76 COOPERATIVE MARKETING 



the financial standing of the association, or the treasurer's 

 report may be read by the manager. Discussion about the 

 facts of these reports, to the exclusion of their suggestions 

 for changes, is then conducted till noon, when a dinner 

 together is enjoyed at the packing house. The dinner may 

 be provided by the house and superintended by the man- 

 ager, or it may be left to the wives of the members. At 

 the conclusion of a social hour, during which the machinery 

 of the plant is frequently put in motion in order to illustrate 

 its actual operation to visitors and the women, the meeting 

 is reconvened for business. At the afternoon session, the 

 manager of the district exchange of which the association 

 is a member gives his report and makes what suggestions 

 seem good to him. There may also be communications 

 from the central exchange or there may be a short address 

 or two on subjects of interest to the growers. 



Then occurs the most interesting time of all, the time 

 when the managers' programs are considered, when new 

 business of any kind can be directly introduced from the 

 floor, when grievances, real or imaginary, emerge from 

 their lurking places — in fact, when all the thoughts of the 

 growers are, so to say, thrown on the table, assorted, classi- 

 fied and evaluated. Orange growers are often not more 

 reasonable than other classes of men, so there is likely to 

 be much futility and stupidity and perversity exhibited at 

 this session along with some sane plans or wholesome criti- 

 cism. Even this inanity, however, probably performs a 

 useful function, as it shows the members clearly some whom 

 they do not want for directors. The managers of the asso- 

 ciation and of the district exchange often come in for a 

 thorough grilling, being called to task for past shortcomings 

 and exhorted as to future conduct. Policies recommended 

 by the management are dissected and scrutinized. Counter 

 policies are proposed by members ; other members bring out 



