68 BULLETIN 1106, U. S. DEPARTMEl^T OF AGRICULTURE. 



to the association on or before that date. Such cancellation shall be subject 

 to any indebtedness due from him to the association. 



Note.- — No cooperative association should attempt to do business 

 without definite contracts with its members. The manager can not 

 be expected to work to advantage unless he has definite knowledge 

 of the quantity and kinds of products he is expected to market, and 

 this knowledge should be in his possession early in the season. 

 Unless a member is willing to bind himself under an enforceable 

 contract he can not expect his association to transact business to 

 his advantage. 



Aeticle XIV. — Duties and Rights of Members. 



Section 1. A member shall have the right to give away or retain for his own 

 use such of his farm products as he may wish, but he shall not sell any products 

 contracted to the association to an outside party, except products offered to and 

 rejected by the association. 



Sec. 2. Any member who receives an offer for his farm products which is 

 greater than the price presently obtainable through the association may submit 

 this offer to the manager. If deemed advisable, the manager may authorize the 

 member to accept the offer, but payment for the products shall be made to the 

 association. Products sold in this manner shall bear their proportional share 

 of the association's expenses, and settlement therefor shall be made to the 

 member in accordance with Article XVI, section 2, of these by-laws. 



Sec. 3. Each member shall have a number or mark which shall be perma-- 

 nently stamped on every sack, box, barrel, crate, basket, or other container, 

 packed by him or under his direction, for shipment through' the association. 

 Any loss occasioned by improper packing or grading shall be charged to the 

 member whose mark is found on said package. 



Note. — Products packed on the growers' premises should be in- 

 spected by an association inspector. The inspector must be account- 

 able only to the association. His private mark should be placed 

 upon each package he inspects, and he should be held jointly 

 responsible with the grower for the grade and condition of the pack 

 as disclosed in the market. 



Sec. 4. On or before (April 1) of each year each member shall report to the 

 association the acreage of products to be grown by him that year for sale 

 through the association. During the growdng season each member shall furnish 

 such information concerning the crops contracted to the association as may be 

 required by the manager. 



Note. — This section is intended for organizations handling per- 

 ishable products, such as fruit and vegetables, where it is impor- 

 tant to know the volume of business to be handled. 



Sec. 5. Each member of the association shall have only one vote. No mem- 

 ber shall be allowed a vote so long as any past-due debts or obligations owing 

 by him to the association remain unpaid. Voting by proxy shall not be per- 

 mitted. Except in case of the removal of a director or officer, as provided in 

 Article VI, Section 6, of these by-laws, absent members may vote on specific 

 questions bj ballots transmitted to the secretary of the association by regis- 

 tered mail, and such ballots shall be counted only in the meeting at the time 

 at which such vote is taken. 



Note. — In a stock company, which is organized to earn profits 

 on the money invested in the business, a member generally votes 

 in proportion to the number of shares he holds, but a true coopera- 



