310 



THE IRRIGATION AGE. 



ports, have been organized 

 since 1907. Of eighteen re- 

 porting, ten succeeded pre- 

 vious organizations, five in- 

 itiated construction, and 

 three have not commenced 

 construction. The maximum 

 period of operation before 

 changing to district organi- 

 zation was twenty years. 



The total area of the 

 twenty districts reported is 

 736,735 acres, or an average 

 of 36,336 acres per district 

 The maximum and mini- 

 mum district areas, respec- 

 tively, are 176,210 and 3,000 

 acres. 



The total bond issue is 

 $13,442,300, or an average of 

 practically $18.50 per acre. 

 The maximum and mini- 

 mum bond issue per district 

 are, respectively, $2,572,800 

 and $15,000. The maximum 



and minimum bond issue O ne-man tractors earning their keep on a we: 

 per acre are, respectively, Courtesy of the International Harvester Co 



flow in character, and with 

 enough settlers to organize a 

 district, the wilderness will 

 be subdued. 



on a western farm. 

 >mpany. 



$82.50 and $3.00. 



The average rate of interest on bonds is 6%. 



CO-OPERATIVE SELLING 



Suggestions by Messrs, Bassett, Mooar and Keer, 



Specialists in the Office of Markets and Rural 



Organization in the U. S. Department of 



Agriculture 



A new faith has de- 

 veloped on the part of the 

 farmers themselves that the 

 co-operative plan of doing 

 farm business is the most 

 satisfactory method. Like 

 the European farmer, the 

 American farmer is being 

 driven to cooperation by ne- 

 cessity. In the United States 

 the necessity arises chiefly 

 from the costly, clumsy and 

 unbusinesslike methods of 

 distributing food products, 

 resulting in an abnormal dis- 

 crepancy between the price 

 paid to the producer and the 

 cost to the consumer. 



American farmers are beginning to realize by 



Of the eighteen reporting on bond sales, seven sold selling cooperatively they not only will be able to 



at par, one at 97, one at 96.1, four at 95, and three 

 at 90. Of the fifteen reporting upon ability to meet 



offer a standardized product and reduce the cost of 

 marketing, but they will be able to furnish this bet- 



obligations promptly, fourteen answer "yes" and one ter article to the consumer at the same or even lower 



'no." The average size per farm is 76 acres. 



price, thus stimulating consumption. In fact, any 



The reports uniformly show satisfaction of the system of marketing that does not hope to give bet- 

 Water Users, and their contentment is, in itself a ter service or better prices to the consumer, and, at 

 large factor of success. Illustrative of the land- the same time, secure for the producer a greater net 

 man's point of view we quote from one report : "Or- return, is founded on improper principles. 



ganized 1909 ; issued and sold $530,000 bonds at 95. 



Farmers must be willing to furnish their prod- 



Two years later issued and sold $170,000 more at ucts, invest their share of the necessary capital, and 



96.1. These amounts were net to the district at all times give their enthusiasm and most loyal 



The bonds bear 6%, and all coupons have been support to the cooperative enterprise undertaken. 



promptly paid when due, and the district is Frequently a member offers to "let" the association 



entirely out of debt, with the exception of the bond handle a part of his products, forgetting that the 



issue, and has $10,000 to $15,000 in the treasury at favor is to himself rather than to the organization 



4-Vi ^i *^AC^ A*i4- 4-1 *-v-i a ** Jj_1 j_j_1__ _ f 1 * _ 1 _ 1 1 _ t . _ 1 1 * . . 1 



the present time. 



and tha* the part of his crops which he holds back 



Quoting from another report: "We have met furnishes the most difficult competition for the co- 

 all of our interest and principal payments promptly operative effort to face. The person who lacks suffi- 

 cient faith in the cooperative plan to "go in all over" 

 will prove an element of weakness rather than of 

 strength. 



Farming communities co-operate to secure bet- 

 ter churches, better local government, and better 



when due without any difficulty, and we ex- 

 pect to meet our future obligations as they mature. 

 The irrigation district law as it stands on the Idaho 

 State Statute books today is good enough for us." 

 Similar optimism pervades the entire series of re- 

 ports. 



schools. If they are willing to leave their religion, 



Irrigation history, outside of government con- their politics, and the education of their children to 



struction and operation, shows no parallel to the co-operation, why should they hesitate to leave the 



financial stability found in the practical working of marketing of their farm crops to a co-operative sys- 



the district. A remedy for irrigation distress has tern that has passed the experimental stage? It 



really been found. 



seems to be largely due to their training along indi- 



Let law makers enlarge the remedy. Pass the vidual lines to their spirit of "going it alone." 



Jones bill or a kindred measure and thereby give 



The position of manager in a co-operative mar- 



new life to the present halting, lagging, drooping keting organization is difficult to fill properly, be- 



and doubting work of reclaiming the desert. 



Pass the Jones bill or a kindred measure and all 

 over this broad land, wherever there is reclamation 

 territory of merit, whether desert, swamp, or over- 



cause it is undesirable. It requires the soul of 



patience and self-sacrifice to stand by the job in the 



face of the nagging to which the man who occupies 



(Continued on Page 315) 



