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CO-OPERATIOX. 



We ship from three points. Our large warehouse and head office 

 are located at Orchard Park. We have 384 members and have 

 issued 561 shares. The largest number of shares any one member 

 can hold is ten, and we have only one member holding this number. 

 We handle all kinds of vegetables and fruits, but there are four 

 kinds that make up the bulk of our shipments — namely, peas, beans, 

 cucumbers, and cauliflower. The two former are packed and 

 inspected at our central packing houses, and are pooled every day. 

 The other two, cucumbers and cauliflower, are packed hy the growers, 

 hauled to our packing house, there inspected and loaded on cars, and 

 are pooled every three days. These poolings are all made as I 

 indicated a few moments ago. All goods are inspected and graded 

 by a competent man and the grade marked on the package. At 

 the beginning of the season, we make contracts with any member 

 wishing to contract; and if he does not contract, we refuse to ship 

 his produce, although he be a member. If he does contract, this 

 contract calls for his entire crop of the particular kinds of produce 

 for which he contracts. This form of contract has caused some 

 contention among our members but we cannot see any other way to 

 do, owing to our close proximity to Buffalo market; for when this 

 market was good, everything would be taken there, and when it 

 was glutted, our Association would be used as a dumping ground. 

 This, of course, does not apply to all members, as there are some that 

 are loyal to the last degree. Without a contract how can a manager 

 know what business to expect? Also, if you as a member are per- 

 mitted to sell outside, you are really selling to your own competitor. 

 One of the methods employed by buyers to break down our Associa- 

 tions has been to try and buy produce from our members, paying 

 them as much as ten cents per package more than they would to a 

 grower that did not belong to our Association. 



We have now been in existence four years, shipping from ^oO to 

 300 cars of produce each year, aggregating in dollars and cents over 

 one hundred thousand dollars each year. Out of this we have lost 

 only one car of cabbage amounting to '^350.00, and that we expect 

 to get some day if the party stays on this side of the river long enough. 



We have some members that are dissatisfied and will not contract 

 with us; on the other hand, we have a great many that are satisfied 

 and loyal to our Association. If you have ever been manager or 

 had anything to do with an organization of this kind, you will find 

 you can satisfy all of the members part of the time, and part of the 



