COOPERATIVE PURCHASING AND MARKETING ORGANIZATIONS. 29 
communities during the last few years, and if it were not for this fact 
more elevators might be handling this side line, 
The handling of lumber was given as a side line by 80 elevators. 
Of tins number Iowa reported 33, Nebraska 13, and Illinois 10. The 
much smaller number of elevators handling lumber than fuel is 
accounted for largely by the fact that the carrying of lumber as a 
side line requires a greater outlay of capital and also takes up more 
of the manager's time than does the handling of fuel. It is not neces- 
sary to keep a very large supply of fuel on hand, while a considerable 
stock of lumber is required in order to have a supply of the various 
grades and kinds that are likely to be called for. One elevator re- 
ports having handled $75,000 worth of lumber in one year, showing that 
in some cases lumber is an important item in the elevator business. 
Kansas has 12 of the 28 elevators reporting the handling of fruit 
and produce. Of the 16 elevators handling merchandise, 6 are in 
Kansas and 3 in Montana; 640 elevators report the handling of mis- 
cellaneous products and supplies. In this class are included elevators 
handling such materials as binding twine, fence wire and posts, 
cement, oil, and miscellaneous items. 
Members. — In Table II it is shown that 149,618 farmers compose 
the membership of 1,471 elevator and warehouse companies, an 
average of 102 for each company. Using this average as a basis, it 
is estimated that the 1,637 concerns covered by this report represent 
approximately 166,974 grain farmers, all of which directly benefit by 
the organizations of which they are members. A great many farm- 
ers who are not members but who ship their grain through the farm- 
ers' company derive benefits from it. Among such benefits would 
be the nonmember dividend where paid, and the advantage to all 
farmers in the community if the company in any way secures better 
prices for the farmers than were paid them before its organization. 
Such conditions as these exist in communities where, previous to the 
establishment of the farmers' company, no competition of any extent 
prevailed in the purchase of grain. From reports received as to the 
number of nonmembers who ship through farmers' companies, it is 
estimated that at least 125,000 who are not members market their 
grain through the 1,637 elevators covered in this survey. This 
number, plus the number of members, brings the total number of 
farmers doing business with these concerns to approximately 289,000. 
New companies. — New companies are being formed constantly. 
No accurate record of the number has been kept from year to year 
but from such information as is available at this time it is estimated 
that several hundred companies were formed during 1914. Not all 
of these reached the point of doing business, because of trouble in 
securing capital or some other difficulty. 
