COOPERATIVE PURCHASING AND MARKETING ORGANIZATIONS. 63 



secured in this survey. Thirty States are represented in this digest, 

 but there are 33 laws, as Colorado, Michigan, and Washington each 

 have two separate acts, one providing for nonstock organizations and 

 the other providing for organizations with capital stock. This table 

 includes only a general outline of the State cooperative laws and it 

 must not be considered as giving complete information with regard 

 to these laws. Persons desiring to organize a cooperative association 

 should study the statutes of the State in which the organization is to 

 be formed, and if necessary legal advice should be secured in order 

 that the organization may meet all the requirements of the law. 



SCOPE AND PURPOSE. 



Most of the laws provide in detail for the lines of business in which 

 such organizations may engage, but a few of the laws make no restric- 

 tions in this matter, it being permissible to engage in any lawful 

 business. Where the scope and purpose are fully outlined, the field 

 covered is usually sufficiently broad to make possible organization for 

 any lawful purpose. 



MINIMUM NUMBER OP MEMBERS THAT MAY ORGANIZE. 



All but three of the laws give the minimum number that may 

 organize. Two of the States that do not mention this point provide 

 for the minimum indirectly by specifying the number of directors and 

 officers each association must have. Four of the laws provide that 

 not less than 3 persons are necessary in order to organize; 5 is the 

 most common minimum, for this is the requirement of 18 laws; four 

 laws require not less than 7 members; one places the minimum at 10; 

 one places it at 20 ; two require at least 25 members, and the other 

 three make no mention of this point. 



FILING OF ARTICLES OF INCORPORATION. 



As will be noted from the summary, the methods of filing the arti- 

 cles of incorporation vary considerably in the different States. 

 Twenty-two of the laws provide for filing the articles of incorporation 

 with the secretary of state, and 14 of this number provide for the 

 filing with some other official as well, usually the clerk of the county 

 in which the principal place of business is located, the recorder of 

 deeds, clerk of court, or county auditor. A few of the laws provide 

 for filing with some local township or county officer only, as for 

 instance the town clerk or the register of deeds. Four of the laws 

 do not stipulate the method of filing, and three laws state that 

 cooperative organizations shall be governed by the regulations pro- 

 vided for general corporations in this matter. Some of the laws 

 have provisions in regard to the fees to be charged for filing, while 

 in other States cooperative organizations pay the fee required of 

 general corporations. 



