Show CO OPERATIVE cooperative MARKETING LEGALIZED A by the enactment of the operative cooperative co marketing bill the congress has passed another measure strongly recommended by president harding harddng and urgently desired by the agricultural interests the opposition to the measure was nil it passed the house by a vote of 27 G to 8 and the senate by 58 to 1 the one senator who voted against the bill was senator gerry democrat rhode island tho the bill was vigorously opposed however in the senate by senator walsh democrat of montana who led a fight to substitute another bill tor for the one which was enacted king democrat of utah glass democrat of virginia and overman democrat ot of north carolina failing to put the bill aside for or the substitute offered by senator walsh they voted for the alil as it finally passed the bill authorizes those engaged in the production of agricultural products and livestock including planters dairymen nut and fruit growers to act together in associations in collectively gathering and preparing for the market and in handling and marketing in interstate and foreign commerce all agricultural products and livestock such associations may have marketing agencies in common and they and their members may make the necessary contracts and agreements tor for handling and marketing their products it Is provided that the associations must be operated tor for the mutual benefit of the members subject however to the restriction that no assoria iton shall deal in or handle products of non members in an amount greater than such as are handled by it tor for members it is also provided that no member of any association is allowed more than one vote regardless of the amount of stock or capital he may hold therein and that no association may pay dividends in excess of 8 per cent per annum when the secretary of agriculture has reason to bellevo believe that any association is engaged in a monopoly or restraint of trade or Is unduly enhancing prices he must notify the association to that effect and set a I 1 hearing within thirty days at which time the association will be required to show why he should not issue an order directing it to cease its practices in event the association cannot justify its practices at the hearing the secretary of agriculture shall issue such order and if tho the association tails falls or neglects to obey such order lie he shall file in the federal district court a corti certified fled copy of the order and of all records of 0 the hearing together with a petition asking that the order ho be enforced the federal court shall have jurisdiction to enter a decree either affirming or setting aside the order or modifying it or entering any other such decree as it may doom deem equitable in the circumstances tho the court may enforce its decice by permanent injunction or any other appropriate method after the secretary of agriculture files his petition together with the order orde and the records with the federal court the handling of the case from that point becomes the duty of the department of justice the enactment of this measure brings to a successful close the campaign which has been waged by agricultural interests tor for many years I 1 it t involves no new procedure as operative cooperative co marketing among citrus fruit growers of california and florida and tho the of the north northwest wes t has been in vogue a long time tho the new law simply legalizes such practice and extends the opportunity to all agriculturists to market their products in like manner the enactment of such a law was urged upon congress by president harding in his annual message of december 6 after speaking of the P plight light of american agriculture tho the president said in fit the main tho the remedy lies in distribution and marketing every P roper proper encouragement should be given to the co operative program it has pro proved ved very helpful to the operating cooperating co communities in europe the presidents message indicated that such a program in addition to a tariff adequately protecting american agriculture and the adjustment of transportation costs would form a trio of remedies which would go a long way toward relieving the crisis in agricultural districts |