The Wolf Point herald. (Wolf Point, Mont.) 1913-1940, 1930-08-22
Farmers Elevator Meetings
(From Farmers Union Herald)

During the campaign for a sign up of Farmers Elevators
with the Farmers Union Terminal Association, about fifty of
our best organizers have assisted the official licensed grain
road men in making the campaign. All of these men have
been required TO make daily reports of what they found and
what folks were saying. These reports are as interesting and
thrilling as an adventure or detective story. The editor has
found them so at least.
The private grain trade did exactly what we did, namely
they put all the troops they had into the battle line. The
poison gas hose was turned on, and every elevator in the
Northwest freely sprayed.
Now it is all over, for this reason at least, but the battle
will be resumed in 1881, and it will continue until one or the
other-cooperation or the old system-inany wins. There will
not be any compromise. There cannot be any compromise.
The farmers instinctively dstrust and hate the private
grain trade. But the private grain trade has a stranglehold
on most of the elevators. Most of these elevators are in debt
to commission houses. Some a little. Some very nearly to the
value of their property. Some to a much greater extent than
the value of their property.
One of two things is necessary here in the Northwest to
master the situation, namely
(A) The Farm Board and the Farmers National Grain
Corporation must supply enough funds to take the country
elevators out of bondage, or,
OBJ We must surrender a lot of our country elevators to
their creditors and build new ones.
The Farmers National is pretty well convinced of these
facts now, and 1881 will likely see a real program of action
put on in the Northwest.
The Farmers Union Terminal Association comes out of
the contest with a string of country elevators under contract,
which number a little more than twice as many as we had last
year. We will enter the marketing season with two big ter
minals, one at Minneapolis and one at st. Paul, and with stor-
age space available by lease at Duluth and Superior.
The job of organizing a big cooperative is one that re-
quires time. Haste makes waste. Miracles have not been
promised by the Farm Board, and miracles will not happen.
The important thing is to hold what we have and keep going
ahead.
The volume Of grain assured to the Farmers Union Ter
minal Association should be twice the amount handled last
year. That should mean twice the earnings. Our job now is
one of successfully handling what will come to us, and in con-
junction with the Farmers National, make good sales for our
patrons. If we do that, some worthwhile dividends may be
paid to our patrons, and more money provided for organization
and education. Earnings will also build more reserves of cap
ital, thus justfying further aid by the Farm Board in expan-
sion of facilities.
Organize And Educate
We are going to win this battle. We are going to win it
by organization and the education of our members in our
crossroads local. The educated man always has the ignorant
man at a disadvantage. We could get nowhere in this struggle
without our educational organization. Keep this in mind.
Ours is a machine that works every month in the year,
and functions, Cor doesn't function) in the little old school
house where the farm men, women and children meet, lay their
common problems on the table, discuss them, and learn to help
each other. Where we licked the private grain trade, it was
done in the school houses. Where we got licked, it was where
our membership was weak and inefficient.
We will go on with our organization work and on with
our education. And we will go to it again in 1881 and win
more victories. and so in 1892, and on into time, until cooper
alton wins. We will go on scratching until there will be no
neas sucking our blood. 281t