The Bismarck tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, N.D.) 1916-current, 1929-05-30
Farmers Union Speaker vietori.
Gus If Crowds Cheers
Are indicative
THATCHER PRESENTS FACTS
Charges Attack on Union Was
Sponsored by Several lndi-
viduaIs and Groups

fdTSIldll, N. ~. MAY oU.-NlldIS co
which c. w. Reichert. Darlington,
sometime receiver Of the Equity pack
ing plant at Fargo and still receiver
of the lamented Consumers United
Stores company. has made in pam
phletS and letters against the Farm
ers union were aired here yesterday
afternoon and answered by M. W.
Thatcher. St. Paul, general manager
Of the Union Terminal exchange.
Last night another meeting was
held, at which the charges were
further answered and the union EN-
emies" further attacked. It was at
this meeting that old skeletons were
ratified when Reichert's stewardship
as receiver Of the Consumers United
Stores was reported OH by Usher L.
Burdick. Fargo. The much-advertiscd
debate over the business manage
ment" of the union was held, despite
n of the worst days this section of
the state has known IN years.
It IA held after q lengthy squabblc
between Walter Maddox and State
Senator r. w. Patten. which for
nearly two hours threatened to end
all proceedings, so far as the debate
was concerned, and send the Farmers
union members present down to the
Parshall lumber shed to hold an old
time evangelistic meeting to answer
Reichert's charges, free from the
amenities and restrictions Of a debate.
Thatcher insister that Reichert
should speak first, Reichert that
Thatcher should.
Reichert insisted that the question
should be Resolved, that the Farmers
union business activities of the north
west r practicing the same kind of
cooperation as other Farmers union
states and other cooperative business
institutions"
Question Limits Thatcher
Thatcher declared that this lin
tied him to comparisons between the
Farmers union of the northwest and
the Farmers union of Nebraska. and
gave no opportunity to answer Reich
ert's circularized charges. Finally,
after whispered conferences here and
there, Reichcrt agreed to speak first,
making his charges, and. Thatcher
and Maddox agreed to B. E. Crippen.
Parshall lawyer. IS presiding officer.
Crippen made the rules, and the boys
lived up to them.
So far as one could judge, It was a
Farmers union success. There were
more Of the union members present
and they cheercd more loudly. Reich
ert's arguments were devoted largely
to generalizationS, with only a few
comparisons between the Central Co.
operative association, for which he
works. and the Farmers union.
Thatcher presented q mass Of facts
taken from the records. He explained
each organization within the union.
told how much officers Of the North
Dakota union were paid, what they
did, how they owned the stock Of the
livestock agency, how they acquired
It, and otherwise went into the opera
tions In great detail.
Says It's Not Cooperative.
Reichert's main point was that the
union Is not cooperative I'm that 1t
pays no patronage dividends to the
farmers. Thatcher's was that the va
rious activities accomplished much
more for the farmer, saved him much
more than all the dividends paid back
by the Central cooperative. He MAIN
tanned that this constituted the best
kind Of cooperation.
Reichert made much Of salaries and
moneys collected from North Dakota.
He quoted A. w. Kicker, st. Paul. a.
saying, III reply to . question about
salaries, Its none Of their business.
The farmers only belong 70 the edu-
cational group"
He said there are $4,000 members
In North Dakota, paying $3.50 dues,
making q total Of 4l87 900.
Describes His Association
Reichert then plunged into a lengthy
account Of the work Of the Central
Cooperative ascension. for which. o.