RURAL NEW-YORKER 
975 
The Grange-League-Federation 
Exchange 
Can you give us the present condition of the Co¬ 
operative (Grange-League*'Federation Exchange, Inc¬ 
as an investment? it. G. I.. 
New York. 
The authorized capital of this company is $1,000,- 
000 . 
There has been sold for cash, and issued, $492,- 
701. 
There- has been Issued to the New York State 
Grange, in payment of its feed and grain business, 
taken over by the G.-L.-F. Exchange, stock to the 
amount of $23,550. 
Yet due the Grange, $*,300. 
There have been subscribed, but not yet paid for, 
shares to the amount of $218,170, and there are yet 
unsubscribed $257,215, making a total of $1,000,000. 
A condensed statement of its finances as of March 
1, 1921, is as follows: 
ASSETS 
Cash on hand and in banks.$154,450.56 
Stock certificates at banks and on hand. 217.449.00 
Accounts and notes receivable. 4S.2S0.21 
Inventories . 182,861.58 
Advance payments . 24.S01.37 
Land and buildings . 187,880.10 
Furniture and fixtures .$8,393.44 
Less reserve for depreciation. 323.87 
- 8,069.57 
Equipment .„ _33.60 
Organization expense . 42.76S.87 
Loss . 35.046.84 
Total.$901,641.70 
LIABILITIES 
Accounts payable . $71,931.26 
Notes and trade acceptances payable. 86,925.44 
Capital . 524,611.00 
‘Subscriptions . 218,174.00 
Total.$901,641.70 
The item of stock certificates in the assets to the 
amount of $217,449 represents substantially the sub¬ 
scriptions to stock not yet taken up or paid for, and 
it is offset in the liabilities as subscriptions. The 
organization expenses of $42,768.87 and the loss from 
operation for the first eight months of operation, 
$35,046.84, are also placed among the assets as a 
bookkeeping convenience, but even with these three 
items deducted there is a substantial asset of $606.- 
576.99. 
The Exchange began business July 1, 1920, and 
this statement is for March 1, 1921, after eight 
months’ operation. The organization expense in¬ 
cludes commissions on the sale of the stock and other 
expenses. We have no analysis of this item or of 
the item of loss in operation, but President Webb 
agrees with our view that farmers are entitled to 
full, detailed information in regard to the business 
and finances of co-operative organizations, and we 
will soon have a full and complete report and an¬ 
alysis of the first year’s business. 
New York not Responsible for Deer 
Damage 
For the past five years a herd of deer has been eating 
my crops. They eat all kinds of grain and any fruit. 
A few days ago the largest deer I ever saw was eating 
the pears off the tree right near my house. The govern¬ 
ment foi-bids anyone harming these deer. Can you tell 
me if they are willing to pay the damage that the deer 
do? The farmers are having a very hard time of it at 
the best, and then see those deer eat up what little they 
have. Please advise me what to do. farmer. 
New York. 
We have had many complaints from readers con¬ 
cerning damage from deer and other wild animals. 
There is no question about the serious loss from this 
cause. We took the matter up with the Conserva¬ 
tion Commission at Albany, expecting naturally that 
the State would take care of such cases. In reply we 
have a copy of an opinion rendered by Judge An¬ 
drews of the Court of Appeals in the case of William 
G. Barret against the State of -New York. In this 
case Barret sued to recover damages to timber. 
Tliei*e were many poplar trees felled or girdled by 
beavers. The beavers were introduced by the State 
or its agents into a stream known as Eagle Creek. 
There the beavers, under State protection, multiplied, 
built dams and destroyed the trees belonging to Bar¬ 
ret. There was no question about the damage; it 
was evidently done by the beavers, and the latter 
were under State protection. The Court of Claims 
awarded Barret damages for $1,900. The State 
appealed and Judge Andrews reversed the court’s de¬ 
cision and holds that the State is not responsible. 
In a long opinion he holds that the State has a 
right, through its Legislature, to protect wild ani¬ 
mals. He says that is too well established to be now 
called in question. In protecting the beavers the 
Legislature did not exceed its power, nor did it do so 
in prohibiting their molestation. A man finding 
beavers destroying his property might drive them 
away! Judge Andrews holds that while an indi¬ 
vidual who keeps wild animals in captivity must see 
to it, at his peril, that they do no damage, the State 
would not be liable for a similar act. In liberating 
beavers the State acted as a government or trustee of 
the people, “doing what it thought best for the pub¬ 
lic at large. Under such circumstances the State is 
not liable for damages as an individual would be. 
Briefly stated, that is the court’s decision, and the 
Conservation Commission claims that the same rul¬ 
ing would be made in case of an action brought to 
recover damages done by deer. 
Changing Food Habits 
•Some of our people find it hard to realize that 
food habits of city consumers are changing, and 
that this is having its effect upon the market. Yet 
it is true, and we must expect still more of it. The 
first noticeable effect comes in the use of potatoes 
as food. There can be no question that many city 
people have stopped eating potatoes almost entirely 
or have restricted their supply. There seems no 
other reason for the present state of the potato 
market. The crop is not large, there are more con¬ 
sumers than for any previous crop, and good pota¬ 
toes never were cheaper. Day after day in this city 
we pass wagons loaded with potatoes which are 
offered at 15 lbs. for 25 cents; they are good po¬ 
tatoes and, at this price, they offer the cheapest food 
a poor family can buy. Yet they are slow of sale, 
and while they were being offered at this ruinous 
price the papers report that 75,000 barrels were scat¬ 
tered on the ground by Maine farmers and plowed 
under for fertilizer. After interviewing a number of 
families of the middle class, we are forced to con¬ 
clude that many consumers are substituting rice, 
macaroni and cornmeal for potatoes. This substi¬ 
tution began during the war. when potatoes soared 
to unheard-of prices. The consumers acquired a 
taste for these substitutes, and now, in some cases, 
actually prefer them. One woman who cooks for a 
large family gave this curious explanation: 
“When I buy a bag of rice I find no waste. I pour 
out a little, soak it and then cook while my dinner 
is cooking. There is no waste—we get all I buy. 
Potatoes have to be washed and peeled, the bad 
spots cut out, and then cooked. I lose at least 15 
per cent of what I buy as waste, and we have come 
to like the rice. It takes less labor and fuel to pre¬ 
pare it for the table.” 
Wo found it no use trying to show this woman 
that she could cook the potatoes without peeling. 
8 ho had made up her mind, and there mu-t be a 
long course of education to Induce her to make her 
mind over. Yet this thing which we relate 1 ere 
seems to have happened. We looked for it and 
spoke of it at the time potatoes went to the limit in 
price. It is an unfortunate thing all around. Rice 
can never equal potatoes as a healthful and sus¬ 
taining food. The failure to buy and eat potatoes 
freely will mean little short of a calamity to many 
sections where this crop is fully suited to soil and 
conditions. It may seem strange to many of our 
readers, but the truth is that some one must go all 
over the old program of educating the public to eat 
potatoes. 
Selling Farm Manufactured Woolen 
Goods 
Referring to F. E. Robertson’s article on page 909, 
relative to the Wool Growers’ Association manufactur¬ 
ing their own wool into suitings, bed blankets, horse 
blankets, etc., it looks to me like a good business propo¬ 
sition. There is a suggestion that I want to make in 
this connection ; that is, that these goods are advertised 
in The R. N.-Y.. with prices to the “consumers,” thus 
giving The R. N.-Y. family an opportunity to secure 
honest goods direct from the makers. The R. N.-Y. 
family has attained a considerable size and is worth 
catering to. If there is any doubt on this point just try 
it and see. w. E. roki \sox. 
Massachusetts. 
Thousands of country people who do not keep 
sheep would gladly buy woolen blankets and cloth 
manufactured co-operatively by other farmers if they 
only knew where to get them. Last week the meet¬ 
ing of New York Farm Bureau Agents in this city 
was addressed by Aaron Sapiro, the man who has 
done so much for the California farmers in promot¬ 
ing co-operation. Speaking of fruit growing, Mr. 
Sapiro said: 
The growers in this State must wake up. They have 
hardly learned that newspapers exist. They have never 
learned the value of newspaper advertising to tell the 
consumer that cabbages or apples are coming to market. 
One of the requirements for co-operative success is ad¬ 
vertising. 
That is even more true of the sale of blankets and 
cloth, for this trade has already been well covered by 
private advertising. Co-operative advertising must 
follow. Farmers must follow the present well-estab¬ 
lished lines of business if they are to compete with 
present conditions. 
North Dakota Politics 
It seems likely that North Dakota will have a 
“recall” election. One of the political securities 
which the Nou-I’artisan League has stood for is the 
"recall.” Under this plan the people of a State 
would have the right to “recall” or put a public 
elective officer out of office in case .they were not 
satisfied with his actions. Under the usual system 
an official elected for a term of years could not be 
removed except by impeachment by the Legislature. 
With the “recall” in operation there would first he a 
petition signed by voters. If a certain number 
signed such a petition it would be necessary to hold 
a new election—the question being whether the offi¬ 
cial should retain his office or get out! The Non- 
Partisan League adopted this feature as a form of 
protection, little thinking that it would be used as a 
weapon against them. The movement now is to 
“recall” their Governor and several other State offi¬ 
cers. Nearly the required number of signatures have 
been secured, and the coming election will be the 
best test of the League’s strength in North Dakota 
that has yet been made. It is difficult at this dis¬ 
tance to estimate the outcome of such an election. 
Our reports would indicate the failure of this at¬ 
tempt at “recall.” We think the League will still 
control the State. 
Farm Bureau Market Tour 
Last week the Farm Bureau Agents of New York 
and their friends visited New York for their 
annual tour among the markets. About 100 men 
were present, and they were well entertained by the 
city and by various business organizations. They 
saw how food is brought to the city and distributed 
here, and they listened to great plans for improving 
the service. It was a good gathering of bright and 
energetic young men who have unquestionably de¬ 
veloped a strong organization. We think it is fair 
to say that the chief danger of the Farm Bureau is 
that it may be too finely organized. There is some 
danger that these energetic and and ambitious young 
men may get so large an idea of the Farm Bureau 
as an organization that they may overlook some of 
the simple duties it owes to the plain, common 
fanner. Where there is too much organization the 
practical help to individual farmers may seem small 
compared with the larger work of great conventions 
or large business enterprises. Yet the plain, unher¬ 
alded work from farm to farm will ever be the real 
strength of any farm organization. These young 
men surely have it in their power to do great service 
for New York- farmers. 
A School Teacher on Schools 
Upon the aopearancc of The R. N.-Y. in our home f 
eagerly scan its pages for letters on the rural school 
problem. Having taught six years in a rural school, 
three in a village school and now doing institute work 
in the grades of a nearby high school, I am interested in 
all school problems. It is hard to know where to praise 
and where to censure, and neither should be done unless 
considerable is know n about the matter, for opinions 
and ways differ. The physical training law is not 
wholly bad, even for rural schools. If Johnny pulls 
weeds an hour in the morning his back gets lame, he 
slouches along to school to sit with shoulders bent over a 
book. Surely a wideawake teacher with a few exercises 
can help those shoulders back where they belong, and 
pride and competition will keep them there. It is not 
exercise the rural child needs, fc t corrective exercises. 
The noon hour, to me, has been the hardest hour of 
the day. Home children come with a good lunch and 
will eat it carefully and neatly. Some will swap pie for 
pickles, heavy fruit cake for greasy doughnuts, throw 
crumbs and eggshells on the floor, and, eating most of 
the lunch at recess, rush out at 12 :10 to play. Of what 
this so-called play sometimes consists I fear parents do 
not always realize. Often it is a group of children 
around an older child learning all sorts of viciousness 
and practices. Here is where a conscientious teacher 
has to keep busy, and here is where the physical train¬ 
ing law. with its supervised play, does good work. 
Rural children, especially an only child, have to be 
taught games, and. once taught, they make the noon 
hour a benefit to teacher and pupil, and also parents. 
During the Winter months, when the average school¬ 
room iit noon is a close neighbor to a menagerie, and at 
1 o’clock looks as though a circus had camped in it, the 
school lunch plays its part. Yv e ab know how a chil l 
likes to help and feel responsible for some task, and this 
one item, with each child busy and interested in a 
wholesome way, does much to raise the morale of the 
school. Do not think this is a lark for the teacher! She 
would no doubt often prefer to send them all out to play, 
and enjoy a quiet hour, or prepare work or correct 
papers, which will occupy her evening. Notice, please, 
I say some teachers and some children, and I also mean 
some parents, for. like th> physical training law which 
is meant to be a success only at its best, neither all 
teachers nor all parents completely and perfectly fulfill 
their duties. Many times the discipline and training in 
courtesy is left to the teacher, -and an occasional day 
with “all the kids home” is a day dreaded by the 
mother. 
Now, one item more. When a teacher, having reached 
the age of 60. and having taught 35 years, gets her pen¬ 
sion. it is not a gift. She has paid toward it all her 
teaching days, and no doubt a farmer’s pension could 
be arranged after some same method as ,T. A. C. wants. 
If the farmer wants a pension or wants to be in a posi¬ 
tion where he does not need it. he might join the Dairy¬ 
men’s League Co-operative Association and each year 
receive his pension or his share of it. w. J. L. 
