OREGOCITY CQfljUBR, ggffift' APRIL11, 1913 L. Adam's Dept. Store THE FARMERS EQUITY NEWS L Casto, President, Oregon City, Route 3 F. G. Buchanan, Secretary, Oregon City, E. E. Brenner, Organizer, Oregon City, Route 3 THE BUSY CORNER Vol. 1 AN EQUITY TALK The next meeting of the county un ion at Carus should be a red letter day. It would seem the most import ant one for this year. One of the per plexing questions up for solution will be regarding a selling agency. A method must be devised to carry out the marketing idea, which is the key note of Equity. . "Starting a store," has always been the most alluring idea in all co-operative societies. It looks easy. Many other farmer movements have taken a chance at it, for the most part to be doomed to failure. Not that there is anything wrong with the co-operation ' but because the support was lacking. : To my mind it were best for us not to go out to meet disaster, but to fol low the idea worked out by the nat ional organization. It seems, if fol lowed out, to insure success without incurring the outlay of capital and 'consequent risk of failure that would be part of the venture of starting a store. There are an abundant number of stores in Oregon City in fact far .too many already for the population and business to be done. Suppose that we just establish a gelling agency "thru our own store and instead of our own store canvass the local merchants as to the best terms obtainable for .such merchandise as we may use. I have never discussed this phase of the problem with any merchant but I believe we can secure better - rates than we are now getting if we do all our trading at one or at most two stores, instead of trading at all of them as we do now. Then the same merchant could also act as our Sell ing agent for farm produce. I admit it woidd be better to have an equity store all our own as is ad vocated by some enthusiasts, however this organization is young and we we have not as yet the habit to co operate in commercial enterprise. Farmers living principally by them selves and working alone do not so readily take up co-operative enter prises as wage workers who work in groups. The keynote of all equity literature is to look out for the selling problem; see that we locate the demand to come to us,all of which requires a pretty thorough organization, which takes time to put into operation. Take for example our experience with the Courier. Had we attempted to establish a paper it would have required a large outlay of capital, a long time to get the plant in operat ion and a subscription list is not a simple matter by any means, no mat ter how desirable , a publication is gotten out. As matters stand we get the use of the best established paper in the county with its large circulat ion and most important of all we have the use of that paper absolutely FREE. . The same principles applies in some respects at least, toward tlw fctore proposition, only there seems to be a peculiar charm in regard to a store, perhaps because of the uncertainly of the venture. . Before me lies a small pamphlet from Equity headquarters entitled "The High Cost of Living, How to Cure It," wherein is a plan to reduce the living expences to the consumer, thru organizing that end of the farm problems and having organized a city district and a branch of the leag ue will be established there. This will be brought about by the officers ask ing the present grocers to bid on supplying league families. The lowest and best bid to get the contract You will note that no attempt is being made to establish another store in the already overcrowded store busi ness. . I say, Equity Farmers, at the Car us meeting, better not rush at a prob able failure now. at the very begining for you will discourage all attempts at co-operation for a long time. Stick to the Equity Selling Agency planl JOHN STARK Damascus Local News Clackamas, April 3. Damascus Local Union met in reg ular session at Mellien's hall and all officers were present except the vice president. Nine members out of a to tal of 29 members belonging to the local. Minutes of the last meeting were read and approved. The sales sheet was read and was as follows: No. 2 Empire Cream Seperator; 4 hay slings; 100 white leghorn hens; thoroughbred 3 year-old colt draft; berry plants as follows: black berries, red or black, logans, Magoon, Gold Dollar, and Clarkes Seedling Straw berries; one 20 horse power Internal ional Harvester Co. traction engine in first class condition; 1 Southwick H. P. Hay Press, 1 No.. 40 Oliver Chilled plow, new, 1 2 horse cultivator in good condition,' two tons clover hay; 7 first class Jersey Dairy cows giving milk, at $75 each. ". Several communications were read of interest to members including fav orable report from car of spuds ship ped to San Frfancisco. In matter of buying a car of feed, quotations were read from several firms andonmotion the secretary was instrutced to solicit members andplace an order as soon as possible. The following members were elect ed delegates to attend the county un ion meeting April 12th: A. H. Ritzan, W. Brodie, Walter Hall and W. W. Cooke and H. E. Sylvester. J We adjourned to meet again April 17th. H. T. BURR, j Secretary and Treasurer. I THE OFFICIAL ORGAN OF THE FARMERS SOCIETY OF EQUITY EDITORIALS The farmers are investigating. Now watch the politicians hunt cover. v , ' If the farmers just keep it up they are liable to get their own salaries raised. Beween two grafts a regular pol itician is likely to try for both and without investigation he will get away with it. ' . The unorganized farmer can be robbed in open daylight with every body looking on but he cannot defend himself. , . "The love of money is the root of all evil," but Supt. Gary will take a little more of the root please. Did Judge Beatie ever stand pat on a bob-tailed flush or drop his wad on three duces? This is a cold deck for the committee to report on, on the side.' T There seems to be a difference in the price ol steel, depending on whether it is to be bolted together or rivited. The hayseeds seem to think they do both here in Clackamas coun ty. Why can we buy raisins and salt in Canby cheaper than in Oregon City? If it is because they pay less rent then can we go to Portland and save money on a roll of fence wire ? Brother Schuebel has hit upon the right thing at the right time. Let us organize ourselves into a seperate body from the Equity. or Grange for the purpose of taking up these polit ical matters and then we will feel free to say and do what we feel some hes itancy in our Equity. And besides the Equity will have, all it can do to at tend to the market question. , ' The County Union meets this Sat urday, the 12th, and will be allowed five or six delegates to the state meeting in Portland the 18th. It depends on these meetings just how the State ship of Equity will be launched. We may make some mistakes, but the less the better, and we will all learn by experience as we move along. Delegates should attend. The Eauitv has errown to sufficient size to be a big factor commercially and Doliticallv and as it crrows it will become more and more so and we are now at the point where the real work of our Union must be done by direct ors, managers and committees .and your editor thinks we should have a legislative committee of three to work with the Oranp-a committee and' oth ers and unite us all on the same de mands. There is a lot of work ahead of the Equity and a great deal of this work requires above all else, good judge ment. Good judgement is business ab ility and we find it is .-, as common among farmers as it is among other classes. : If the producer is organized and has produce to sell that the consumer,, who is organized, wants to buy, just imagine the bushels of self-conceit it requires for a so-called business man to make the deal and take his big commission or salary. The mental strain on this man . must be some thing awful. Of course this would be utterly impossible of any man who had ever warmed his bare feet where the old cow slept. ' The Equity page of the Courier has been open and you have read the other fellow's opinion ; and it has hurt no one and we would not like to see any Russian censorship attempt ed here. Any one who cannot defend his honest opinions by honest ; argu ment with his pen had better not try any underhanded schemes to throttle our press. Of course there, are a few articles coming to the editor's . desk that should not go into cold type, but on the whole they are very few and far between. We farmer readers prefer a free press and will sort these articles as we would our apples or potatoes.' We have been made poor by a con tinual stream of misinformation dish ed at us by a subsadized press owned and edited by the trusts. Next week your editor will be re lieved of the responsibility of the Equity page and this responsibility must be shouldered by others. We have in our Equity writers of ability who could make our page more and more interesting to our members and the general public. It is my opinion that the success of the Courier is due in a great measure letting the sub scribers edit part of the pages.. Now instead of one editor let's have as many as possible for our Equity page. On May 2 we would lika as many articles from Farmer's wives and daughters as the Equity page can hold. There are surely in the Grange and Equity a sufficient number to give us a splendid page. Your hayseed editor had his hide taken off last week by a litererary trust formed out in the foothills of Clackamas county. You might find his epidermis on Brother Harris or Young's smoke house. It is sad indeed to have your journalistic career sud denly cut short by a merciless home grown trust And over the graves of our blasted hopes we think Nature will produce in the shadowy stillness of our foothills; in the mirrored beau ty of our mighty Cascades, an eter nal crop of for-get-me-nots and save the O. A. C. and this literary trust the expense of an epitaph. Brother Young has been horn- swaggled by the O. A. C. until he can pay only half fare. Now the Courier office is in receipt of a very much bet ter proposition direct from our O. A, C. and as we are very much opposed to keeping up so many agents and middlemen, we are compelled to ignore any of Brother Young's half fare propositions. MEREDITH. WANTS A CELEBRATION Mr. Wallace Thinks F. S. E. Should Observe the Fourth Some of our brothers seem to think we have so many things to work against, the F. S. E. Not in my mind. All we have, is our brother farmer, who we have not reached yet, but nev er mind, we will have a chat with them and try and explain things the way we see them, and we will be glad to have you with us. I do not think a dozen organizers would be in the way of each other in this county. If some good man does not take it up, I think I will try and see if I can do some good in the way of the F. S.' E. 5 I see we are only twenty years be hind the times now. It hurts me to think that mankind thinks that the farmers are made of trashy stuff; sec ond and third growth timber, and have not the brains to do their own business. I cannot see it that way. It is a fact that most of our best men come from the farm and we have plenty of them yet. How nice it will be when we can thank the middleman for wha the has done for us in the way of taking our produce off our hands. We know he is an expense and worry. When we are as one we can buy from the producer and factories and sell our produce direct to the consum er. When we are willing to work for our own good. It has more than paid its own way for me. It is all one-sid ed in favor of F. S. E. Who is it that will not lend a helping hand? As this move is aimed to brine the farmers together, I, for one would like to see a good Fourth of July eel ebration; like the farmers can have; good speaking, dinner and a general good time. JOHN J. WALLACE. Report of Carus Local Met at Eldorado school house with 15 members present. S. L. Casto elected delegate to attend State Con vention in Portland, April 18. A. J. Kelnhoffer, Geo. Brenner, C. W. Casto, R. Cchuebel and D. Driscnll eloptorl as delegates to attend County Union. vve nave inaugurated a collective buying and sellintr Dlan. Thnnufav'u have-been chosen as market days at wnicn time ail members who wish will bring produce to central lo-nt-inn same to be shipped tj a Portland firm. jn tne same Day - those who wish will order collaetiwly what supplies they need from some cnnrl Tmnco in Portland. Committees were aDDointeH tn nr. range for the meeting of the County Union April 12. S. L. CASTO, Sec. THE LOCAL UNIONS. With Officers and Postoffice Addres ses in Clackamas County. Alberta ' T onal Proa Inc. Hf.. -ww. uwuw field; Sec. Ferris Mayfield, Spring water. Rt. 1. Beaver Creek Local Prsa. TVoH Kamerath: Sec. W. W. Harris. City Rt. 3. Canby Local Pres. Geo. Koehler; Sec. R. C. Brodie, Canby Rt 2. Carus Local Pres, A. J. Kelnhof er; Sec. S. L. Casto, Oregon City Rt.3. Clackamas Local Pres. J. A. Sieb en, Sec. Frank Haberlach, Clackamas. Clarks Local Pres. Albert Gasser; Sec. John S. Gard, Oregon City Rt. '4. Colton Local Pres. J. E. Sandall; Sec. W. S. Gorbett, Colton. West Butteville Pres. James Par rott, Sec.,. J. R. Woolworth. Wilsonville Pres. M. C. Young, Sec. R...B. Seely. Needy Pres. J. D. Ridder, Sec. E. R. Werner. EAGLE CREEK LOCAL. ' Pres. W. G. Glover, Sec, C. C. Long well, Barton, Oregon. Damascus Local Pres. J. E. Roy er, Sec. H. T. Burr, Clackamas Rt. 1. Logan Local Pres. W. E. Cromer; Sec. P. M. Kirchem, Oregon City Rt 2. ' Macksburg Local Pres. C. D. Keesling; Sec. J. W. Smith, Aurora, Rt 1. Maple Lane Local Pres. H. M. Robbins; Sec. G. F. Mighells, Oregon City Rt 3. - Mt Pleasant Local Pres. P. W. Meredith, Sec. F. G. Buchanon, Ore gon City. New Era Local Pres. Aug. Stae heley; Sec. C. B. Rererman, Oregon City, Rt 1. Shubel Local Pres. Chas. A. Menke; Sec. Elmer Swope, Oregon City Rt 4. Stone Local Pres .T. E. Brown; Sec M. 3. Byers, Clackamas, Rt. 1. Sunnyside Local Pres. R. P. Grady; Sec E. Ochlschlaeger, Clack amas. Rt 1. Children Cry FOR FLETCHER'S CAST ORIA GIVE O. A. C. SQUARE DEAL Mr. Harris Defends College and Asks Meredith Some Questions Oregon City, Ore, Apri 17, 1913. Mr. Meredith is evidently out of mud for the present so I would like to ask him to substantiate some of the statements that he has made. In the Courier of the 28th appears a letter written by some walking pil lar of wisdom. He says there is no use teaching us things that we already know. This is quite true, but I don't know of anyone that denies it How ever some of us are not as fortunate as this man. We must at times con fess that we have more to learn even about farming. Again he states that the boys and girls would learn more about farming by going out into the fields and doing a few hours work each day. I am from Missouri and I would like to have some of the subjects named that could be learned to better advantage in the fields. It is strange to say the least that a thinking man would even intimate that the present spud situation is due to 0. A. C. In my opinion it is due to the disposition of people to run a good thing into the ground coupled togeth er with the fact that the last season was favorable to the development of a large potato crop. By the way, this same disposition to run a good thing into the ground would get away with the Farmers Society of Equity if all of it's mem bers were the same as Mr. Meredith. He states that the demonstration farm, idea is fundamentally wrong. I would like to know just how and why it is wrong if it is. He states that the farmers have demonstrated their ability to grow crops enough to glut all the markets in the U. S. I will quote a circular sent from headquarters of the F. S. E "Every year some crops are over produced or this is claimed. But rare ly is true." He states that our land is running down under the teaching of the ag ricultural college. I will challenge him to show me one man who is following the methods advocated by the agricul tural college and who's farm is at the same time running down. He admits that .we can double or treble the yield per acre. If so, why not do it? We would certainly get greater efficiency of production in that way. As I understand it, it is the purpose of the F. S. E. to withhold surplus produce from the market in cases where there happens to be ex cessive production. It appears to. me just as practical to control the supply by showing that it is his advantage to put in a smaller acreage as it is to limit the amount he can put on the market after he has produced it A dollar saved by efficient production is just as good as a dollar saved by eff icient marketing. I see no objection to it. Until a farm will pay interest on the investment and wages as well it is not on a par with other lines of business. I heard a man say just a few days since that he cut twelve bu. of oats per acre. Makes no difference what price he receives he will not ac cumulate a fortune very rapidly un less he has something more than eff icient marketing. What is the use of saving a dollar in marketing and wasting it in production? He states that 0. A. C. and the trusts have the money making prob lem solved to suit them. I would like to know just how and why O. A. C. is connected with the trusts. If he thinks 0. A. C. is in a rut, what rut has he reference to, and why does he think Bhe is in that rut? He states that 0. A. C. is working from xne wrong end. I believe that 0. A. C. is working from both ends. We all. know that she is teaching methods of getting greater efficiency of production. This is in accord with the views of "UP-TO-DATE-FARMING." I will quote line from page 20 of the issue of March 15. "Every local union should make a study of economical production." That she teaches the business side of farming is proved by the facts that courses are given at the college on business methods. Again, I have before me a bulletin devoted to mar keting problems, entitled, "The Busi ness Side of Farming." If more production is going to ruin the country it seems to me that the the clearing of land should be stop ped. It might also be well to call a halt on the reclamation of arid lands by irrigation and of swamp land by drainage. In other words it looks as though there is more horse sense in stopping those things which make for increased production alone instead of trying to belittle a worthy institution which is striving to help us reach the same ends as are the goal of F. S. E. Give 0. A. C. a square deal. If she falls then, all right let her go. But it is my humble prediction that she will be standing long after Mr. Meredith is through competing with the dagoes and chinks. Very respectfully, W. W. HARRIS County Meeting April 12 The quarterly meeting of the Farmers' Society of Equity will be held at Carus Saturday of this week, at which every local is asked to be present Several- matters of import ance will be taken up at this session. Notice Oregon City April 7, 1913 My wife, Louise Dunlap, having left my board and bed, I will pay no bills contracted by her after this date. E. P. DUNLAP. No. 10 MR. GILL'S LETTER (Continued from Page 1) the house made a record not to its credit in my way of looking at it, of passing favorably and unfavorably 120 bills. , The people, last November, after 80 days of study, passed on 38 meas ures in the span of a day. Delegated government has its undeniable faults. What of the- commission form of government proposed by Gov. Hodge, of Kansas, or Bigelow of Portland? That is still delegated government. It will reduce the evils of the system by centralizing the authority in a few men but will add in additional disad vantage by increasing the difficulty of a recall, and putting the commiss ioners farther from the pulse of the people. It may improve but it will not accomplish what its advocates expect of it If you abolish the legislature which is the delegated government you may just as well go the whole hog, bristles, squeal and all. No one has yet otter ed any substitute for delegated gov ernment. To handle the needed legis lation of a rapidly growing state is a large task. The last assembly consid ered 970 bills, 392 of which reached the governor's office. I believe I have thought out a workable substitute for the legislat ive assembly. My ideas come origin ally from the New England town meeting. First I think the state should be districted into precincts not to exceed 100 voters in each. Each precinct shall have an organization with a presiding officer, recording secretary, election officers, etc., who. shall serve without pay, as a public and patriotic duty. Meetings shall be held quarterly in the evening, and all measures sub mitted to the people shall come before these- meetings for explanation and discussion. At the close of the discuss ion the people in the meeting vote up on the bills. I have thought that desks could be provided so that each person might vote as secretly as now, but all voters would be furnished ballots at the same time. The balloting would occupy but a short time. There would be very little expense to such an el ection. The peoples' interest in government affairs would be kept up all the time, not spasmodically every two years. In order to have a short ballot in the election of county and state offic ers two or three of these officers might be elected at each of these quarterly elections. In this ' way the people would carefully examine the qualifications of the candidates for these offices with the result that they would make wiser selections. Should such a system be adopted it would be necessary to reduce the per centage of the legal voters required to initiate a bill or amendment. 1,000 to 2,000 signatures should be enough to put a measure up before these elections Under such a system there would be no referendum and no vetoes and the majority of those voting would decide the fate of every bill. The people would make and unmake all the laws. They would ' accept the result of their own work and be satis fied. The voters' "pamphlet as now pro vided, would be of great value under such a system. A peoples' gazeteer, such as furnished by the Peoples' Power League two years ago would be very valuable. These ideas came to my mind only last week, so that at best they are crude. I have not worked out the de tails of the plan. I am offering them now to arouse discussion and thought along these lines. If a workable plan that will pro duce better results than the legislat ure can be worked out whether along these lines I suggest or along some other, I am willing that the legislat ure be abolished. I am not willing to abolish it until a workable subsitute be found for it. I am not loyal to the idea of a legislature as a legislature. I have Been a good deal in my terms as a law maker. I am unqualifiedly in favor of abol ishing the state senate. It is as use less as a fifth wheel to a wagon. It impeached itself by its work in the last session. F. M. GILL. Maple Lane Local The Farmers Society of Equity met in the Maple Lane Schoolhouse Wednesday evening April 2 at 8 P. M. Roll call of officers and members of which fourteen were present, A list of articles for sale was made up as follows: 1 Sharpies Cream Seperator, 1 four H. P. gasoline engine, 1 2 year-old mule, one 200 egg Sure Hatch Incu bator, 75 Golden West seed corn, one 3 year old colt, 3 colts. Motion was made that chair appoint delegates to county convention April 12th, and delegates nominated were O. A. Kruse, F. E. Parker, D. Thorn, L. H. Derrick and S. H. Barney. A list of the amount of berry acre age in this local was made and it was found to be about thirty acres of mis cellaneous berries. ' G. F. MIGHELLS State Meeting April 18. An official call has been issued by State . President Schulmerich for a meeting of the Equity Society in Portland Friday of next week, April 18, when the . state organization will be further perfected, state by-laws adopted and other business matters taken up, A meeting of the stockhold ers of the warehouse company has al so been called for the same date. Ladi New Soring les Ulf'Si and COATS are here. ran 4t"onr1 nn vv WU1I W.W11M Vll VilW nenr minor at rne riant t o o r price it you come to Adams busy store. We show two excel lent lots, suits or coatst now at $12.50 & $15 The PALMER GARMENT Suits and Coats. The best made, and sold here only at Adams busy store. Strictly all wool material, man tailor ed garments in two handsome values, now at $20 and $25 L. ADAMS DEPARTMENT STORE Oregon City Oregon OREGON CITY MARKETS. 9 Prices for Produce as Quoted by Loc al Dealers. The first strawberries of the seas on to arrive in the market were from Louisianna on Saturday, retailing at 20 and 35 per box. The berries were of good flavor and in excellent condit ion upon their arrival here. The local merchants who had them for sale were able to dispose of them at the price asked. Eggs have been from 15 cents to 20 cents. There is a good demand for fresh ranch eggs. Rhubarb is coming into the market in good lots and retailing at 6 cents per pound. Fresh vegetables are plentiful in the market Many of the farmers of the county are complaining because of the weather and of the late spring. The ground is too wet to do any plowing and in nearly all section of the coun ty the crops have not been sown. Ev erything in that line will be late this year. The price of butter remains the same as of last week. There are plenty of apples on the market, ranging from 65c to $1.25 per box. HIDES (buying) ; Green hides flo to 7c; salters 7o;dry hidos!2o to 14c; shep pelts 30o to85o ea'h. biggs Oregon ranch, 15c. FEED (Selling.) Shorts $26; bran $23 Vi; process barley $28 per ton. FLOUR $4.40 to $5.20. HAY (buying). Clover at $9 and $10; oat hay, best $13 mixed $10 and $12; alfalfa, OATS $26 at $45; wheat $1.00 bushl., oil meal selling about $45; Shay Brook Dairy feed $1.30 per hundred pounds. Llva Stook Meat Beef (live wt.) Steers 6 and 6; cows 5 and 5 1-2: bulls4 1-2. MUTTON Sheep three to live cents. Veal Fancy, 13c to 14c: medium 12 and 13 cents. Pork 10c and 10c. Poultry (buying) Hens 15 V4 springs 17VaC and 19c; roosters 8c, ducks 15&c; geese 12c and 13c; turkeys 18c. ' MOHAIR 33o to 35o Sheep pelts 40 to 90c. Hides 10 and 9c. Fruits Apples 60c to .90. DRIED FRUITS (buying?) Or. egon prunes on basis 6o to 8o. Dried pears .07c. ' .Butter Butter (Buying) Ordinary country butter 30c and 40c; fancy dairy 80c per roll. Graduate (with honors) of Ontario Veterinary College, Toronto, Ontario. angus Mcdonald Veterinary Surgeon Sixteen years experience: Treats all diseases of domesticated animals ac cording to the latest improved method Office 6th and Water Sts. Phones, Main 116; B-9. Res. phone M. Residence 612 Center St. Oregon City. Money to Loan. Oregon City Abstract Co., Main street. 817 BROWNELL & STONE ATTORNEYS AT LAW Oregon City, Oregon A f - , O. D. EBY Attorney at Law General practice. Doeds, Mort gages and abstracts are carefully made. Money to loan on good se cuiity. Charges reasonable. Of fice In Stevens Building. E, 11. COOPER The Insurance Man Fire, Life, Sick and Accident In surance. Dwelling House Insur ance a specialty. . office with UltEN A SCHUEBEL, Oregon City Oregon Fire Relief Association of McMlnnvllle GEO. W. H. MILLER, AQENT 214, Seventh St. Also Health, Accident, Inoome and Automobile Insuranoe List Your Property with DILLMAN & HOWLAND the Real Estate Agents, and have it advertised in the Portland papers. Opposite Court House Oregon City iMA-IL, OVER as Y CARS' NCF. Tradi Marks Designs Copvriqhts Ac. Anrone nrnirilng ft nkelch and flMcrinnnn may imleklr arrtftln our opinion free whether n ilc"n.trlotlrwn(li1ontlal. HANDBOOK on I'ateul itmt free. Oldost aueticy for securing patonti. 1'atent taken through Munn A Co. taoalT iprrial notice, without olmrxo, lathe Scientific Hmericait. A haniliomelr lllnntrated weekly. T areent rtr cnlallon of any ai-leiitlOo Journal. 'orni. ynnrs frair roontUa, L Boliluyall ntwidcwlerj. MUNN &Co.3e,Bro,dw"-New York Branch Offloe, 024 V BU Waahlumon. D. C ; Straight & Salisbury Agents for the celebrated LEADER Water Systems and 8TOVER GASOLINE ENGINES. We also carry A full line of MYERS pumps and Spray Pumps. We make a specialty of installing, . . Water Systems and Plumb- . . ing in the country 20 Main SL Phone 2682 Dr. L. G. ICE DENTIST Beaver Building Oregon City phone Paolflo, 1221. Home A 19 ' I ih It U i n'