THIRTY-THIRD BIENNIAL SESSION I9I 
convention. A discussion led to the appointment of a committee to under- 
take the betterment of marketing conditions. 
iSeveral meetings of this committee resulted in the drafting of a consti- 
tution for a co-operative marketing association patterned along the lines 
of a central union. This plan was adopted at the instance of representatives 
of the local co-operative associations already operating in the Minnetonka 
district and at the request of committee members who wished to form local 
associations in their home neighborhoods. There were large independent 
growers on this constitutional committee also, and, at their suggestion, 
it was arranged to allow any independent grower anywhere in the state to 
come into the union on the same footing as a local association. It was 
thought that this feature would stimulate the formation of local co-operative 
associations at many points, as such a man would induce his neighbors to 
club with him in order to decrease the cost of membership to himself. 
Constitution Adopted. 
The constitution as submitted by the committee was adopted by a con- 
vention of fruit growers from Minnesota and western Wisconsin held at 
the State College of Agriculture, University Farm, St. Paul, early in March 
1912. The following features were found in the constitution: 
A nominal membership fee of $10 was fixed. 
Local associations or individual growers could secure membership on 
the same basis. 
The territory comprised Minnesota and western Wisconsin. 
Voting was proportionate to productive area held. 
Assessments, if necessary, should be proportionate to productive area 
held. 
Both voting and membership certificates were Issued — the former an- 
nually upon receipt of a statement of acreage from the local association 
manager or the individual. 
Fines on acreage basis could be collected for failure to live up to the 
constitution. 
By notifying the manager of the central union before March 1st of any 
year any local association or individual was privileged to withdraw from the 
union for the current year. 
Products should be handled on a commission basis, the rate to be set 
by the directors of the union. This commission should be calculated on the 
actual operating cost. 
The government of the union was in charge of a continuous body of 
seven elected directors. The presidents of all co-operative fruit or vegetable 
associations in the state, whether these were members of the union or not, 
constituted an advisory board. 
The board of directors were to conduct the operations of the union 
throngh a manager who was to work on a fixed salary and be answerable 
only to the board of directors. 
The name of the organization was fixed as “The Minnesota Fruit As- 
sociation.” 
