The Nonpartisan Leader Newspaper, July 5, 1917, Page 18

LR S S A SR A T lree ADVERTISEMENTS 900000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000 The Leader contained . an article a short timp ago showing that the raise in commissions by Livestock firms of the South St. Paul Livestock Exchange would result in a loss of $185,000.00 to North Dakota shippers of Livestock. Remember that ORGANIZED BIG BUSINESS could not dictate to YOUR organization the prices they should charge. We stood pat on the old prices. If you want to save your share of the BIG STEAL TRY EQUITY EXCHANGE SERVICE for GRAIN AND LIVESTOCK Ship your Grain and Livestock to -your own Company. The Equity Co-operative Exchange ST. PAUL, Minnesota. SUPERIOR, Wiscensin, Livestock Department, SOUTH ST. PAUL, MINN. MR. LIVESTOCK GROWER! You Are Surely Entitled to the Full Market Value for the Livestock You Raise IF YOU DO NOT GET IT, somebody else gets the bere- fit you should have. The day is passed when business is done on sentiment, and cnly results in dollars and cents count. We want you to compare the results in dollars and cents we get for you with those received elsewhere. A comparison will convince you that “KIRK SERVICE” . gets you the most money for your livestock. J. R. Kirk Commission Co., Inc. South St. Paul, Minn. Authorized Sales Agency of the American Society of Equity (W) (WD) CHNENY PHNDN NN NN RN (NN NN N D R (NN DD DR A S R First Class Cafeteria in Connection. POWERS HOTEL FARGO’S ONLY MODERN FIRE PROOF HOTEL Hot and Cold Running Water and Telephone in Every Room On Broadway, One Block South of Great Northern Depot FARGO, N. D. i B EQUITABLE AUDIT CO.,Inc. "% S - Farmers Elevator Companies’ Home of Auditing and Systems for Accounting. Werite for References. __—.“ Mention Leader when writing advertisers i Crooked “Co-Operative” Games Farmers Should Carefully look up Plans to Start Co-operative Stores Before Investing Their Money NQUIRIES have been received % by the Leader from League members in different parts of Q3] the Northwest wanting infor- mation regarding certain con- cerns now operating or organizing so- called “farmers’ co-operative stores.” Farmers should be careful about buy- ing stock in or boosting so-called “co- operative” concerns, many of which merely want to sell second-hand mer- cantile stocks to the farmers under guise of organizing “farmer stores.” This is an old game. This is how it is worked: 3 A merchant wants to sell out. He cornmunicates to a “broker” in a big city who is organizing “farmer stores.” The broker sends a representative to the merchant who has the second- hand stock or store for sale. Upon his arrival a contract is entered into be- tween the merchant and the “farmer- store organizer,” whereby the mer- chant pays a “commission” to the “farmer-store organizer” for selling his business/ to the farmers of the com- munity. This commission varies ac- cording to the size of the stock to be: sold, but .is usually ten per cent or better. When the contract is closed and signed up between the merchant and the .“farmer-store organizer,” the “or- ganizer” who represents himself to be a“farmers' friend and co-operator goes to some of the leading farmers in the community and interests them in a “co-operative farmers' store,”’ stating that he is the representitive of some co-operative concern in some big city, usually Minneapolis. He produces recommendations: from men in “high position,” and after convincing these prominent farmers - that a farmers’ store 'is necessary, he tells them how cheap a certain stock or store can be bought-in their town. % GETS COMMISSIONS FROM BOTH SIDES The smooth one then, in order to cover up his private contract with the merchant, makes some kind of arrange- ment with the farmers to pay his “ex- penses” and “a reasonable salary” while WORKING FOR THEM AND ORGANIZING THE STORE, selling stock, etc., with instructions on how to run it thrown in free. Then he secures the “prominent farmers” to “head the list.” When thig is done the merchant is assured of sell- ing his store and second-hand stock at a good price and the “smooth one” is assured of being paid his commission by the merchant and his “salary and expenses” by the farmers—a very good (From the Park River (N. D.) Gazette- News) The stalwart press, notably the Grand Forks Herald, is determined in drafting new articles of treason into the federal statutes in order to hang the Farmers’ Nonpartisan League organization higher than Haman. Its most recent attempt is to convict the farmers of hampering the sale of the Liberty bond issue in the state. The apathy displayed in the entire agri-, cultural section of the country in the purchase of war bonds is, of course, all laid" to the Nonpartisan League in North Dakota. No statement could be more ridicul- ous than such assertion. The facts are, the people of North Dakota and the Northwest are responding more readily to their patriotic obligations than the east is doing. The farmers of the North- ranks of the army and navy than the east. The farmers of the Northwest call of the government to raise more grain to supply the needs of the allies and have put in every available acre of ground. They have also responded generously in the purchase of war bonds, as it evidenced by the state- ment of the chairman of the bond sale committee of the state, notwithstand- ing the libelous charge of the Grand Forks Herald to the contrary. CONGRESS SHOULD ACT The causes responsible for the apathetic feeling towards the purchase of war bonds originated in the dilatory action of congress on vital issues— such as the regulation and distribution of food production. Had congress fol- lowed the call for investments in Liberty bonds with proper legislation for the elimination of food gamblers and speculators and assured the agri- cultural and laboring public of congsid- eration of their interests, it is certain PAGE EIGHTEEN west are sending more sons to £ill the. have without hesitation answered the- business, when one can draw a com- mission and salary from both parties. But this is not the end of the deal The farmer who wants a farmers' store loses more than this, The more the farmers pay the more commission the “smooth one” gets. The farmers, not knowing of his private contract with the merchant and assuming that the ‘“smooth one” is a “co-operator” with them instead of with the mer- chant, put a great deal of faith in the “smooth one” and the selection of ap- praisers or “stock invoicers” is always arranged so the merchant gets a good price for his shelf worn goods and the “smooth one’ his per ‘cent. in propor= tion. After the deal is closed the farmers take over the store and their troubles commence, with a lot of “dead stock” on their hands, bought at a price which they can not sell at a profit. The merchant is happy to see the farmers “go into business;” knowing they will be unsuccessful and be taught a les- son as he believes they ought to be for interfering” in business affairs: of the town, and the ‘“‘smooth' one” has collected his “bit” both from the farm- ers and mérchant and is working in greener fields. ASK SOLICITORS FOR RECOMMENDATION Farmers do not need the so-called “good-will” of any store; farmers should not attempt to start stores with second hand stocks; they should look with suspicion upon any stranger who proposes to sell them someone else's business. If the stock was good the merchant would not have to organiza farmers to sell it. Good merchandise is in demand, especially at this time, and can always be sold at its true value—the wholesale price. If the merchant wishes to sell it to the farm-+ er, let him quote the wholesale or true value on the goods and the farmers will walk into his store and buy it without the assistance of the “smooth one"”; and remember this, if the mer- chant can not sell his stack to the farmers at wholesale, HOW CAN THE FARMERS SELL THE GOODS AT A PROFIT AFTER "THEY HAVE BOUGHT THEM? Think it over. And be careful of the stranger who wants to organize a “farmers co-operative store” in your community. It might be well to ask the solicitor for a recommendation from your own organization, or from the farmers' governor, or from your attorney gen- eral or the secretary of state before falling for any so-called farmers' co- operative store plans. Congress and the Farmer that subscriptions for the bonds would have béen much greater. With their increased acreage of grain to support the war they are demanding simple Jjustice from congress—that when the crop is marketed they are not left at the mercy of the grain gamblers and war profiteers. The -memory of mar- keting their wheat last fall at $1.00 per bushel and now when all of 1t is sold the price is advanced to $2.50, is too vivid to forget-easily. The farmer has responded promptly to urgent de= mands of the administration, and cona gress should hesitate no longer in take ing proper steps to prevent the exe ploitation of the producers and cone sumers of food by needless middlemen and gamblers. That’s a patriotic duty too. FARMERS WILL STICK As events like the Minot meeting de= monstrate convincingly the farmers still “stick,” the fire of the anti-league organs directed at Townley increases in intensity. From a political point of view it is the most assinine attitude they could take, but serving to add to the loyalty felt for him by the farmers, Well the farmers know these same mouthpieces of the old stalwart Re- publican machine would attack any other head of the League—it is not Townley that bothers them particular- ly, it is the Nonpartisan league pro- gram and its liklihood it may become effective. In other words it is the farmers themselves they are hitting at. And the farmers know it~and continue to idolize Townley the more in that he ~has to stand the slurs and abuse in their behalf. Of all the short-sighted, fat-headed ididtic, clumsily-disguised methods of fighting the League, it is to flay Townley with ‘the idea it will weaken the farmers' faith in him, or their program.—PARSHALL (N. D.) LEADER. et e ate el A Y