miles by automobile
to be present.
The committee in charge of ar
engagements, Mr.. Burn>,il said, had
decided to widen the scope of the
conference to include 81 me of the
large cooperative harding other
farm products than grain, prompt
ed by ga considerat: IF the situa-
ton which seemed to indicate that
all our co-operatives have problems
which are common to each other;
while at the same time, of course,
those groups handling one commod-
ity also have their own special
problems"
Referring to the important place
cooperative institutions occupy in
every country in the world, the
speaker pointed out that in many
cases the most successful cooper
atives were working apart in field
of their own so far as strengthen
ing or encouraging other cooper
atives was concerned. Thus, in a
consideration of the cooperative
field these two organizations were
entirely overlooked.
Recently a report on co-opera,
ton in Canada, omitted to mention
Manitoba's two large farmers mu-
tual fire insurance companies, one
over 80 years old with $130,000,-
600 of insurance, probably the
worlds largest farmers co-opera-
tive Insurance company; and the
other Al years old with more than
$65, 100000 insurance placed, Mr.
Burnell asserted. /,
Co-operators the world over
should march forward together"
Mr.. Burnell continued. "We are
not striving to take that which be.
longs to others but simply striving
to bring about more equitable dis
tribution of the worlds goods.
agricultural co-operators have
ahead of them the onerous prob
lem of civilizing agriculture. Some
may think that an exaggerated
statement, but | cannot see how
in this age of labor saving inven-
ton and sanitary conveniences, ag-
riculture can be civilized so long
as the majority Of farmers fam
lilies have to do without most of
what are considered every day ne
kcessities by their city cousins.
"The farmers can only hope to
conquer their isolation by coop
Grafton. Until farmers in suffi-
cient numbers recognize their po-
sition and organize to buy and sell
in a modern business way, united
ly instead of individually, we can
not expect due recognition from
other classes, most of which are
already highly organized for tESir
mutual benefit.
"There has been much talk of
the Improvement in the morale Of
the Canadian farmer which the
western wheat pools have made,
but | expect that when the history
Of the next few years comes to be
written it will be found that a
great many improvements in the
rural life in this country will be
credited by the influence of agri-
cultural co-operatives.
Formation of nationwide or
ganization in the United States
with the avowed object of fighting
agricultural cooperation indicated
it was high time for better organi-
cation of the cooperative move
ment and the welding of its various
units more closely together, Mr..
Burnen declared.
"After the last two international
wheat pool conferences" he said,
ga great deal was published about
the information of a world wheat
pool. This has never been our OBJ
jective, but we have tried to do
everything possible to encourage
formation of grain selling bodies
similar to our own in other COM
petitive countries.
Gin the United States it would
seem that the wheat pool move
ment could make most progress by
districts-one pool for the south
west, hard winter wheat; one for
the northern hard spring wheat,
and another for the soft winter
wheat of Indiana, Ohio and neigh
boring states"
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