The people's voice. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1939-1969, 1950-03-10
lily We're Farmer !.


buying farm supplies. Whether |
gave a whoop about the high ideals
of democracy practiced within the
coop movement, from purely dollar
and cents standpoint it would be good
business for me.
I've Just returned from my second
time in attendance at an annual
Farmers Union Central Exchange
stockholders meeting in st. Paul.
Once again my mind has been re-
freshed as to how, in 10 years. the
Exchange has grown from an ex-
tremely shaky little wholesale bust
ness to one of the largest regional
coop WHOLESALERS in the nation; from
$500 paid in capital and a loan of
$4,000 in 1881, the Exchange
(Which is owned entirely by farmers
of the Northwest) now has assets
of more than SIS million-all the re-
suit of earnings made by farmers
doing business with themselves. In
addition, the Exchange has paid back
in cash to individual coop members
through local co-ops, approximately
81 million in excess brokerage on
gasoline and other fuels
But, that's only part of the story
Dividends on capital stock have been
paid in cash to the tune of more than
$685., 900. All stock issued up to and
including 1910, together with the
S248,000 purchased by local oil com
Danies when the Laurel refinery was
purchased, has been paid in full. And,
Turing the past eight years the Elk
,hange has paid in excess of $780,
100 to various state Farmers Union
educational organizations.
The Exchange now has approx
nately $3,650,000 invested in facil-
ties which it wholly owns and about
100000 invested in other coop
Again, there's more to the picture
han just the tangible assets, the divi-
ENDS paid, etc. Ask any dirt farm
+ of the older generation what it
sed to cost him to buy gasoline or
uel oil for his tractor before he and
thousands of fellow farmers started
he Exchange Ask him also what
ind of prices he used to pay for
eeds, for hardware, for farm imple-
tents, household electrical equip
tent, etc, before he and his fellow
Hers of the soil decided they would
, their buyinp collectively
What holds true on the consumer
de, holds true to an even greater
sgree on the marketing ends of a
rmer's business. Witness the
'owth of the Farmers Union GTA.
e securing of protein premiums by
e organized efforts of farmers; the
Hiding of their own elevators and
rminals so that they could be in a
'sition in the market to have some
ice in what they were to receive
7 their crops. Think too, about
e countless thousands of dollars
-op marketing has brought to Mon
ma to jingle merrily in the cash
gisters of little business-money
at used to go to build fine man
ms for the grain commission mer-
ants along the high banks of the
ssissippi in Minneapolis.
And, though, increased farm in
me and greater farm security are
ghty important goals of the coop
'vement, there are also other very
portant by-products. Farm peo-
:, having learned that they can
rk together economically, now, are
reasingly working together in the
Iltical, social and educational
Ids. And, they, like some seq
nts of labor, are also beginning
realize that whats good for lab
is good for farmer " and vice
'sa. The expanding coop move
mt is awakening the long dormant
! or somewhat sporadic political
Use in farmers everywhere. Intel
ent to begin with, they are now
'omlng Informed, and as they be-
ne better informed, they are insist
on playing an ever important
IN the operation of our democ-
Y.
because of the spirit behind this
akenlng and because farmers at