MEMBERSHIP RELATIONS OF COOPERATIVE ASSOCIATIONS 7 
TABLE 3.—Replies to questions as to influence of a larger membership on the 
associations 
Members reporting 
Question and reply Association 
Do ~— think a larger membership would improve your association? | Number| Number, Number| Number, Number 
es 94 110 1 
et nr tS ee ee nt oe ey ee 80 19 | 403 
Wore ttt. fy tei SM OTE Pee. FO 2 Vo | 5 10 5 8 | 28 
RR eat re he a eee ee oe | 4 0 6 2 12 
yt TOs ae ie Se Ee | ees Se Oe ee &9 104 121 129 | 443 
If so, how? | | | 
ares TIRE RTILIGN « = 0 532 Se. Fe re Od ee A Sn 64 55 67 68 254 
LEE UT ee ee EE Pet. RS ree, 0 0 4 26 30 
So fF Sa are ee eee 0 0 14 14 
Et eee eee eee eee 110 10 | 20 
~ oo S ple eecoeenen awe. ko. 64 | 55 81 118 | 318 
1 Come nearer selling at a profit. 
Table 3 shows that most of those interviewed believed that a 
larger membership would improve their organization. Question 2 
of the same table shows that this belief is based mainly on the 
expectation that a larger membership would bring a greater degree 
of control of supply and price. From this it would appear that the 
members believe that the possibilities of cooperative marketing le 
to a considerable extent in controlling the commodity and the mar- 
ket. The answers from a number of members of association 4 
showed that they gave consideration to other possibilities as well. 
The emphasis placed on price and commodity control is to a consid- 
erable extent a reflection of the arguments employed during the 
organization of the associations. 
The characteristics of the commodity and its market need to be 
kept in mind in considering membership relations. Tobacco differs 
markedly from cotton. its outlets are more limited as relatively 
few buyers take a large proportion of the crop. It lacks the highly 
organized markets existing in the cotton trade, and market quota- 
tions according to grade are not available. Under such circum- 
stances bargaining with buyers is one of the main purposes of a 
cooperative marketing association, and control of a considerable 
volume of the product is an important factor in bargaining. 
Through these means an association may expect to obtain a price 
justified by market conditions, but it can not expect to receive any 
price that may be arbitrarily fixed. The different types of tobacco 
are fairly well localized in their production, and the organization 
of a considerable proportion of the growers of a given type is not 
difficult. 
Cotton, on the other hand, has well-organized markets where large 
numbers of buyers and sellers are represented. The influences of 
supply and demand make themselves felt in these markets. Quota- 
tions by grade are available. A much larger number of growers 
and a wider area are involved than for tobacco. Commodity control 
