OCR Text |
Show Aids In Cooperation Strong Capable Management and Support Sup-port of All Members Essential to Any Association Tho growing feo lng that there is too much difference between the prlco paid to tho producer or food and tho prlco paid by the consumer has turned turn-ed the attention of American farmers more and more to cooperative marketing mar-keting associations as n promising remedy. Producers of pcrlshablo products pro-ducts havo advanced tho furthercst In this direction and tho best organized organiz-ed cooperattvo marketing associations aro now to bo found nmong tho California Cali-fornia citrus fruit growers and nmong tho deciduous fruit growers of tho Pacific Pa-cific northwest. In general It may bo Bald that tho most promising Held for such associations Is In tho marketing of highly specialized and locallzud crops. Tho work ot tho marketing associations associ-ations Includes tho establishing of grades und standards; tho adoption of brands and trado marks; tho so-curing so-curing of capital and credit; proper advertising to encourago consumption of a meritorious but llttlo known product; discovery of now and extension exten-sion of old markets; securing Information Inform-ation as to crop and market conditions; condi-tions; tho equitable division of profits; prof-its; .adapting production to meet market mar-ket requirements; tho uso of bypro ducts; securing cola and common storage facilities; tho cooperative buying and manufacturing of supplies; sup-plies; cooperative uso of expensive farm machinery; securing of lower freight rates, mqro equitable refrigeration refrig-eration charges, and moro cfllclcnt transportation servlco; tho securing of moro and better labor; and tho general cultivation of a spirit of cooperation co-operation In all community affairs. Theso objects can not bo achieved without strong, capablo management. If a farmer has not enough faith in tho cooperative Idea to go Into tho enterprise with his wholo heart, to hold up energetically the hands of tho manager and work disinterestedly disinterested-ly for tho success of tho association ns a whole, ho had better nrjt becomq a member, for ho will bo far from a source ot comfort to his partners. Tho manager should bo employed by tho board of directors and shou'd have largo powers. Ho should cm-ploy cm-ploy nnd dlschargo all labor. IIo Bhould sccuro Information as to crop and market conditions nnd furnish samo to tho members on request. Ho should encourago tho production of tho best varieties ot products demanded de-manded by tho trado. He should conduct con-duct packing schools, in order that growers may becomo trained In tho best methods ot grading, packing and labeling their prodlcts. Ho should have charge of tho grading, packing, nnd Inspection of all association products, pro-ducts, nnd should have control ot tho brands and labels, and their uso on tho association packages, In accord-unco accord-unco with tho rules of tho association. associa-tion. Ho should enter Into contracts for tho sale of the association goods. Ho should havo cntlro chargo ot 'tho mrtrkotlng if nil association goods, subject only to tho action of tho board of directors and tho bylaws and rules of tho association. Ho can not be held responsible If ho is to bo dictated dic-tated to at will by each member or tho officers nro constantly to meddle with his work. This does not Imply that the manager Bhould bo a dictator. dicta-tor. From tho suggestions ot tho officers of-ficers and members together with those from his own cxpcrlenco ho constructs n business plan. Whenovor a manngor loses tho confidence of tho members, It Is hotter to replace him with a manager who possesses that confidence. Hut no mannger, how ovor competent ho may bo, can lead a cooperattvo association to success unless ho has real cooporatlon from I tho members. In cooperative circles I tho disloyal member Is tho chief cle ! ment of failure ' It would nppear that owing to tho very flno prlnclplo ot mutual help Involved, In-volved, thoso forming a cooperattvo organization would bo consistently loyal in their mutual relationship. But, on tho other hand, unless exceptional excep-tional caro bo exercised by tho leaders lead-ers an organization from tho beginning begin-ning will bo burdened with drones, cheats, deadbeats, and traitors. When a grower Joins a cooperative organization and then rofusos to patronize pat-ronize It, ho Is n drono. Ho can not excise hlmsolf oven on tho ground of bad management, for It is his duty to help sccuro pro.por conduct ot tho business. If In soiling through his organization organiza-tion a producer endeavors to pass off shoddy, poorgrado products, which Injure tho reputation of tho body of which ho Is tv member, ho Is a cheat. Tho member who uses tho special and prlvato Information of tho association asso-ciation in making sales outsldo, without with-out contributing to Its support Is n dcadboat Tho man who Joins a cooporatlvo1 enterprlso und then through subtlo ways endeavors to, obstruct its pro progress and defeat Us purposes Is n traitor. Thoso oxporlonced with cooperative organizations havo known all of theso types. Thoy nro to bo found in practically prac-tically every community. Thoy nro tho greatest enomlos ot agriculture and agricultural cooporatlon. If allowed al-lowed to domlnato with their dlshon-ost dlshon-ost practices, they will sap tho on-orgy, on-orgy, brains and spirit ot tho ofllcers, exhaust tho moral and financial strength of tho undertaking and ro-duco ro-duco tho wholo to a stato of ml. era bio fnlluro and ruin |