The Nonpartisan Leader Newspaper, May 13, 1918, Page 10

oot T MR S s S — Co—Operatio’n the Salvation of Danes How the Farmers of a Scandinavian Country Organized and Obtained Economic Freedom—No Chance for Any Useless Middlemen BY JUDSON KING ILE in Europe in the spring and summer of 1916 I was often . asked to speak in Norway, Sweden and Denmark. My chief subject was “Recent Political Advance in America.” 1 told the people there how Americans were beginning to get control of their government by adopt- ing the initiative, referendum, recall and other tools of self-government. It was welcome news about which they had heard practically nothing in their newspapers. Scandinavia is full of beautiful scenery, old castles, historic places, but the radical modern movements were of more interest to me. So I spent most of my spare time visiting with the peo- ple and the progressive leaders and finding out what they were doing for democracy. They are on the way and are going to win. The wonderful farmers’ movement in Denmark interested me greatly. As I spoke in all sections of that country I had an opportunity to observe the co-operation at work. I met the farmers in their homes, bought stuff at their stores, visited their ‘““co-op” creameries, schools, factories, banks, whole- sale houses, light plants, and what not—talked for hours with their leaders—and came to see and feel " what farmers can do through intelligent organi- zation. MADE THE FARMERS REALLY INDEPENDENT Americans have little notion of the fighting methods and spirit of the Danish farmers. The most interesting thing to me about the whole move- ment is not profits in kroners, but the kind of men it is de- veloping; a rank and file with ability to think, to act, to work together, to endure to the end, or, as they say in North Da- kota, “to stick.” I had the good luck to be in Odense on March 4, the day of the annual meeting of the so- ciety which owned the “Andels- selskabet Odense Offentlige Slaughtehus og Exportslag- teri.” (Co-Operative Public and Export Slaughterhouse of Odense). Odense is a beauti- ful little city of 60,000 inhab- itants in the island of Fumen, which is about 40 miles in dia- meter, with an area of 1,133 square miles and a population of over 200,000. The city is famous as the birthplace of Hans Christian Andersen, be- loved by all children and grown-ups the world over who love fairy tales. Near the city lives Jakob Lange, one of Den- mark’s most able botanists. I found him interested not only in botany and scientific ‘agri- culture but also in economics. He believes in freeing the land to.the use of the people. A GOOD PROFIT IN PACKING PLANT Over on one side of the city there was a clean, fine looking packing plant. I had learned that the farmers who raise pigs on the island of Funen owned the plant, and that they were having their regular an- nual meeting to transact busi- ness, and declare the yearly dividend. So I went to the farmers’ convention, accom- panied by Fru Signe Bjorner of Copenhagen, who knew all about co-operatives, and spoke English as well as 1. The first thing I-noted was that those farmers had no dif- ficulty over getting a hall in which to meet, nor was any permit ' necessary. They met .The opposition to the farmers’ movement can never s of insects. 'The national express of the Nonpartisan 1 where the farmers will soon have their own congressmen. The only question is whether Big Business will get off the right of way or get run over;” : = T A R K N A RO T e e e S 1. 3 At S0 AT L R SOV In a monarchy it is difficult for the people to reform their government by ballot. So the Danish farmers tried another means. The pressure of pov- erty drove the working classes into or- ganized co-operation to increase their incomes by giving them the profits that had gone to- the corporations and superfluous middlemen. In this ar:cicle Judson King tells what he saw in a visit to Scandinavia. Mr. King is sec- retary of the National Popular Gov- ernment league, and recently toured North Dakota in behalf of the pro- posed amendments to the out- grown state constitution. in the beautiful theater of the “Fyn Foresamlings- hus” (Convention Hall of Fyn), one of the most modern and handsome structures in Odense. THE WHOLE BUILDING BELONGS TO THE FARM- ERS OF THE ISLAND. In addition to the theater, which has a capacity of 4,000, there were smaller convention halls, committee rooms, a restaurant, rest rooms for the woman and all that. It is owned and used constantly by all the co-operatives of the island. I smiled as I thought of how my good friend George Loftus would have rejoiced at the sight of that hall—just after being run out of some town in the Northwest for trying to hold an Equity meeting. . There were more than 2,000 members in attend- ance. From the start I was struck not only with CAN THEY STOP THE TRAIN? —Drawn especially for the Leader by W. C. Morris ucceed because it is composed largely eague is sweeping toward Washington, PAGE, TEN the intense interest shown, but by the absence of hot-air. Every man was brief and talked to the point. They received the yearly report, voted on some changes in the bylaws, approved the audi- tor’s report, elected an auditor, a judge of arbitra- tion and four new members to the board of man- agers so ably as to have done credit to a group of American business men. They also voted them- selves a surplus or profit of 1,001,093 kroner ($270,000). That meant an average profit of 10.65 kroner ($2.88) per pig to each member, on top of the regular market price. This was their financial reward for owning their own packing plant. Our American farmers have been in the habit of handing such profits over to the Swifts and the Armours for many years and have just be- gun to have confidence enough in themselves to go after some method of relief beyond howl- ing because they are stuck. From 1897 to 1915 this little packing plant has sold a total product of $29,826,606. The scientific manner in which these farmers grow hogs, and manufacture bacon and sausages, and the business- like manner in which they market them is a marvel. DON’T ASK ANY ONE’S PERMISSION But there was something more important than money. I watched closely the faces and bearing of the men in that convention. For they were men, not dependents or servants. There was no air of supplication about them. Neither was there any bluster nor false pride. They walked about and talked with a fine air of independence, security, confidence and self-respect. I remember to have remarked to Mrs, Bjorner, “These farmers are not afraid. They are not asking what the big fellows are GOING TO DO TO THEM, they are thinking and deciding what they WILL DO FOR THEMSELVES.” And I found this the same all over Den- mark. Some few days later I was made happy to have these con- clusions confirmed by Severin Jorgnsen, one of the pioneers and heroes: of the Danish co- operative’ movement, who is still active at the age of 70. He was the earliest to urge the organization of a wholesale de- partment back in the early ’80s. He urged the building of co-operative factories. He was advance man in the formation of the co- operative banking system. He knows, as few men do, what this all means to his people; for he is a philosopher, ably on political democracy, or race development, as he can on a bank balance. For hours in the High School hotel at Kol.ding, and again on a long train journey to Asrhus, he told me then a story of the rise and progress of the movement and its broad effects. A SCHOOL FOR STATESMANSHIP “Before this movement be- gan,” he said, (I quote from my notes) “the farmers of Denmark were a dependemt class, taking their politics, tpejr education and their re- ligion, as well as the prices for their products from the supe- rior classes. They were in an unhappy condition. It is not 80 mow. The Danish farmer rejoices over the co-operative e movement because it has pro- "z cured for him a good standing, tally and socially. He has be- come politically independent and can talk as readily and not only financially, but men- since he has learned to stand up against the attacks made . - upon 'his movement and the