LEGAL PHASES OF COOPERATIVE ASSOCIATIONS. 67 
packed by him or under his direction, for shipment through the association. 
Any loss occasioned by improper packing or grading shall be charged to the 
member whose mark is found on said package. 
Note. — Products packed on the growers' premises should be in- 
spected by an association inspector. The inspector must be ac- 
countable only to the association. His private mark should be 
placed upon each package he inspects, and he should be held 
jointly responsible with the grower for the grade and condition 
of the pack as disclosed in the market. 
Sec 4. On or before (April 1) of each year each member shall report to the 
association the acreage of products to be grown by him that year for sale 
through the association. During the growing season each member shall furnish 
such information concerning the crops contracted to the association as may be 
required by the manager. 
Note. — This section is intended for organizations handling per- 
ishable products, such as fruit and vegetables, where it is im- 
portant to know the volume of business to be handled. 
Sec. 5. Each member of the association shall have only one vote. No mem- 
ber shall be allowed a vote so long as any past-due debts or obligations owing 
by him to the association remain unpaid. Voting by proxy shall not be per- 
mitted. Except in case of the removal of a director or officer, as provided in 
Article VI, Section 6, of these by-laws, absent members may vote on specific 
questions by ballots transmitted to the secretary of the association by regis- 
tered mail, and such ballots shall be counted only in the meeting at the time 
at which such vote is taken. 
Note. — In a stock company, which is organized to earn profits 
on the money invested in the business, a member generally votes 
in proportion to the number of shares he holds, but a true coopera- 
tive association is based on the individual member, a number of 
whom unite to do something in which they have a common interest. 
In the former, money controls; in the latter, men. While there 
may be cases where the voting power of the members may be 
made in proportion to the acreage of their products, it will gen- 
erally be found that any attempt to vary the voting power of 
members will be unwise. The practice of allowing a member to 
collect the proxies of absent members and vote the same tends to 
give a single member influence in the association which is too 
dangerous to be allowed. 
In some of the largest nonprofit cooperative associations it has 
been felt that it was neither fair nor wise to demand that the 
large-producing member should be held to the same vote as a 
small-producing member, as their responsibility and interest are 
so unequal. In such a case the voting power of members may 
be proportioned according to the amount of their products or acre- 
age handled through the association. 
Sec. 6. Any member may withdraw from the association at any time during 
the month of January of any year, but such withdrawal shall not affect any 
right or lien which the association has against the retiring member or his 
property until his indebtedness to the association is fully paid. Any member 
having a grievance or complaint against the association may appeal to the 
board of directors (or to the members at any regular or called meeting). 
Note. — The time of withdrawal should be so fixed as to take 
effect some time between the close of one season's business and the 
opening of the next. To permit a member to withdraw during a 
busy marketing season will result in confusion and may seriously 
handicap the manager in filling his contract. 
The laws of several of the States providing for the incorporation 
of cooperative associations require that the by-laws shall provide 
the manner of ascertaining a member's interest upon his death, 
withdrawal, or expulsion. This subject should be investigated 
