io4j the agricultural bloc 



generation lias not been able to profit by tbe 

 mistakes of those who preceded it. Once we 

 have assembled tbe. facts concerning tbe de- 

 fects in organization which may wreck a co- 

 operative enterprise, steady progress in this 

 form of organization will be possible. 



This legislation is only the beginning, how- 

 ever, as I see it, and we must proceed to lay a 

 foundation for consumer cooperatives which 

 will take care of the retail situation and meet 

 the producers' cooperative organization in the 

 wholesale market at least. I have outlined the 

 need for a definition of cooperative enterprise 

 as contrasted from the corporation and I be- 

 lieve the time will soon come when we must 

 study the matter from the consumer's side just 

 as thoroughly and carefully as it is being studied 

 from the producer's point of view. While the 

 farmer will take care of wholesale distribution, 

 it is too much to expect that he will organize 

 a system all the way to the consumer through 

 the maze of retail agencies which have developed 

 because the consumer is willing to pay for them 

 and has encouraged them to add greatly to the 

 cost of living. 



