CHAPTER XLIV 



WHAT LOS ANGELES POULTRYMEN HAVE ACCOM- 

 PLISHED BY CO-OPERATION 



Less than three years ago the Poultry Breeders' Association of Los 

 Angeles was content to hold an annual poultry show once a year, and 

 a meeting once a month, which was after the manner of an old- 

 fashioned experience meeting, except perhaps that the prayers were 

 not on the order of gratitude, but rather a growling against the 

 "powers that be," which in this instance were the go-betweens or 

 middle men that eat up the profit between producer and consumer. 



Jos. E. Davis, who at that time was a breeder of Whited Rocks, was 

 also secretary of the Association, and he saw that the holding of a 

 show and this monthly meeting was of very little benefit to the poul- 

 trymen in general. Those outside of the fancy did not have any idea 

 that it was to their interest to be in the Association, and so held aloof. 

 Mr. Davis saw great possibilities for all the poultrymen, if they could 

 be brought together for their mutual benefit. He saw how such an 

 Association could help the beginner, who is so often lost on the rocks 

 of schemers who are always on the lookout for the unwary. He figured 

 that reliable information and the advice of practical men would ma- 

 terially affect the poultry interests of the southern part of the State. 

 With this end in view, he wrote an article stating what he believed 

 could be done by proper co-operation. 



This paper set the poultrymen to thinking and they held a meeting 

 to discuss the project; and at this meeting the present Association 

 was born, with only $500 as a birthright. That was a small sum to 

 tackle the big interests with, and very few of those present realized 

 how "big interests" will fight when they get cornered. 



But the die was cast; this handful of poultry raisers had set the 

 ball rolling into an enemy's camp that could, in a few minutes, throw 

 $50,000 into a fund to down them. But the enemy was short on 

 vision, too, and it took a little while for them to really consider the 

 Association in a serious way. 



The Association at once opened up a store for the sale of poultry 

 supplies and for handling the eggs of the members. They hoped by 

 giving a strictly fresh article to build up a good class of patronage, 

 but the results have proven that the bulk of people are not willing to 

 pay any more for a strictly fresh egg than for what sells in the store 



