82 COOPERATIVE MARKETING 



likely to settle the proper relaticJn of the executive to the 

 appointing power in this place. 



The directors have regular monthly meetings and special 

 meetings as required. Some associations pay the directors, 

 and some do not, but the payment for meetings actually 

 attended is becoming more and more prevalent. A meeting 

 is regarded as spoiling half a day, so the director receives 

 $1.50, $2 or $2.50 for his half day's services. This policy 

 of paying the directors has two beneficial effects. First, 

 the director is inclined to feel a more binding responsibility 

 and to take a more thoughtful interest in the welfare of the 

 association than if his services were gratuitous, or, as some- 

 times happened, almost commandeered. Second, a man in 

 moderate circumstances, to whom time is money, often felt 

 under the system of non-payment that he could scarcely 

 afford to sacrifice the time which the acceptance of the 

 office entailed. 



What kinds of problems come before the directors and 

 how they are handled may best be set forth by taking a 

 hypothetical fruit year and following it through. How- 

 ever, it must be borne in mind throughout this discussion 

 that though the resulting policies may be nearly identical 

 there is considerable difference in the amount of initiative 

 that comes from the directors and the manager, respectively, 

 in the various associations. Among the first things to be 

 done in preparation for the fruit year, which starts in 

 November, are the selection of the proper subordinate offi- 

 cers, such as the bookkeeper, foreman of the packing house, 

 foreman of the picking gang, etc., and the purchasing of 

 packing supplies. There is at times difficulty in obtaining 

 supplies on a moment's notice, so a provident house wishes 

 to get its orders in early for box shooks, both for picking 

 and packing boxes, for labels and wrappers and nails, for 

 metal straps and curtains, for picking ladders, for new 



