Askov American. [volume] (Askov, Pine County, Minn.) 1914-current, 1935-05-30
John Brandt Gives
Address at Banquet
Continued from Page u

Brandt said it would have been an
easy matter to have passed up the
supervision idea and not to have paid
any premium for good products. In
this way there could have been
enough surplus laid away by the as
ISOLATION to have made big showing
to the stockholders, but who would
have been the losers?
Private Fortunes Built.
Mr.. Brandt told of a recent trip to
Detroit, Mich, where he met a man
in the organization who had at one
time been a private buyer of butter
products. In telling his story this
man said that at one time before the
advent of Land OLakes in the field
he had made a large profit in the
handling of this product, but that now
he was working for Land OLakes,
since he could not make a living at
the old business in competition with
Land O'Lakes. Many private fortunes
have been built and also many large
buildings have been erected by but
! ter, but there are not so many now
since the cooperative competition pre-
vents it being so profitable.
But this hasn't eased the pressure
Oh Land OLakeS, for there is a con-
slant effort to wreck this cooperative
organization. The opposition has
tried every way but so far to no avail
They have even tried to hire the
heads of various departments, said
the speaker, not that they could use
them better but thinking that they
would possibly have a little better
chance of defeating the great coopera-
tive concern if they hired them away
Mr.. Brandt also told of the Thief
River Falls situation as an attempt
to discredit the organization in the
eyes of patrons and the people, but
advised that no attention be paid to
such propaganda. There will be more
of this propaganda and there will be
more attempts to wreck the concern
More for Producer.
The speaker stated that lots of
things are being attempted to change
present conditions, but whatever will
be done is that which will enable pro-
duction to supply everybody at prices
fair to producers. Twenty-six and
three-quarters cents per pound for
butterfat is not a fair price in a
country with prices and living stan
cards as they are here. The speaker
told of the situation some time ago
when the price of butterfat was around
Is cents per pound and when the Land
OLakes was asked by the government
machinery was set up to take charge.
This was done and the price was kept
up to about 25 cents during the period
it had control.
Afterwards the price went up to 3S
cents per pound and every one began
to feel happy, but now it has gone
down until it is only one and three
quarters cents higher than year ago.
What causes this? asked the SPEAKER.
1t is not the surplus, because there
is more of L shortage now than ever
The cause can be laid at the door of
the friends" of the farmer, who
when the price reached 80 cents.
titles of butter and on top of this,
butter was bootlegged from Canada.
Land O'Lakes did not buy foreign but
ter. When the next butter solicitor
comes to you, said the speaker, and
tells you to pull away from Land
lOLakes, ask him if he is more in
terested in you than he is in foreign
countries.
The market goes up or down with
the influx of foreign butter: foreign
butter produced under conditions we
would not live under and which
makes our producers take prices in
equality with those conditions.
Spectator Benefits.
The speculator is the man who ben
efits with the ups and downs of the
market. Mr.. Brandt. at this point,
told how the speculator works. He
told how amateurs are drawn into the
racket with promises of good returns
on their money only to get themselves