The Nonpartisan Leader Newspaper, December 16, 1915, Page 9

THE NONPARTISAN LEADER e : NINE Wisconsin Farmers Fixed the Cheese Trust Wisconsin produces more cheese than all the other states in the Uni- on. Sheboygan county is the banner cheese-producing county in the state. And thereby hangs a tale. For several years back; and up to ‘about 1913, the farmers of Wisconsin . and we speak with particular refer- ence to Sheboygan county, simply hauled their milk to the cheese mak- er, who made it into cheese and then sold the cheese for the farmer. For this - service the cheese maker was paid about one and three-fourths of a‘'cent a pound.’ A Clever Combination. The cheese makers sold at the“mar- ket price” and the “market price” was, as results show, determined by a clevery arranged combination in which dealers; makers and Board< interlocked and lapped over. The farmers who furnished the milk to make the cheese were left out in the cold. In addition to the combination mentioned above, the cold storage owners were “in” on the deal. Even as late as 1911 there is re- ported to have been a semblance, if not some actual, competition among the buyers of cheese. After that time, however, anything that looked like competition vanished and -the cheese combine surrounded itself with an iron ring of arbitrary price making and regulation of market supplying. Down in Summer; Up in Winter During the summer when milk was plentiful the price would be down to $1 rer one hundred pounds or less than two cents a quart. For his cheese the farmer got 11 to 13 cents per pound. In the winter this cheese was let out of cold storage and sold for 18 to 22 cents. As a result of this high handed manipulation of the price of cheese the farmers of the state of Wisconsin “TIME PRICES” MAKING VERITABLE SLAVES OF SOUTHERN FARMERS A leading southern farm journal has just published, the results of its investigations of “time prices” in the South. It has found out that the “time price”, system is creating an- other race of slaves in the Southern states, and these slaves are white as well as black. The poor people living in rural dis; tricts from North Carolina to Texag and from Tennessee to Florida are cluthched tightly in a system which not only keeps them living in direst poverty, but binds them to their lo- calities as effectively as old-time slav~ ery held the colored bondman. They have to pay from 54 to 90 per cent interest on the food they eat! Big Debts are Desired. The time pricer is a storekeeper who takes a crop lien for the pay- ment of bills due him, He is protect+ ed from loss as long as he does not allow a greater credit than his cus- tomer’s crop may amount to. Me frequently makes strong efforts to persuade his customers to get deep- er into debt. If he can get a custom- er to the ppint where his crop is tak- en up entirely by the landlord and ‘the time price bill it means that the customer must begin buying on the time price plan right after his crops are in, or in other words, contmue it from year to year. 3 The Southern farmers, that is, tha little renters, exist upcn meager in- comes. Most of them seldom have any money,. their crops being just a- bout big enough to pay the rent and the bill- at the time price store. A few'manage to keep away from the .time price store until spring; fewer flfll have cash enough to get them HON. HENRY KRUMERY Who led the farmers' fight against the cheese trust. lost millions of dollars annually. These same millions went into the pockets of the combine. Farmers Have Awakening Along about this time some of the farmers begin to awaken to the fast that they were being robbed. Not- able among these was the Hon. Henry Krumery of Plymouth, who at one time represented his district in the State legislature. Senator Krumery led the fight and took the bull by the horns. After a few mass meetings the farmers became aroused and the cheese trust took to the brush and began to boost the price of cheese. Not to be side-tracked by this littla bait these sturdy Wisconsin farmers ignored the morsel and launched co- operative associations. Associations Federate, The plan was that the patrons of each cheese factory was to form an association and the wvarious associa- tions to form county federations; the Farmers cold storage and warehous: to facilitate the handling of cheese, [ at Plymouth, Wisconsin. selling agents to market the cheese. Provision was made for inspection and standardizing the products. The move met with bitter opposi- tion. but up to the present the pa- trons of more than forty-four factor- ies have organized. The cheese mak- ers, very unwisely, took the side of the combine and even, threatened to close their factories to the farmers who went into the new organization, But this opposition was swept aside and the work went on. Throw Obstacles in the Way. As a further obstacle the cheese companies, with its friends, success- fully prevented the farmers from get- ting warehousing facilities. It was in 1913 that the farmers met this disadvantag by building a ware- house and cold storage of their own. A Federal Farmers’ Warehouse Com- pany was organized with a capital- ization of $20,000, shares of $10 each. In less than a week more than half the stock was subscribed. The cap- italization has now been increased to federations then employed competent $35,000. The warehouse was cofplete part way thru -the summer. Some Pay Sevety Per Cent Thousands of families are held up for 70 per cent interest on every mouthful of food they eat. That is seven times on the legal rate of in- terest allowed in'any Southern state. The lowest time price interest rate in the South is that of Virginia, 54 per cent; the highest in Arkansas, 90 per cent. : These figures were obtained after an investigation extending over a year and which took in every part of the South. Taking the highest’ of the time price states, Arkansas, in- vestigators found that the average cash price for corn is 86 cents-a bush- el, and the average time price is $1.10; for flour the cash buyer pays $1.30: a sack; the time price buyer pays ed in March 1914. The cheese from forty-four factories is sent to the warehouse where it is inspected, grad- ed parafined and then sold and ship- ped. Farmers Finally Successful The Sheboygan County Cheese Pro- ducers’ Federation is known to the cheese trade from one end of the country to the other. .The undertaking has been success- ful. The Federation has handled as much as a million pounds of cheese a month. The morey that formerly went into the pockets of the dealers now goes into the pockets of the farmers and consumers. This service to the farmer is rend- ered at one fifth the cost at which it was formerly rendered by the deal- ers. And independent dealers have been forced to do the same. The cheese farmers of Wisconsin have leaned that they put money into their own pockets when they sell co- operatively. They are a unit in saying that, CO-OPERATION PAYS.” $1.70; cash price for cornmeal is 93 cents a bushel, time price is $1.22; the price for lard is 3 cents a pound more than the cash price; sugar costs 3 cents a pound more; and molasses costs 14 cents more a gallon, Staple Food Hard Hit. These products were selected be- cause they make up most of what Southern agricultural people buy for food for themselves and their ani- mals. ; The Texas figures are little batter. No one unacquainted with the ta- bles of the South among the poorer classes can realize how much increas- ed prices on cornmeal and molasses means. That this is their chief staff life. They eat it morning, noon and night. The time pricer seldom loses, fon his customers are too poor to move excepting to the graveyard, and then he drives the widow and children in- to the field to pay the old, bill along with the bill for their food that year. There are some bad, years, of course, and often a portion of the time prica bill has to go on to the next year’s bill which means that the customer is bound all the tighter. Remedies have been suggested. A- mong them are more liberal credits, personal and land, to the small farm- ers; abolishing the crop lien; abelish- ing landlordism; encouraging thrift and educating the peorle. Staale Hendrickson, of Choteau, has announced that he will seek the nom- ination for Congress against Congress- man Young of the Third district. prrn Talking Machine Department This department is the Mecca of the music lovers of the city. Here are found the wonderful Viclor-Victro- las and Edison talking ma- records and supplies. No- thing can possibly afford more enjoyment in the household. Prices range from $15 to $300. You will be surprised to learn of the easy payment plan. Come in or wnte for mformahon chines with a full stock of = Luger’s---The Home Furnishers q: il This fine Davenport is constructed of well seasoned selected oak, finished, fum- ed, and beautifully upholstered in 2 high Ped when open in full ize; epuipped with finely tempered sagless springs, all steel constrl.ctlon Our hohdasyslara:s grade of Imperial leather. is within reach of all . FURNITURE CO. FARGO “T?k'fa"“’ N. DAK. Piano Department Be sure and visit this de- partment or if you cannot come in person write for in- formation concerning our pianos, prices, ete. We can surely save you from $50.00 to $100.00 on a piano. Lcok this list over: Knabe, Vose, Brewster, Luger, Schaeffer, Kurtzman, Arm- strong, Hoffman, and Apollo Player, Boudoir Player, Prima- tone and Elwood Players. > Ask for terms We can arrange terms of payment to suit.