The Nonpartisan Leader Newspaper, February 9, 1920, Page 3

_that made “Farmers’ week” a bigger In the interest " of a square deal for the farmers - VOL. 10, NO. 6 lonnarti&sn Teader Official Magazine of the National Nonpartisan League MINNEAi’OLIS, MINNESOTA, FEBRUARY 9, 1920 - Better Business and Better Farming A magaZine - that dares to print the truth l 3} WHOLE NUMBER ) - Economic, Social and Political Progress Go Hand in Hand in - North Dakota, Where Farmers Rule. BY E. B. FUSSELL : OR 20 years the third week in January has been “Farmers’ week” at Fargo, N. D. The Tri-State Grain and Stock Growers’ convention held its first ses- sion at 'that time in 1200 and as > time went on other farmers’ meetings were arranged for the same period. This year there were annual meetings of the. Equity Co-Operative exchange, which operates a terminal elevator at St. Paul; the Equity Co-Operative Packing company, which. operates a big plant near Fargo; th> Con- sumers United Stores company, which operates 36 stores throughout North Dakota; the North Dakota Improved Seed association’s big annual show, a poultry show, stock sales and many other activities. This year “Farmers’ week” was the biggest suc- cess in-its history. Twenty-five hundred farmers were in attendance, not only from all parts of North Dakota, but from Minnesota, South Dakota, Mon- {fana and Wisconsin.. But the size of the gathering alone did not make it impressive. The farmers’ business enterprises. all reported remarkable growth and laid plans for still bigger ‘things. There was complete unanimity of purpose and no trace of dissension- in any quarter. The Consumers United Stores company decided to put its stores on a strictly co-operative basis beginning July 1, increased its capitalization, raised $22,000 in cash and pledged an additional $284,000 to stock: its stores completely. The Equity Co-Operative ex- change increased its capital from $1,000,000 to $9,000,000, to extend its system of local elevators, acting as “feeders” for its terminal elevator at St.- Paul. The Equity Packing com- pany increased its capitalization from $3,000,000 to $10,000,000 to extend the business of its plant. CORN._AND COWS WERE CENTERS OF INTEREST But these were not the only features success than ever before. Besides be- ing interested in their buying and sell- ing enterprises, there was a notable increase in interest in improved phases: of the business‘of farming. Until the farmers’ administration came into power in North Dakota wheat was the one big crop of North Dakota, despite the efforts of many interests to in-. troduce more diversified farming. ‘But . this year, at the pure seed show, while wheat was well represented in the competition, there was even more in- terest in the corn exhibits, and when - the seed was put up for auction there was lively bidding. At stock sales held nearby ‘thousands of dollars’ worth of purebred dairy eattle were auction- ed off to North Dakota farmers who intend to broaden their business field. The poultry skow in the basement of the Auditorium commanded an inter- est that rivalled the seed show and stock ‘sales. The four-days public program, held on the main floor of the Auditorium, - was divided between the Tri-State ! Grain Growers, the Equity exchange and the Equity Packing company. It was in no sense a political meeting and the Nonpartisan league; of course, had no part in the plans or arrange- = = arerirevhll wakinis raadiadd ol v = ments. Yet the sessions, from start to finish, resem- - bled nothing so much as a'League meeting. On the first night Benjamin C. Marsh, secretary of the Farmers’ National council, was the first speaker to mention that he had come to the land of the Non- partisan league—and then he had to stop and wait until the storm of applause had subsided. The next night motion pictures of the North Da- kota Agricultural college were shown. The big audience watched quietly, but with interest, campus scenes, pictures of football games and of various buildings. picture of the little experimental mill, where Doctor E. F. Ladd made his first experiments that showed the value of “Feed D” wheat, there was no holding in the applause.. And the same wave of hand-clap- ping went through the audience a minute later when J. A. McGovern, manager of the Mill and Ele- vator association, was shown at his daily work. The next day Mr. McGovern appeared-in person to explain the workings of the Drake mill and the plans for the big Grand Forks project. When he showed the pians for the big mill and elevator his tongue slipped for a momen” and he said: .“This is the mill and elevator we are going to build at A S Fargo.” The crowd rocked with 1 ughter. “Not yet, but soon,” someone shouted. Aad when McGovern an- nounced that the mill would oe built in Grand Forks, applause shot up again. Mr. McGovern explained now, by cutting commis- [ - WE WANT 70 KNOW - o SRY, WHo ‘ S iDrawn expréssli-fflr t PAGH [THREE | But when there flashed on the screen a- he Leader by W. C: Morris,. . (Co A sion charges and the local buyer’s charge, the littls ‘mill at Drake was saving the farmer at least 9 cen‘s on every bushel of wheat purchased. “Is this right?”” he asked. ‘“Are there any farm- -ers from Drake in the audience ?”’ A man arose near the back of the hall. He was Peter Johnson, a farmer near Drake. “The mill paid me 22 cents more for my wheat than the local buyer offered,” he said. “The farmets come in from 45 miles around with their wheat now.” These are just little incidents that served to show the temper of the farmers. BETTER RELATIONS WITH FARGO BUSINESS MEN EFFECTED Resolutions adopted by the Tri-State Grain Grow- ers included indorsement of the federal trade_com- mission’s packer investigation and indorsement of the Kenyon bill to curb the ‘packers, request that “the government operation of railroads be continued for two years, request that the state of North Da- kota undertake the operation of lignite coal mines (following Governor Frazier’s successful experi- ment), and a request that the state of Nerth Dakota establish a sys’em of state cream stations and cen- tralizers (as advocated recently in the Leader by Dairy. Commissioner J. J. Osterhous.) To top this off, the Tri-State Grain Growers elected as their president Doctor John H. Worst, commissioner of immigration under the North Dakota farmer ad- ministration, who had been discharged a few years previously from his position as presi- dent of the North Dakota Agricultural college because of his friendship for the organized farmers. z So here are three things that made Farmers’ week at Fargo notable this year—increased interest in farmers’ huying and selling agencies, increased interest in better farming and increas- | < interest in political activity. There { was still another element that dis- tinguished this year’s meetings. Five years ago Fargo policemen chased Equity farmers ont of the Auditorium where they were holding their annual meeting. There was talk among the farmers of a boycott of kargo. But the farmers came back to the city to. League meetings and Kquity meetings. They got the Audi- toritm, but for a time there was no show of friendship between the two elements. - " But with the meeting this year the hatchet was buried and the peace-pipe handed around. Fargo business men, perhaps seeing that they had made a mistake in letting Grand Forks grab the first big state mill and terminal elevator, determined to do their best ‘to win the lost friendship of the farmers. So they staged .a big “smoker,” with entertainment, re- freshments, food from the Equity packing plant and good feeling' all around. For four hours business men and farmers met and talked together at this love feast and the sentiment was broadly expressed that when another mill and elevator are.to be lecated Fargo will let no other city get ahead of it. On the last day “of — e | “Farmers’ week?” an informal eonference of mem- ‘gufid on page 21) .= ] A i b b Tty el won e Sm il Be de ant el