28 DEPARTMENT CIRCULAR 407, U. S. DEPT. OF AGRICULTURE 
of the members of association 4 recognized that this is impossible. 
About the same number believed farmers should organize and set 
prices, whereas half the members of association 4 believed that 
such a plan is futile. 
The membership campaigns of organization days resulted in some 
misunderstanding of the contract and the probable achievements of 
the association. 
Two-thirds of the members of three of the associations were un- 
willing to state that they would sign another contract. Many of 
the members made control of a large percentage of the crop a con- 
dition of the renewal of their contracts. 
Only in association 4 did a majority of members favor a with- 
drawal clause in the contract and believe that members should not 
report contract violations of neighbors. Many members of this 
organization believed the association must stand or fall on service 
to the members and can not depend on legal restraints to prevent 
contract violations. 
Delayed settlements are the most common cause of dissatisfaction 
and the most common reason for contract violation. Holding the 
commodity in expectation of better prices or to maintain a definite 
price level ranked second as a source of dissatisfaction. 
Members had little appreciation of the marketing services per- 
formed by the associations, and little definite knowledge of costs and 
salaries. Few had definite ideas regarding what may "be reasonably 
expected of a cooperative marketing association. 
The associations have justified their existence in the performance 
of marketing services. Their program involved permanent improve- 
ment of prices to the grower by performing marketing services bet- 
ter and at less expense than other marketing agencies, and by making 
payment to members on the basis of more accurate grades. Members 
did not understand this and had been looking for market control. 
At the outset of this circular, the point was made that member- 
ship problems arise largely because of lack of information and under- 
standing, and that the important consideration 1s what members 
believe to be the facts rather than what the facts really are. Obvi- 
ously, therefore, these problems must be met by information. The 
association must give its members the facts and encourage sound 
thinking regarding the underlying principles of cooperation and 
marketing. “This is the real work of the field-service department of 
an association. The work is all the larger and more important 
because mistaken ideas were implanted in the minds of many by argu- 
ments employed during the period of organization. Like all true 
educational agencies, field service must seek to give complete facts 
and to dev elop sound principles. 
