144 COMMISSION OF CONSERVATION 



creameries and the rural telephone system in Saskatchewan are due 

 to co-operative organization. 



We also find the greatest private corporations of the country 

 founded on co-operative principles — the Canadian Pacific Railway 

 Company, the Manufacturers' Association, the Fire Underwriters' 

 Associations, and the great industrial combinations, are all great co- 

 operative trusts. Co-operation in small industries and organizations 

 is often criticized by the very men whose successes in life are due to 

 co-operation in a large capitalistic corporation. Of course, business 

 principles underlie success in co-operative as in individualistic enter- 

 prises — and, under proper conditions, initiative and self-reliance are 

 promoted and not stifled by co-operation. 



Considering that Canada is a new country, we have already made 

 satisfactory progress in rural co-operation under the leadership of our 

 Ministers of Agriculture. A large amount of educational work in 

 regard to agricultural co-operation is carried on by the Department 

 of Agriculture of the Dominion, and the extent of co-operative effort 

 in the provinces is greater than seems to be generally realized. 



There are 175 co-operative agricultural societies in Quebec, 

 the most important of which is the Cheesemakers' Society, which 

 transacted a business of a value of $3,600,000 in 1916. This society 

 has 3,500 members. Several of the societies own creameries and 

 cheese factories, under the guidance and stimulus of the Quebec De- 

 partment of Agriculture, co-operation is steadily advancing in the 

 province. 



According to Mr. F. C. Hart, of the Ontario Department of 

 Agriculture, there are in Ontario 160 creameries and 1,000 cheese 

 factories. Most of these are joint stock companies. The dairy branch 

 of the department has a corps of instructors visiting all of these fac- 

 tories regularly. Writing in the Agricultural Gazette, Mr. Hart says: 



"Milk producers all over the province are organized into Milk 

 Producers' Associations. These do not handle milk, but are used 

 as a means by which the producers can deal with the trade in the 

 matter of contracts, etc. At one centre only there is a producers' 

 organization which collects the milk of its members and distributes 

 retail with very apparent and growing success. 



In their initial stages co-operative associations are not equipped 

 to take over all the functions of middlemen and deal directly with 

 consumers. Their trade is largely with the wholesale houses and 

 their operations so far have been too limited to largely affect the price 

 of such farm products to consumers. 



In practically every instance, however, the quality of the output 

 has been increased and there has been less waste caused by market- 



