Show Agriculture ew and Livestock By W. W E. E Farmers and Educators Hold Summer Confer Confer- Conference Conference Conference ence at University to Discuss Problems CHICAGO Aug 13 Spread Spread of the operative co movement in the United States promises to ro regain for the i American farmer fanner his old position of independence and respect This is the confident hope of delegates dele dele- delegates gates ates from practically every state in inthe Inthe Inthe the union and a II number of foreign countries who attended the week four-week summer session of the American In Institute In- In InI I of operation Co-operation here Charles W Holman of Washington secretary of the organization and an authority on the co operative co move move- movement movement ment says that competitive e bargain bargain- bargaining trig ing as practiced by more than 12 operatives co-operatives now successfully Iune- Iune functioning In this tills country is developing den a E national consciousness among amoni farm- farm ers I Heretofore says Bays Holman the farmer fanner has been timid and suspicious auspicious In the face of tremendous industrial Industrial- industrialism ism and the rapid growth of trans trans- transportation transportation which removed remo his market from the hamlet to ro the metropolis LEARNS FROM FRO INDUSTRY But Dut he is growing less leM suspicious He is losing his feeling of futility The tremendous business of t ta out out- outside outside side Ide world which once swamped his outlook now only serves to stimulate him For he too has become part of off o oan an organization and Js is learning rap- rap rapIdly rapIdly Idly from the lesson taught by op co cooperation cooperation Growth of the movement is 11 t being accomplished by education At the convention Just ended ses us- sessions sessions were conducted at Northwest Northwest- Northwestern ern em university in regular class room style style- by lecture and forum method to provide an interchange of thought and spread of the best operative co-operative practices developed during the previous previous ous year By th means western fruit grow grow- growers growers ers informed other other- co operatives es that they had been saving savini freight charges by mixing carload lots of different produce Mixed shipments say of two dif dif- different different ferent kinds of fruit utilized the car tar space to great advantage and made shipment to greater distances possible at less cost than shipments of single commodities they said The sessions were composed of a unique sprinkling of farmers executives executives executives tives and college professors Many of the latter Jatter came to get material which they will teach next year jear ear But Dut 1 professors had the status of 0 students and the farmers were their teachers One Ono of the biggest problems which I the gathering had to confront was the net loss of farmers to the country yearly yearl It is 11 estimated that 2 farm tann- farmers tanners farmers ers drift between farm fann and city each year Of this number stay away for good constituting an Irreparable irreparable able loss to tho the industry r Stabilization of agriculture through I operative co-operative practices Is the tho only means of checking this loss Holman says When the farmer is able to get a fair return for his product and I labor he will find it profitable to farm farmand farmand farmand and remain where here he is At the present time the dairy In Industry In in- Is probably the best organized co Wheat is a bit back back- backward backward ward cotton and tobacco arc are moving fast and wool is 14 now in process of I organization During 1925 the operatives co-operatives in inthis this thIs country country did a a. two and one half billion dollar business as compared with a a. one and one one half half billion turn turn- turnover turnover turnover over in 1915 The movement got its first foothold Jn in the United States in 1909 and to today to- to toI toe e day is made up principally of two ho I types types the the federated feder ted type t-pe operating about a a. operative co-operative group and the centralized type tP In which the sales contract goes to the Individual on a pooling basis share and share alike aUke More than 2 farmers now nor belong to operatives co which number I Is 15 practically double what it was two years ago |