THE STRUGGLES OF COOPERATION 97 



sions attempted to determine a fair price based 

 upon cost of production plus a reasonable 

 profit. In some instances the milk commissions 

 were fairly successful while in other instances 

 they failed to satisfy either producers or con- 

 sumers. It was shown by almost every investi- 

 gation that the cost of production of milk had 

 risen faster than the selling price and that 

 the farmers' demands for a better price were 

 in most instances justified. 



The attempts at prosecution, none of which 

 were ever consummated, had a very disturbing 

 effect upon cooperative organizations in general 

 and stimulated the demand for a clearer defini- 

 tion of the law regarding cooperation S9 that 

 farmers' organizations might know exactly 

 where they stood under the law. Early in the 

 winter of 1920, I introduced a bill in Congress 

 to authorize collective bargaining in farm 

 products (Senate bill No. 845). A hearing 

 was held and representatives of thousands of 

 farmers' organizations appeared before the 

 Committee. 



It was pointed out that this bill was not de- 

 signed to change the policy of the Government 

 but merely to explain that policy and give 

 specific authority for cooperative efforts by 



