The Farmers' Union from Salina, Kansas • 3

3 THE FARMERS' UNION PETER- REPORTS MEMBERSHIP CONTEST IN LOCAL NO. 388. FROM ANTON No. 1419 meets every two weeks from now on. The next meeting will be March 7.

E. E. SCRIVINS, Secretary-Treasurer, Wellington, Kan. BATTLE FIELD LOCAL INTEREST. ED IN AFFAIRS.

Battle field Local No. 1143 is very much interested in the present legislature. We have sent several communications to the representatives from Linn County. We are small, but we thought and believed that they help. We are interested in the Farmers' Union store at Pleasanton.

It. Claff-. enstine is the manager. He has added farming tools to his stock this spring. Our Local meets the first and third Tuesday "nights in each month.

A. R. Barber is president. We are needing rain in Linn county. 0.

M. GRAY. Tuesday evening, February 20, Washington county Local held a quarterly meeting at Washington. There was a good crowd and we had a good meeting. The Farmers' Union in Washington County is in good shape financially.

The secretary's report showed that we had three hundred dollars in the treasury that we did not need for immediate use. It was moved and carried that we lend it to our 'business association, of which you hav.e gotten a report by this time. After Brother Cornbow and I got home from the convention at Washington, we went over to Maplewood, where Mr. Corn-how reorganized the Maplewood Local, which is another live Local now. After Mr.Cornbow got thru and had his officers elected and installed, the meeting was turned over to the ladies of the Mablewood Local and that is where I came in.

You should have seen the eed those ladies had prepareed. If the Mablewood Local don't live now and prosper it is because the members eat them-civoa tr rtPflth: The next meeting the utmost his energies to increase his output. This especially holds with the farmer, who must feed the world. Kansas, for business and economic reasons, as well as from motives of -humanity, must do her full share in food production this year. Every acre of ground and all available labor must be utilized to its fullest capacity in the production of such crops as will yield the greatest food values.

Kansas agriculture must be speeded up to the top-notch and all possible encouragement and assistance should be given our farmers in their effort to increase their yields. To this end, I have called a conference of Kansas people most likely to be able to suggest ways and means by which the food production of the state may be increased. This conference will be held in Topeka, Thursday, March 15 at 10 A. and you are earnestly urged to attend and give us the benefit of your counsel and advice. It is our desire primarily to direct the attention of the people of the state to the serious condition confronting the nation, and to formulate plans that will help our producers achieve the maximum results.

What crops to grow; the farm-labor problem; storage and marketing; the financing of the tenant- farmer, and similar topics will be considered. I trust you will be able to attend this meeting and I shall appreciate any suggestions you may make in the meantime. Very respectfully ARTHUR CAPPER. Governor. A YOUNG LOCAL A LIVE WIRE.

OVl VU WWW was the Dane Local's night. That is one Local in the state that is not only alive, but is doing good. As one brother said when one goes away he longs to get back so as to meet with us. Its one Local that the memb.ers look forward to Wednesday night with pleasure. We are doing some good as Brother John Klataska said in speaking of what the Local had done for his family while he was in Kansas City.

He said when a man belonged to an organization like the Farmers Union he needn't worry if he is away from home but that his family would be taken care of. We thought we had them all but we have taken in sixteen members this fall and winter and got two more for Wednesday night. Tuesday night, February 27, I talked Local No. 388 Is having some lively times out here in Glen Elder this winter and are able to raise cane if we get no moisture. I think it was in December of 1916 that we decided to have a contest of some kind in order to arouse more interest and make the members more loyal than ever toward the cause of the Farmers' Union.

So we decided to have the president appoint two captains and choose all members of the Local and each side challenge the other to a contest of attendance and getting new members which was the cause of some mighty hard and strenuous work by the captains and the ones chosen by them. The side that won was to be treated hy the losing side to a supper at the close of the contest and believe me every member placed his shoulders to the wheels and pushed with all his might and strength and after the final charge was made and the echo of the last gun was heard resounding among the hills and the count of the victims was taken we found we had thirty-three new members and ten more applicants. Now in giving an account of the supper and the time that we had is far beyond my ability; and vocabu-- lary to express my thoughts. In fact I believe it would have been hard for you to have given an account of it if you had been there, even with the experience you have in writing such articles. Well to start off with, we had the supper February 23 and had made arrangements for Brother Tromble, Witham and others to be withus and give talks for the evening, but for some reason they-were not permitted to be with us and will say that they missed a mightly fine treat.

I believe Local No. 388 will allow me to speak in behalf of them and extend the invitation to you next time if you will promise to come and give an address and then for your punishment let you give an account of the supper. In not having our speakers with us that evening we had to content ourselves by the president calling on local talent and here is where the local talent itself was surprised in the oratory that sounded against the walls of. the school house by some of the members of the Local, this being intermingled by music furnished by a quartette composed of members of the Local. After this the principal part of the program was pulled off by the crowd satisfying their appetites which were craving for the good things to eat that were prepared by the ladies of the losing side.

Among some of the things that were brought was coffee by the barrel, Jello by the ton, cake by the car load, apples by the bushel and pop corn by the hundred weight. During the supper hour the crowd enjoyed themselves by social conversation which is always enjoyed by the gathering of such a crowd especially the women. After supper all departed for their several homes knowing the evening had been profitably spent South Verdigris Local No. 1498 is still alive and doing well. We organized on November 2, 1916, with ten members.

We have our meetings once every week. We have taken in new members nearly every night, initiating five at our last meeting on the sixteenth of this month. We now have a membership of sixty-five paid up and are in good standing. We have our business shaped around so as to have one open meeting each month. We have a program and lively debate prepared by the organizer and lect-turer.

Last Friday night the lecturer decided to have something a little different so she decided to have an entertainment with a pie social which we did. A fine program was rendered and as one of our members was an auctioneer he got busy and sold the pies. They brought good prices. Everybody was well pleased and to enjoy themselves immensely. The pies brought $10.45.

We all departed at a late hour wishing good luck to the Union. MRS, GEORGE PEET, Secretary-Treasurer. LOCAL NO. 1419 CELEBRATED WASHINGTON'S BIRTHDAY. ANTON PETERSON.

BUFFALO PARK DID A GOOD BUSINESS. A CO-OPERATIVE ELEVATOR THAT PAID BIG DIVIDENDS. The Farmers' Union had a business meeting in Grainfield last Saturday. We understand that a number of mem-' bers drew, liberal dividends from the Farmers Elevator Company. Eight cents per bushel on wheat handled by the elevator was paid as dividends, besides eight per.

cent interest was paid on the money each farmer had invested in the elevator. i Local No. 1419 held a meeting on February 21, and as usual had candidates to initiate. They were Ernest Rerick and Stella McManomy. Their names makes our membership 65.

All the members are requested to be present at the next meeting as we have an order of beans and rice to distribute, and other business of importance. On Washington's birthday we had our last open meeting and as the busy season is now on us and. as usual it was fine. All the performers excelled anything attempted before, although one dialogue had to be given up at the last as one of the players, John Moon, had his arm broken. The program is as follows: Music, Millie Scrivens; recitation, Katherin Mosbarger; song, Miss Beatty; music, Beulah McManomy; song, Josephine Prunty; recitation, Beulah Howe; music, Miss Warmick; reading, Ethel Prunty; song, Misses Cann; music, Miss Roe; Ida Wagoner and Mary Erhard; exercises, "Life of by the school.

Recess. Reading, Bessie Paisly; quartette, Lovett Local; Marion Elder; music Alphia Gillan; recitation, Leslie McManomy. Play, "Joe Simpson's by Chas. Elder, Ed Behringer, Len prin-ty, Gilbert Wrilson and Chas. Rerick.

The same persons sang a parody on "Tipperary." "Good Night Mallie Elder, John Goodrum. All those recalled responded with MONEY TO LOAN ON APPROVED LAND ANYWHERE IN KANSAS, Lowest Rate of Interest Easy Terms No Red Tape. Write us when in need of a loan. BRANDT LAND AND LOAN COMPANY, Salina, Kansas. Buffalo Park Co-operative Association, started to operate an elevator on September 24 and closed on February 1.

We have done a business of over $106,000 in the four months that we have been in business. Our membership is still increasing. Our capital stock of $5,000 is all paid in but $100. We have no warehouse but in spite of that we have handled two cars of flour; four cars of coal; one car of potatoes; one car pf barrel and block salt; one car of posts; one car of apples, and would have handled a great deal more but for the scarcity of cars. Taking all things into consideration our directors, Rochus Zimmerman, John Kraft, Peter Linneberger, John Forster and Fred Schwarz, have expressed themselves as being satisfied and each one of them has O.

K'd our books which have just been audited. To have the directors say they are pleased can not help but give a manager courage, and if wishing would bring it about, I would have every manager have a board to work under like mine. The meeting at Victoria resulted In a Local of forty-two members. W. A.

BREGEN, Manager. A Mill That Has Stood the Test Since 1870 Farmers Take Notice: Before sowing oats or planting corn, get our late improved Climax Seed Grader Cleans and grades all and feeling more neighborly towards each other and that it was such a social event as our fathers and mothers used to enjoy at such a gathering in the pioneer days. Ie believe that if each Local thru- seeds. Send for our circular, giving prices on different sizes of mill. another selection.

Ethel Prunty's WILLIAM SULLIVAN, out the county and state would have Jeadings took ia0Use'by storm. Manufacturer Salina, Kans. more such events as this it would arouse a much greater interest among all member and be a great boost for the prosperity of the Union. A MEMBER. CANE and MILLET GREAT NEED FOR INCREASED PRODUCTION.

EE1D Miss Prunty is an- excellent reader. Josephine Prunty's songs were splendid. Miss Prunty has a sweet voice and 'has had splendid training. Len Prunty and Ed Behringer have shown great talent in dialect dialogues. Our" President, Cnas.

Elder and vice president, Chas. Rerick, have taken a great deal of interest In making all the entertainments a success and everyone Is welcome. We surely had a pleasant, well mannered crowd, and hope to give more entertainments next fall and winter. Miss Mary Erhard, our school-ma'am, has surely worked hard to make the doings a success. CITY BUYS FROM FARMERS.

At Baltimore when the food speculators put the squeeze on city families of small means, the officials sent twenty-four 5-ton trucks into the country to buy direct from the truck farmers, paying cash from the city's contingent fund. In this way potatoes, eggs, cabbages, spinach and onions were obtained at live-and-let-live prices. Dear McAuliffe: The likelihood that America will he drawn into the World war is hourly Increasing. But whether we get into the war or not, the fact remains that there is a world-wide shortage of food. this comes the duty and obligation of every producer to exert to FOR SALE The Farmers Co-operative Elevator Co.

Qainter, Kansas.