Ihe RURAL NEW-YORKER 
897 
Can There Be “Too Much Democracy?’’ 
Somehow I can't help but feel that thin “democracy” 
business is being carried just a little too far. There 
seems to he a great demand for leveling things. And 
■Hie worst of it is they want to bring all down to the 
lower rather than the higher level. Co-operation is it 
line thing so long as ir. does not wipe out the individual. 
The personal striving of the individual is the life of 
trade, of society and of the nation. If we succeed in 
pooling our individuality we will have a pretty flat 
pond. 
Wo Had it good many people reasoning in just 
about that way. They believe in the principles of 
co-operation, but they also recognize the immense 
value of independent character and thinking. In 
former years the great power of the farmer lay in 
l:is individuality and independence. It has often 
been shown that these very qualities represented a 
form of political weakness, yet there was a strength 
about them. too. It cannot be said that the average 
labor union presents an ideal association for farm¬ 
ers. Those unions have given workmen power t<> 
enforce their labor demands or to defy the public if 
need be, but they are killing out individual ambition 
and teaching selfishness. While for a time farmers 
might make more money by imitating the labor 
unions, the larger outcome of such a policy would 
be about the worst thing that could happen to the 
country. Tt is true that we shall have “a pretty flat 
pond” if we strike a situation wherein all country 
people arc put on a business level regardless of their 
capacity or ambition. The truth is that co-operation 
is, or should be. one of those inherent desires or 
natural instincts of the human mind to group or 
bunch together for safety. We expect that before 
that idea is generally recognized there will lie hun¬ 
dreds of attempts to force people into combinations 
which ought to be formed spontaneously. Most of 
them will fail for two chief reasons. There will 
always be a little group of strong men to seize the 
machinery and run it in their own interests. Then 
there will be a larger group of undisciplined mem¬ 
bers who will for one reason or another rebel and 
join with the common enemy to weaken the organi¬ 
zation. These things have usually happened and 
will continue to do so until men and women can 
carry the true family idea into business combina¬ 
tion. in the old-time family John might make a 
lawyer. Henry a farmer, Fred a doctor, Mary a 
teacher and Ellen a nurse. They could maintain 
their individual character and yet retain their family 
confidence and work together. 
The Local Co-operative Association 
In his address on farm marketing problems, at a 
recent meeting of extension workers at Amherst, 
Mass.. Dr. II. C. Taylor, chief of the new Bureau of 
Agricultural Economies in the Federal Department 
of Agriculture, emphasized some principles of farm 
co-operation in the following contribution: 
Some years ago I visited O, II, Kelley, the father of 
the Grange movement in Gos country, and asked him 
the question. ‘‘lias co-operation among farmers been a 
success?” His reply was, "Locally, yes.” My inter¬ 
pretation of his statement was, essentially, this—that 
where there are reasons, such as the necessity of accu¬ 
mulating capital ami establishing an institution like ti 
creamery or an elevator to perform a marketing func¬ 
tion locally, or when* if left to individual effort a mon¬ 
opoly charge would be made for the service, we find the 
most fruitful field for co-operative undertakings as a 
means of avoiding monopoly charges and providing an 
efficient local marketing system. 
When we shift the scene, however, from the local mar¬ 
ket where the farmer comes in contact with the co¬ 
operative institution from day t<> day. as in the case of 
the creamery; and every time lie delivers grain, as in 
the case of the grain elevator; and knows what the man¬ 
ager is doing and is in a posit ion to give adequate super¬ 
vision to the co-operative undertaking, the situation 
changes. In the distant central market where the farmer 
understands less of what is going on. rarely comes 
in contact with those who are serving him. and is not 
in a position to supervise carefully the work that is be¬ 
ing done, the probabilities of success in co-operative 
undertakings are very much lessened. 
There is probably opportunity for further develop¬ 
ment of co-operation beyond the local undertaking. 
Where farmers have the understanding of the problems 
involved and possess the business sagacity to do so. it 
may be practical in many instances to federate locals 
for selling purposes. This has two advantages. First, 
ii provides for a greater uniformity of product coming 
from the different local units. Second, it provides for 
a common sales agency in putting the product on .the 
central market, even though the present agencies in the 
central market remain as they are. In general, whether 
organized farmers will be aide to take over the market 
function# by organizing themselves into groups ami hir¬ 
ing men to perform services for them, instead of leaving 
it to independent middlemen, depends upon the relative 
efficiency of the two systems. Fnless new capital is 
needed or an excessive charge is being made. It Is 
doubtful whether the hired man working for the group 
of farmers will be able to operate successfully in com¬ 
petition with the independent operator who depends for 
his compensation upon the effort which he puts forth. 
1 cannot leave the question of co-operation and or¬ 
ganized efforts on the part of farm 'rs without giving 
some attention to the question of prke fixing as an ob¬ 
jective in the organization of co-operativt marketing. I 
am thoroughly convinced that just to the extent that 
this motive is kept in the foreground and the hope of a 
monopoly price for farm products is a dominant motive 
on the part of farmers in entering co-operative organiza¬ 
tions, the movement is doomed to fail. Agricultural co¬ 
operation promoted and organized in the spirit of ex¬ 
tortion, in a spirit of price fixing on tt monopoly basis, 
or, in any way in ihe spirit of “doing the other fel¬ 
low" is doomed to fail. 
Agriculture includes too large a proportion of the 
total population to prosper without the prosperity of the 
nation as a whole. If may be that a small industry, like 
the plumbing industry, may operate on a basis of ex¬ 
tortion for many years because its total annual returns 
are a very small, almost negligible, percentage of the 
national weal Hi. But agriculture—the greatest of in¬ 
dustries—can prosper only if the nation prospers. 
Another reason why co-operation looking to price con¬ 
trol is not likely to succeed is that, in order to control 
prices it is necessary to control the supply, and those 
who are familiar with the independence of the Ameri¬ 
can farmer do not believe that he is likely to submit 
himself to central control with regard to the number of 
acres of each crop which he may plant. Even if this 
i ontrol were exercised, nature is so dominant a factor in 
determining the supply in any given year, fluir thp con¬ 
trol of production is out of the question. Furthermore, 
if the human and physical factors involved in production 
could be brought under control, it would not be permis¬ 
sible under any political plan which is likely to exist in 
Ibis country. The more vital to human welfare the pro¬ 
duct is. the less tolerant are consumers of a monopolistic 
control. This means that successful co-operation must 
he based upon efficient services to the other fellow at a 
fair price, even though its prime objective be the wel¬ 
fare of the co-operators. There is a large field for agri¬ 
cultural co-operation based upon this principle. 
Examples of Real Co-operation 
There are something more than G50 farmers’ co¬ 
operative live stock shipping associations in Minnesota. 
These have been the outgrowth of dissatisfaction with 
the old system of supporting one or more stock buvers 
in every community. The old system was extravagant 
because the time of the buyer, his expenses and jus 
profits were all an economic waste, and entirely un¬ 
necessary. Fader the system of co-operative shipping 
the buyer and his profits are eliminated, and the pro¬ 
ducers get. all the stock will bring on the market minus 
the freight and commission charges. 
Something like a year ago the idea that a federation 
of the co-operative live stock shipping associations 
might be able to take the place of the commission man 
al the terminal market took root, and the result was 
that the Central Co-operative Commission Association 
began doing business last August on the South St. Pan] 
market. The records of the State Railroad and Ware¬ 
house ('ommission show that this new agency handled 
-L424 ears of stock between August S and December 31. 
This was a larger volume of business than was handled 
by any other commission firm during the whole 12 
months of 1921. 
At the close of the first five months the association 
announced a 25 per cent patronage dividend, which 
amounted to $19,124.22. This was $2,849 more than 
the total paid capital of the association, and constituted 
a return to the farmers of one-fourth of all the money 
fhey had paid to the organization for selling their live 
stock. The actual saving to the farmers was about 
twice the amount of the dividend, because the associa¬ 
tion had handled their live stock at commission rates, 
approximately 25 per cent lower than prevailing 
charges. 
Records show that the average cost per car for 
handling live stock by private firms was $14.50 at the 
time the new association began business. The cost to 
the central association in August averaged $10.90. This 
cost was reduced in proportion as the business grew. 
In September it was $9.54, in October $7.50, in Novem¬ 
ber $G.45. in January $0.24. 
As was to have been expected, efforts were made by 
interested parties to discourage farmers from marketing 
their stock through the new agency, and bad reports as 
to the management of the central association were cir¬ 
culated in different parts of the State. This led to an 
investigation and a report in the Minnesota Farm 
Bureau Federation. The following is their report: 
"After going over the market reports and the reports 
of Government officials and others who have no possible 
interest in promoting co-operative marketing, we find 
the following to be true: 
"1. That the Central Co-operative Commission As¬ 
sociation. handling live stock solely in the interests of 
the farmers themselves, is obtaining full market value 
for the stock it handles. 
“2. That the Central Association is handling live 
stock just as efficiently as any private firm, and doing 
it at considerably lower cost. 
“3. That the Central Association is saving the 
farmers of the Northwest many thousands of dollars 
ir: cost of marketing by literally having forced com¬ 
mission rates down. 
"4. That it is saving additional thousands every 
month for its patrons by efficient, economical methods 
which have enabled ir to ser aside $4N.000 in surplus 
in the first five months of 1922 after paying out more 
than $19,090 in dividends on January 1 this year. 
"5. That it has achieved at least one result never 
before attained by farmers in the Northwest, in that it 
has hel|ied to stabilize the live stock market at South 
Sr Paul, has brought the South Sr. Paul hog market 
closer t<i the price level of the Chicago market, and 
enabled farmers to ger more for their hogs at South St. 
Paul than was being paid at other Western markets. 
"G. That this result has been brought about by the 
handling of a large amount of business by oue firm, 
this firm being conducted by farmers in the interest of 
farmers. 
"7. That if co-operative live stock shipping associa¬ 
tions throughout the Northwest will provide a larger 
amount of business for their terminal agency by sending 
all their shipments to it continually, the live stock pro¬ 
ducers of the Northwest will have an opportunity to 
exert a powerful influence on the live stock market and 
reduce fluctuations t" a minimum." 
In addition to the savings mentioned above, the asso¬ 
ciation has been able to make large savings to farmers 
In handling stacker and feeder cattle. The agency sells 
stackers and feeders direct from farmer producer to 
farmer buyer. Ibus eliminating profits formerly made 
by the commission men. j. m, drew. 
A Review of Farm Conditions 
The Middle West is not The R. N.-Y.*s main terri¬ 
tory. but we have many readers there. They are usually 
intelligent and broad-minded people with a good 'under¬ 
standing of the way conditions in one section react 
upon another. We have been gathering facts and 
opinions from such people regarding the outlook for 
farming. Farmers on the upper Atlantic dope have 
never felt the depression as it was felt in the Middle 
West. The Eastern farmer is not usually a speculator. 
Laud values are well fixed and settled, and the banks 
do not, as y rule, carry much farm paper. In the West 
prices for farm land were “boomed” beyond all reason, 
and when the prices of grain and live stock fell it was 
like the end of a big speculation, leaving the banks with 
a flood of farm paper on hand, which they could not 
collect even by foreclosure. The plight of these farm 
speculators created conditions which reacted in every 
part of the country. On the Atlantic slope farmers 
have not been in such difficulties. Most of them have 
received fair prices and have been in fair condition, but 
they suffered iu reputation because most city people 
seemed to think that when farming is mentioned only 
the Middle West is concerned. Conditions in the East 
look better. The wet season has been favorable to pas¬ 
tures and hay, which helps the dairymen. Most other 
crops promise to be short, which should mean fair 
prices. Thousands of our farmers have cut down ex¬ 
penses. Many of them are just doing what they can 
with family help, seeding down more and more of their 
land. With fair prices, which now seem probable, the 
average Eastern farmer will he in a good position. 
Business meu have not seemed to realize that all through 
the "depression” the Eastern farmer has been a buyer 
with money to supply his wants. As for the Middle 
West, our reports vary, but on the whole the spirit is 
hopeful. Most farmers seem to think the worst is over, 
and that trade will adjust itself to new conditions this 
Fall. There are some pessimistic spots, and some that 
seem' too optimistic, but take a fair average of our 
reports thus far. and we must conclude that conditions 
in the Middle West are getting better every week. 
An Agricultural Survey in St. Law¬ 
rence County, N. Y. 
During the Summer of 1921 an attempt was made 
to gather some figures concerning farmers in the 
vicinity of Gouverneur which might be of value in 
shaping the agricultural course in the high school more 
adequately t*» meet the needs of the community. Some 
of the facts obtained from the 57 farms are given here. 
An attempt was made to get a survey of all farms 
within a radius of five miles of Gouverneur. but. a con¬ 
siderable number, due to the rush of work, did not give 
the desired figures. 
• )f the 57 farms visited 32 were operated by-the 
owners, three were cash-rented. 17 were share-rented. 
Owners prefer ro share-rent, as a rule, probably because 
of the greater oversight possible on their part. A few 
tenants prefer to cash-rent, because they believe they 
are able to get a larger return for their labor and 
managerial ability. A definite relation between size 
and renting was. clearly shown. Only three farms 
under 100 acres in size were rented, while 12 were 
owned. Six over 200 acres in size were rented, while 
five were owned. It is probable that the owners on 
small farms do not make enough to retire. Tenants 
cannot make enough on a small farm to live and pay 
rent. Therefore most small farms are operated by 
their owners. Twenty-eight farms were between 100 
and 200 acres in size, approximately 50 per cent of 
those visited. 
This is a dairy section, and probably the farms sur¬ 
veyed are better than average, because they are all 
reasonably close to a village, and the majority are on 
good roads. Fourteen farms reported grade cattle, 22 
reported grade Holsteins. 11 reported grade Ayrshires, 
three reported purebred llolsteins, six reported pure¬ 
bred Ayrshires. Some farmers prefer Ayrshire#, be¬ 
cause of their better utilization of rough pasture, but 
the llolsteins are equally popular. Some very fine 
herds of both breeds are not included in the figures 
given. 
Thirty-seven farms had over 20 cows. The special¬ 
ized nature of the farming here tends to make fairly 
large herds the most profitable. Milking machines are 
almost always found on farms which have over 20 
cows, and have been a big factor in helping the labor 
situation. It is possible for a man to raise crops to 
feed a greater number of cows than he can conveniently 
milk by hand. 
Poultry is becoming more popular here. While some 
people are expecting an over-production of poultry 
products, it would seem reasonable to expect that New 
York Gity will buy all the first-class eggs produced in 
New York State in preference to buying them from 
Western States. The quality has not always been 
good, but is improving, at least in this locality. Fif¬ 
teen farms reported more than 75 hens, which was 
arbitrarily placed as the dividing line between a farm 
flock for home use and a business flock. The majority 
of the larger flocks arc White Leghorns. 
The average milk production of those reporting was 
between 4.500 and 5.000 lbs. Three averaged less than 
2,000 lbs., while one herd averaged 10,000 lbs. Con¬ 
siderable attention is being given to better breeding, 
but not enough men are interested, and there is still a 
long way to go. Better sires, and more rigid culliug 
of low producers, will help to make dairying more 
profitable. h. l. cosLink. 
Can You Answer This? 
You people are always talking about the 35-cent dol¬ 
lar. I came across a case recently that has you beaten 
a mile. My wife was in a store in Watkins when a 
huckster brought in 20 or more bunches of vegetables, 
and the grocer paid him five cents each. She wanted 
a bunch of asparagus, anil asked the price. Price 25 
cents each! Needless to say. he did not sell, but some 
poor town dweller will probably ger stung. 
My April milk netted about 2 1 -j cents per quart. 
Post of production about 4 cents; brings from 12 to 
lG cents in Newark. My cows are due iu August, and 
are drying off. Eight quarts of this milk actually 
makes 1 lb. of butter, worth 49 cents locally. Burterfat 
same according to cream buyers. What is the reason 
a lug organization like the Co-operative Dairymen can¬ 
not obtain a living price? There is no surplus any¬ 
where, and butter is iu demand. b. l. Hathaway. 
Schuyler Go.. N. Y. 
Season in this locality is backward. Trees are just in 
full leaf. Field corn is being planted and gardens made. 
Oats are generally up, but not many potatoes planted 
yet. Late frosts have spoiled most fruit trees in the 
hover country, but this vicinity is in a higher altitude, 
and frosts did not occur here, consequently fruit buds 
are looking fine : trees bloomed full. Our Summer guests 
are beginning to arrive, there being several cottages 
owned by our city friends, besides two hotels. The 
sugar crop did not amount to much this year; most 
people think it does not pay for time and trouble to fuss 
with it for price received. • p. 
Bennington Co., Vt. 
