THE FARMERS' UNION 243 



stations, retail stores for consumers, grain-marketing elevators, and county- 

 unit cooperative business associations. The 300 produce stations usually 

 small enterprises with 20 or more members and a paid-up capital ranging 

 from $1,000 to $5,000 handled cream, eggs, butter, and other farm com- 

 modities. The annual business of the average produce station ranged from 

 $5,000 to $25,000. Many of these stations were operated in connection with 

 retail stores. The demand for retail stores apparently was great. Member- 

 ship in these stores ran anywhere from 50 to 300, while the capital in- 

 vested in them ranged from $15,000 to $300,000." 



An elevator, if it was to be successful financially, required from $12,000 

 to $35,000 in paid-up capital, not less than 300 members, and an annual 

 shipment of 85,000 bushels of grain. In addition to grain, most elevators 

 handled coal, feed, flour, salt, fruit, and vegetables all purchased in 

 carload lots and sold to members. Many elevators and retail stores carried 

 farm implements, oil, and gasoline. As a rule, 8 per cent interest was paid 

 on the invested capital and the cooperative dividends averaged about 6 

 per cent. 58 



In the county-unit cooperative business associations the shareholders 

 varied in number from 400 to 2,000 and the annual business turnover 

 from half a million to between three and four millions. Any such enter- 

 prise usually had associated with it from four to twelve elevators, several 

 retail stores, and all the necessary produce stations within the county. 

 The entire business was in charge of a board of directors and one general 



KQ 



manager. 



The Farmers' Union Jobbing Association was the first state-wide co- 

 operative association undertaken by the organization in Kansas. It was 

 organized in June, 1914, and began business operations in Kansas City, 

 Kansas, in May, 1915. This association marketed grain, hay, produce, and 

 poultry for its members ; it also sold to local associations and, under certain 

 conditions, to individual members such items as coal, feed, salt, flour, 

 syrups, oils, tires, soap, rough clothing, groceries, and other articles. It 

 attempted to specialize in carload-lot shipments. During the summer of 

 1918 this association made contracts with six great farm-machinery manu- 

 facturers and in 1922 it was reported to be doing a business of a million 

 dollars annually. 60 The jobbing association held two seats on the grain 



57. Ibid. 58. Ibid. 59. Ibid. 60. Ibid. 



