Tht RURAL. NEW-YORKER 
1519 
The Co-operation Convention at 
Washington 
T O one famliar with tin* slow development of 
the co-opera five spirit in this country for the 
past half-century, the National Council of Farmers 
Co-operative Marketing Association in Washington, 
I >. c., last week was an inspiration. When one 
lecalls the hesitating coolness of both farmers and 
public men generally to the group principle in agri¬ 
culture as late as six years ago. and with the records 
of his experiences fresh in mind, sits in with these 
recently converted enthusiasts, he feels like pinching 
himself to make sure that it is all a reality, and 
not a dream of his lifelong hopes. 
The meeting consisted of representatives of co¬ 
operative marketing associations from all over the 
United States, from Maine to California. It in¬ 
cluded everything from peanuts to cotton, tobacco, 
and wheat, poultry, dairy products and live stock, 
wool, potatoes and fruit. While nor exclusive in 
attendance, the controlling factor in the meeting 
seemed to he a number of associations with which 
Mr. Aaron Sapiro was connected as organizer, and 
for which lie is now attorney. The magnitude of 
these enterprises is apparent from the intimations 
that Ids law offices have an income from these 
sources of $400,000 annually. These associations 
are uniformly constructed on the centralized typo 
of organization. There is one central corporation, 
and tin* producers hold shares or membership in it. 
The rules of the credentials committee excluded rep- 
lesentatives of organizations which are composed 
of federated decentralized local associations, like the 
California Fruit <4rowers"' Exchange. 
The officers of the various Organizations present 
at the meeting did not belong to the working produc¬ 
ing type of fanner. Some of them were undoubt¬ 
edly producers, but largely they represented the 
business and professional and bankers’ type, with 
farm interests on the side. They were an especially 
strong, intelligent and progressive type of men. full 
of enthusiasm and pep. and. as far as one could 
.iudge. absolute sincerity. These men have seen the 
hopeless, demoralizing and degenerating effect of 
the factor system of marketing cotton and tobacco, 
on the life and character of the actual producers, 
and they have revolted against the deplorable con¬ 
ditions that have existed under their own eyes. In 
the live stock, dairying and grain sections, as well 
as in the fruit and vegetable regions, business men 
in a position to observe and know the effect of the 
recent depression in these industries have come 
to realize that the farm product has only 70 per 
cent of the buying power it had before the war. and 
that a loss of buying power by the farmer must 
mean a loss of sales to the merchant, the tradesman 
and the manufacturer. They have come to realize 
at last wlmt is meant by the expression that agricul¬ 
ture is the basic industr.\ of this country, and that 
if the foundation or base of our industrial structure 
crumbles the whole structure will tumble to the 
giound. And so they came forward in a commend¬ 
able spirit to help the farm get a square deal in the 
produce markets. 
This collective or group movement is nation-wide. 
It is entirely similar to other movements that fol¬ 
lowed Industrial depressions in the past, if if is 
more intense and widespread than other movements 
have been, it is only because of the comparative 
extent and intensity of tiie present depression and 
the more complete change of view resulting from the 
late war. 
The danger is that it may go too fast and too far. 
Thoughtful men begin to observe the tendency of 
tlie new converts to the co-operative creed to plunge. 
They expect much of the new system, and may 
easily promise more than they can deliver. The 
new movement promises to change the method of 
marketing the basic farm crops as if should. The 
change is being worked out in the name of the farmer, 
but be seems to have little to do with it. and little or 
no control of it. When a commodity is to be organ¬ 
ized. and the organization should be lmilt on a 
commodity, a centralized corporation is organized 
and agents are sent out to "sign up the producers" 
< n a contract obliging him to sell all ills products 
for a term of years through the organization. A 
contract on these lines is necessary that the associa¬ 
tion may serve him. The farmer produces the com¬ 
modity and delivers it according to contract, and in 
time receives bis returns either at one time or in 
installments. lie lias little else to do. and knows 
little, if anything, about the business end of it. If 
the management is capable, and experienced and 
honest, lie gets a fair return. If tin* management 
does not possess these finalities, and there have been 
such managements, lie may fare no better linaneially 
than before. As yet the movement is young. It 
could not he fairly criticised if the first year or two 
did not give all the results expected. What is im¬ 
portant is whether or not the policies pursued are 
likely to work out permanent success. All agree 
that final success depends on the man who is pro¬ 
ducing the commodities on the farm and his activity 
in the association and in his loyalty to it. but their 
machinery of organization does not give him a par- 
ticipatihg interest in it. Co-operatiou implies that 
farmers act together to bring about results for their 
mutual benefit. In these cases the acting is all done 
for them, and they have little or no part in it. 
While these altruistic, experienced business men are 
at the head of their associations, all is well, but 
with returning prosperity these men will return to 
their own affairs, and unless farmers are intimate 
with the work and control it. they will not be able 
to do it themselves and may lie dependent on others 
with less altruistic purpose than their present lead¬ 
ers. It may be necessary to adopt the centralized 
system in some instances. There may be sections 
in the South where the decentralized System of 
local associations, with all control in the hands of 
the members, is not practical: but if so. it departs in 
a vital degree from true co-operation, and the excep¬ 
tional situations do not justify making a national 
system of this centralized type of group-controlled 
organization. 
The subject of farm credits received a great deal 
of attention at the meeting. It was discussed by 
delegates and legislators and bankers. The subject 
is receiving considerable attention in Congress, and 
the prospect for a farm credit bill this session is 
most promising. The principal feature of it will 
probably be to authorize the Federal Reserve Ranks 
to discount farm paper of a nine months’ maturity. 
The notes and hills and acceptances will first be 
discounted at the local banks. It is not likely to 
have as much of a co-operative feature as we had 
hoped for it. 
In the discussion it devolved on Mr. Carver of 
the Painxi/lrintitt Fnrnirr and Mr. Dillon of The 
Kcrai, New-Yorker to state the relation of the agri¬ 
cultural press to co-operation. They agreed that 
the farm papers persisted in teaching co-operation 
when it had few followers, and rejoice now that 
the tiny light they kept burning for so long lias now 
burst out into a glowing flame. The farm paper 
supports co-operation as an agency of service to the 
farmer. The farm paper, however, can publish only 
what it believes to be the truth, and that only when 
it is for the best interest of the farmer. It wants 
all the facts. It must have the discouragements 
and failures as well as the successes and triumphs. 
It cannot support failures, nor can it indorse would- 
be leaders who never made a dollar for themselves, 
but who believe they have a commission to make 
farmers rich over night. The farm paper should be 
taken fully and completely into the confidence of 
the co-operative leadership, that it may be in a 
position to render the best disinterested service. 
With Sr. Paul, the farm paper knows that there 
are things which are true and lawful, which are nor 
expedient. It will be discreet. If the general inter¬ 
est is best served by omissions, the farm editor can 
be trusted to use the blue pencil on copy. There 
need, however, he few secrets in co-operation. There 
can l»e no real co-operation until the farmer controls 
it. and he cannot intelligently control it without 
full information. The farm paper can best furnish 
this information. If it lias access to the facts it can. 
in its independent position and with the confidence 
of its readers, avert false rumors and champion 
the best interests of the organization. 
A tentative national organization was formed so 
that the question of a permanent national organiza¬ 
tion could be considered by file existing State and 
regional associations. The suggestion is to keep an 
office in Washington, with a secretary, and to tax 
the associations in proportion to membership to meet 
the expense. There are at present at least six farm 
organizations now with offices in Washington. Of 
course, all the expense comes out of the farm, and 
some sober leaders begin to think that this multiple 
organization work has gone far enough. If a farmer 
is a member of the <1 range, Farm Bureau and the 
Wool Growers' or Dairymen’s League, lie would pay 
to keep four different offices going in Washington 
to look after agriculture. The one important func¬ 
tion of co-operation is to shorten the distance be¬ 
tween producer and consumer -economy in distribu¬ 
tion. Organized machinery is necessary to this end. 
but there is a limit to the number of hired men a 
farmer can pay on the farm or elsewhere, and we 
venture to suggest the hope that the associations 
will find a way to harmonize efficiency with economy 
at Washington. 
The Conference of Dairy Groups 
IIE need of the proposed conference of the four 
dairy groups in the New York territory is more 
urgent than it may seem to lie on the surface at the 
present time. Already the supply has caught up 
with file demand. The shortage of some weeks 
back lias disappeared. Soon flic surplus will appear, 
and it must be considered before the flush of the 
spring supply if the producers’ interests are to be 
protected. 
In the present situation none of the groups is in 
a position to cope with the situation. It is generally 
admitted that the pooling association has lost the 
power of making the price, and in the situation that 
has developed the multiple price plan cannot be 
maintained. No producer will feel badly about that 
because it is a dealers' measure at best. In the 
present situation it tends to lower the price of liquid 
or (’lass A milk because the higher the price is made 
to fit this class, the better for the groups that have 
little or no surplus, and the lower must he the pool 
price compared with that of the other groups. The 
suggestion made for the correction of this difficulty 
is fur the association to reduce the price to the 
level of Class 4. so that the price of all would be 
on the basis of butter and cheese values. In plain, 
direct language this is a price-cutting policy between 
dairymen in the different groups. Every dealer 
would insist on the lowest price any of his com¬ 
petitors paid, and the result would be the lowest 
possible level for all. It would be hard to improve 
this course if a deliberate plan were proposed t • 
cause dairymen millions of dollars in losses, and to 
reduce the dairy organizations to a state of com¬ 
plete chaos. 
The different groups may well preserve their own 
policies in local affairs. They need not surrender 
a single principle. The group idea has much P 
recommend it. The management of each will be in 
competition with the others iu economy of local de¬ 
tails. and the comparative monthly returns will act 
as a check on extravagance and an incentive for 
efficiency and economy. 
The conference can work out a plan to take care 
of the surplus; to fix necessary differentials: to 
increase consumption through advertising and other 
means: and in general to do as much to stabilize 
the producers’ end of the business as the New York 
Milk Conference Board does for the dealers. 
Fortunately the leaders of the groups are now 
agreed on the need of the conference and the pros¬ 
pects are that it will be held early in January. 
Ti e have discussed it in detail because we are 
firmly convinced that the permanent success of co¬ 
operation depends on the part taken in it by the 
men on the farms. It will find accurate information 
is necessary before they can take an intelligent part 
in it. Organization for dairymen is here to stay. 
I.et no one deceive himself otherwise. But the 
nearer it is kept to the men who milk the cows, the 
better it will serve them. 
New York State Notes 
.The Empire Stare Federation of Beekeepers’ Co-oper- 
ative Associations met at Syracuse on December Iff f r 
their annual meeting. The session was held ar the 
Joseph Slocum College of Agriculture at Syraeu-- 
1 Diversity. Dean Reuben L. Nye opened the morning 
session with an address of welcome. He was follow--i 
by a discussion of the various phases of merchandizing 
beekeepers’ products let C. L. Baldridge of Ivemlai.i' 
II. L. Gray of 1 orf Edward spoke on Slate and Federal 
laws relative to the production and marketing of bee 
produets. It. 15, \\ ilson outlined a program of work 
for the federation. Following a luncheon at the College 
of Home Economies the delegates were addressed by I.. 
J. Byers of Markham. I.)r. George G. Atwood of VI- 
hauy. and I». I.. Woodard of Clarksville. W. .1. 
Birdsall of Albany, II. II. Root of Medina, t and N. 
E. Stevens of Venice Center. In the evening the dele¬ 
gates attended a banquet at which Charles Stewart Was 
-■ master. The business session of the asso 
was held on the morning following. 
1 here was one New York State man elected to the 
directorate of the American Farm Bureau Federation 
at its recent annual meeting. This was Frank M. 
Smith of Springfield Center, Otsego Comm. Mr. 
' i h has beei - »>tsegn Bureau for a 
number of years. lie was one ■ the original committee 
that worked out the idea of the American Farm Bureau 
Federation. In addition to his farms that are located 
in Otsego County. Mr. Smith has landed interests in 
North Dakota, lie is also active in the State Guernsey 
Breeders’ Association. 
The early orders for fertilizer are coming in unusu¬ 
ally abundant, according to chose who are close to the 
fertilizer trade. The handicap which the manufacturers 
are confronting at the present time relates to cars, ir 
G hoped that this situation will be improved before the 
Spring rush season comes on. 
The closing in of Winter has left many up-Siute 
communities iu very poor shape with regard to water. 
Man) springs and brooks have started ihe Winter dry. 
This is ;m unfortunate condition for farmers who ar 
wintering considerable live stock. 
Farmers in those counties where there was a -peril! 
cop weather forecast are commenting on it with grear 
favor. In Orange County there have been estimates 
ranging from $20,000 ro $2.7,000 as the savings whir!; 
farmers enjoyed because of the fact that they were 
members of th especial weather forecasting ring. 
E, a. r. 
