98 COOPERATIVE MARKETING ^ 



high rates will cause an influx of fruit to the packing houses 

 and will inevitably result in a congested market. Under 

 the centralized system a strong market does not materially 

 alter the season's plans. At most a few readjustments are 

 made and the plant is speeded up a bit. Under the first 

 system low prices at the first part of the season would mean 

 small shipments and in fact shipments might be retarded 

 so long that low prices would obtain for the entire year 

 through an overloaded market during the later months, for 

 after a certain time the fruit must be sent forward, low 

 prices or not. Under the second system, even with low 

 prices ruling at the first of the season a due proportion of 

 the crop would be moved, and this might bring about a 

 very strong market during the later months. In this case 

 the average prices for the whole year might be reasonably 

 satisfactory, while under the first plan the results would 

 be disastrous. The spurious independence achieved by a 

 grower's retaining the pride of authority over his own ship- 

 ments is too dearly bought when the disruption of orderly 

 scientific distribution is the price paid. Neither are half 

 measures sufficient. Cooperation has not shown its full 

 possibilities until an association has entire control over its 

 output and can enter the lists to build up a constituency of 

 regular customers in the markets, in the same manner that 

 any other efficient and successful business proceeds. 



Cooperation is, to a large extent, an attitude of mind: 

 it is the ability to take a fair minded view of a whole situa- 

 tion. The individualist sees his immediate advantage; the 

 true cooperator sees his advantage only as a part of the 

 welfare of the whole industry or even society in general. 

 The individualist sees nothing wrong in trying to calculate 

 in what particular week of the season the market will reach 

 its maximum and aiming to have his whole crop there at 

 that time; he does not pause to reflect that if everyone 



