Land Problems and National Welfare 



nothing by joining a co-operative society." 



For the moment I will grant that it is so, but 

 the large farmer would not lose financially by 

 joining a properly-worked co-operative society; 

 and even though his personal inclination might 

 be against it, is this not an opportunity for some 

 small degree of personal sacrifice for the good of 

 the community at large ? And it will not prove 

 to be altogether sacrifice, for it is unsound to say 

 that the large farmer has nothing to gain by co- 

 operation. A large farmer may be able to buy 

 and sell to the greatest advantage so long as 

 things are running smoothly ; but the moment 

 the merchants combine to raise the cost of a 

 commodity, or the dealers form a ring to lower 

 the price of farm produce, then the farmer, 

 however large, can do nothing if he stands alone. 



Further, the Eastern Farmers' Co-operative 

 Societies and the Midland Farmer's Society are 

 composed to a great extent of large farmers. 

 Both are strong and flourishing associations, 

 and they give a concrete example of the benefit 

 of co-operation even to farmers on a large scale. 



Some years ago the manufacturers of basic 

 slag were about arbitrarily to raise its price ; 

 but this attempt was frustrated by the threat 

 of various co-operative societies to import large 

 quantities of basic slag from Germany. 



Every practical farmer must know of many 

 cases where rings have got control of the market 



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