WASTE IN DISTRIBUTION 259 



in the United States are so numerous and so widely distributed that 

 there is not the possibility for combinations which extend to monopoly 

 that there is among manfacturers. The independent producers of an 

 agricultural product may number millions; and from this great number 

 they grade to a few thousand for some products. The vast numbers 

 of producers are widely distributed, and it is not practicable for them 

 to unite in limiting the total output. If one crop has been unprofitable 

 one year the farmer may turn to another the next year, but he can not 

 cease to utilize his improved land. Thus limitation of output as a whole 

 is impracticable. Again, one food product is in competition with another; 

 and thus if the producer should attempt to push the price of one article 

 too high the consumer will turn to others, and under these circumstances 

 the product, if perishable, may go into the dump. Even where agri- 

 cultural cooperation has developed so as to become almost monopolistic 

 and the consumers have not been taken into the cooperation, as in the 

 case of citrus fruits and cranberries, the prices can not become exorbitant, 

 for, if so, the consumer will refuse to buy. 



While, therefore, the dangers of cooperation among the farmers are 

 not so great as they are among the manufacturers the same prin- 

 ciples apply, and some of the same abuses may arise if not guarded 

 against. If the farmer could completely succeed in the purposes of 

 cooperation and should wholly ignore the interests of the consumer 

 we should have the same outcry against the farmer that we have 

 against the trusts. This should be fully understood at the beginning 

 in order to avoid this danger. The way to do this is plain. The program 

 for cooperation among the farmers should also include cooperation with 

 the consumers. The program of those who are in favor of reducing 

 waste in 'distribution should have the twofold purpose of increasing the 

 price to the producer and decreasing the price to the consumer. 



There is little question that a system of distribution can be worked 

 out which will accomplish this. Of course such a system will vary 

 from place to place and be different for different commodities. As 

 Illustrating the possibilities there may be formed in any center a coopera- 

 tive association which is both a buyer and a seller. This cooperative 

 association would consist of members who produce and members who 

 consume; and indeed many of such members would belong to both 

 classes. The cooperative association would receive and sell the products 

 of all of its members at the current prices. Such portion of the material 

 as possible would be disposed of locally. The material which could 

 not be handled in the local markets would be disposed of in other 

 markets. The ordinary well-known rules for successful cooperative so- 

 cieties should prevail, such as the limitation of dividends on the stock, 

 one man one vote, etc. 



It is realized that the above simple illustration by no means fully 

 covers the situation. There has been a marked tendency in recent 

 years for the production of agricultural material of a certain kind to 

 be concentrated in certain districts, just as there has been in manu- 



