•COOPERATIVE PURCHASING AND MARKETING ORGANIZATIONS. 63 
secured in this survey. Thirty States are represented in this digest, 
but there are 33 laws, as Colorado, Michigan, and Washington each 
have two separate acts, one providing for nonstock organizations and 
the other providing for organizations with capital stock. This table 
includes only a general outline of the State cooperative laws and it 
must not be considered as giving complete information with regard 
to these laws. Persons desiring to organize a cooperative association 
should study the statutes of the State in which the organization is to 
be formed, and if necessary legal advice should be secured in order 
that the organization may meet all the requirements of the law. 
SCOPE AND PURPOSE. 
Most of the laws provide in detail for the lines of business in which 
such organizations may engage, but a few of the laws make no restric- 
tions in this matter, it being permissible to engage in any lawful 
business. Where the scope and purpose are fully outlined, the field 
covered is usually sufficiently broad to make possible organization for 
any lawful purpose. 
MINIMUM NUMBER OF MEMBERS THAT MAY ORGANIZE. 
All but three of the laws give the minimum number that may 
organize. Two of the States that do not mention this point provide 
for the minimum indirectly by specifying the number of directors and 
officers each association must have. Four of the laws provide that 
not less than 3 persons are necessary in order to organize; 5 is the 
most common minimum, for this is the requirement of 18 laws; four 
laws require not less than 7 members; one places the minimum at 10; 
one places it at 20 ; two require at least 25 members, and the other 
three make no mention of this point. 
FILING OF ARTICLES OF INCORPORATION. 
As will be noted from the summary, the methods of filing the arti- 
cles of incorporation vary considerably in the different States. 
Twenty-two of the laws provide for filing the articles of incorporation 
with the secretary of state, and 14 of this number provide for the 
filing with some other official as well, usually the clerk of the county 
in which the principal place of business is located, the recorder of 
deeds, clerk of court, or county auditor. A few of the laws provide 
for filing with some local township or county officer only, as for 
instance the town clerk or the register of deeds. Four of the laws 
do not stipulate the method of filing, and three laws state that 
cooperative organizations shall be governed by the regulations pro- 
vided for general corporations in this matter. Some of the laws 
have provisions in regard to the fees to be charged for filing, while 
in other States cooperative organizations' pay the fee required of 
general corporations. 
