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Show CO-OPERATION IN MICHIGAN; One Association Does Business of Half Million Dollars Annually i Work on Cash Basla. In Michigan there are quite a number num-ber of cooperative associations that re succeeding Perhaps none are more successful than the Southern Michigan Fruit Or own' spoliation, st Law ton This concern doea a business busi-ness of a half million dollara annu-j annu-j nlly; loses nothing en bad accounts . because goods are bought and iid for cash. , .: The, fcrape gravers,'! some twelve j butidrid In nu tuber,' have been able (o I in ure their ucce.ssnfy supplies for l-i money because of the volume of their purehsses for carh and their system of telling for raft) at shipping olnt has gltn lie in quite an sdvan tage over peivotis uot otyanlied ani (solng It lone. The Potato Crowrrs" asioclatlon ol recMlllM, Mich., Is siioiher co opera 'live movement that Is been very successful, fsys the fruit Kelt H poi.l rig ilielr Interests ihey have ben jsble to develop the potato ludustry m .VonuUn1 county. M U hiMii, so It ti the leading potato producing county o' the uie cud v. hut is iih.ic, they have . Imptovfd tbe qualify of their prolan 'until leenvl)le dittoes Lie lifted si ueh In the Chicago leirl.ei reprns. b' return of which their U;itoes are ul sys noted at top prices Ano.l.er very tuccesiful coolers-t coolers-t on movement In .V.lchigan is 'h North port Frvli Growers" association of Nor hport. Mlf.h This rrgsnlxaltcti Is stilt young but they have shown shut rer.l to operation will do, when tlie principles are put Into practice s they should be. The past suaH'ii llin Bst-oclation has marketed the fruit of Its members rt considerable advance ad-vance over prleea generally prwvalllng. There are a nu.nbtr tf others not m HKcehnful as those mentioned L.-tau.;e L.-tau.;e they have not applied punly business principles In their operations, and have huked the nccesrary co brrlon A change lias come over all these rooMratlve associations that portends a better future for them. The great difference between the price the farmer farm-er is receiving for h.s product and what the consumer has to pay, makes It necessary for htm to pool bis Inter-st Inter-st with his neighbors and establish "a selling agency In tho large city mar kets under his own control by whlc'.i the cost of dlsirlbutlon to the ultimate consumer can be minimized This Is the business end of farming when the produce of the farm Is hish In price to the consumer and the producer receiving re-ceiving so small a portion of the high er price, lie la trying lo tk and adopt a remedy for the condition. This be will find It) a cooperative selling MapcJatlGajtrt'Wrly orgaulzed and run aa any economic selling association must be run to succeed. Yhlrty-tbree cents out of every dol lar of farm produce, the remaining 68 centa of the dollar going to the various vari-ous go-betweens. Is not right and it is up to the farmers and the legitimate distributor to see the thing changed so that a more proportionate division of the farmers' earnings are realized by him. |