879 
The Dairymen’s League and Its Problem 
A Small Man Lost In a Big Job 
A CA^ilPATOX OF ILL WILL.—Heretofore :Mr. 
R. D. Cooper’s petty jealousy and ill-coneealed and 
unpi’ovoked envy has been a matter of observation 
by bis associates, and a snl)ject of jest among them. 
No one heretofore charged liim with the degree of 
malice and misrepresentation displayed in bis recent 
personal attack on n.s. It is believed by men who 
know him that bis petty vanity and envy have been 
capitalized by more astute minds to divert the 
tbongbts of farmers from reform measures, and par¬ 
ticularly to prevent a State-wide organization of the 
Federation of .\gricnltni-e. 
PROPACANDA P.Y CIRCTHvAR.—Air. Cooper has 
adverti.sed bis malice in a series of (drcnlars that he 
has mailed to onr friends :ind customers all over 
the country, but be has not bad the courage or the 
manhood to mail them nmler bis own name. The 
circular sent to onr' customers in Bo.ston. Chicago 
and elsewbei’e. could do bis case no good. They 
could have no purpose except a deliberate and pre¬ 
meditated attempt to do us harm. In its small and 
stupid way it is the same spiteful spirit that inspired 
the German Kaiser to despoil Belgium, to sink the 
Lusitania, and to de.secrate the bodies of unde¬ 
fended children and helpless prisoners. The sons of 
American farmers are fighting that rntble.ss .si)irlt 
in Europe; and Mr. Cooper is practicing it here in 
luxury with the money, hard earned and contrihnti'd 
by farmers to sell milk. 
CHANGING HLSTGRY.—In the.se circulars Air. 
Cooper goes back two yejirs to change history on 
the milk fight. Several men claimed credit for the 
success of that fight. Air. Cooper claimed it in an 
editorial of the League News. He now accuses ns 
of demanding all the credit. At this late date we 
think it a matter of indifference who did it. AA'e 
decline to argue that point. But when Air. Cooper 
charges us with claiming credit for a service that 
we did not merit we feel justified in asking him for 
definite proof. Onr writing has been voluminous 
on the milk subject and we challenge him to produce 
a single sentence to ju.stify his assertion. Every¬ 
body knows that it was the enthusiasm and determi¬ 
nation of producers that made that fight pos.^^ihle 
and succes.sful. The leadership is a matter of record 
and observation. Mr. Cooimr will hardly dai'e deny 
that he several times acquiesced in the repeated 
assertions of his associates that the fight could not 
have been won without the strong and powerful heJit 
of the State Department of Foods and Alarkets; 
hut as soon as he got into control of the League, 
and while the membership Avas demanding its con¬ 
tinuance and sni)i>ort. Air. Cooper nsed his i)osition 
as president of the League to destroy the Depart¬ 
ment. But if it will soothe his troubled little soul, 
let us give him full and exclusive credit and put the 
subject to rest. 
ATT.VCKING I'.VST RECORDS.—In his d'entonic 
circulars Air. Cooi)er would defame a record of 45 
years of service in a single paragraph. He says 
we proclaim ourselves as friends of the farmers, 
and pretend to assist them in organization, hut we 
reall.v are their enemies, fi'hat at least has the merit 
of oi-iginality, and as we believe Air. Cooi)er never 
originated a thought or idea in his life, v>'o conclude 
he has some brilliant, if not truthful, mind as an 
associate in meanness. Air. Cooper and his asso¬ 
ciates put the sole conduct of the milk fight in onr 
hands two years ago. 'iA’e had a record then of 
forty-odd years heliind us. 
At the re(piest of the committee we formulated 
the policy and the plan for the League at a 
meeting in Utica on Septend)er (5, 1010. It was ac¬ 
cepted and adopted as the League plan policy there 
and then without the change of a letter. It was or¬ 
dered printed by the committee and directed to he 
read at schoolhouses and farmers’ meetings in .all 
the milk sections of the State. It is the only definite 
liolicy ever adopted by the League as far as we 
know. The milk fight was fought and won on it. 
Mr. Cooper has since abandoned it without author¬ 
ity from anyone, to curry friendship and favor with 
the milk trust, hut how does he justify putting all 
this important work in the hands of an arch enemy 
of fjirm organizations’' 
.\ BOOR SHOAA’ING.—AVe shall not pursue Air. 
f’ooper’s malicious circular farther at this time. 
In so far as he is concerned the purpose of it is to 
draw attention from things he does not Avant farm<*rs 
to think about. ’Phese things are his indolence, his 
incompetence, his extravagance, his unwillingness to 
.sexwe all members alike his failure to develop an 
outlet for milk, his recent attemi)t to deceive mem¬ 
bers as to losses on surplus milk, and his proposition 
Oic RURAL. NEW-YORKER 
to sell the only city plant farmers control to Bor¬ 
den’s, to load farmers Avith a purchase contract for 
their AA-orn-ont plants and to giA'e the trust an un- 
disi)uted monopoly of cit.y distribution. In this 
connection there is significance in the fact that he 
lijis expressed a purpose to get into the city milk 
l)usiness. if he should lose the League job Avhich 
he says he is Avilling to drop because he controls a 
milk business. 
THE AIATTER OF SALARY.— Practical husine.ss 
men I’iite Air. Cooper as a .$20 to $25 a Aveek man. 
He refuses to shoAV the records, but the information 
is that he voted himself $150 a Aveek out of the 
League and draAvs $50 a Aveek out of the C’ountiy 
Alilk Company, or .$10,400 a .A'ear. It is also repoited 
that he lives at a first-cla.ss citA'' hotel in company 
Avith high Borden’s ofiicials, travels much, and 
charges all to the League. .Tu.st Avhat his total ex¬ 
pense is AA’e do not knoAv. He refuses access to the 
records. 
PAYING FOR SERVICE.—Alemhers of the League 
are Avilliiig to pa.v liberally for competent service, 
but a larger element believe that Air. Cooper is too 
siimll for the job. They believe him narroAv and 
selfish, as aa-cH as incomi)eteu't. d’hoA' chai-ge his 
Avilliugness to destroA’ the Department of Foods and 
Alarkets. his o])position to the Towner bill, and his 
oiyposition to the tlevelopmeut of ;i ])lau to organize 
the League on a business basis, as actuated by ])ettA' 
selfi.sh interests Avhich he put ahead of tlu best in¬ 
terests of producers and the League. AboA-e all the.v 
feel that the real Avork of develoi)ing the League to 
.sell milk and increase the outlet for it is eutirelA' 
neglected because of Air. Cooper’s uuAvillingne.ss to 
do anything to displease the big dealers. ’Fhe milk 
trust is going ahead and tightening its grip. Air. 
(’ooper develops no capacity or Avillingness to cope 
Avith them. He has no fixed policy or jArinc-iples ex- 
cc'pt to ]>acifA' the dealers. He is driv'en by them 
from one expediencA' to another; but lacks a com¬ 
pass to dirc'ct him in a stead.v direct succes.sful 
course. 
SUPPRESSED ABILITY.— Mr. Cooper took pos- 
ses.sion of the organization at its first meeting after 
the fight, and by previous arrangement ran the steam 
roller over some of the biggest and ablest men Avho 
helped put the I/C'ague on its feet. He has giA’en 
them no oiiimrtunity to help shape its course since. 
These men are not looking for recognition or place. 
.\ny time thcA' could give the I,eague AA-ould he a 
Avilling sacrifice. A big man at the lumd of it Avould 
invite and Avelcome their council and help. It is 
only a small man Avho fears big men in his council.s. 
Air. Cooper Avas ready to criticise and depose other 
])re.sidents that .stood in his way. Noav Avith him.self 
at the head, he would make a feti.sh of the League'. 
'I’ho king can do no Avrong, leastAvise Avhile he is the 
self-imposed king. 
FRIENDS OF THE LEAGUE.— We have never 
had any personal dispute or quarrel Avith Air. Cooper. 
AVe have none noAV. In Alarch, 1017, Avhen the ex- 
ecutiA'o committee Avas in trouble, Avhen its oavu legal 
advisor said it Avas sitting on the lid of a volcano, 
and did not knoAv it, the members of the committc'e 
came to us, protested their api)reciation and confi¬ 
dence and asked for advice and help. They got it 
then and the threatened danger Avas averted. We 
Avould do the same thing today and Air. Cooper 
kuoAv.s it. 
AIUTTLAL CONFIDENCE.—Usually Ave take our 
readers into our confidence promptly. It is our busi- 
)»ess to knoAV Avhat is doing, and our duty to keep 
our subscribers infoi-med in things that concern 
them. If Ave neglected to do .so, and calamity fol- 
loAved, they AAmuld have a just cause of complaint. 
We are human, and Ave no doubt err at times on one 
side or the other, hut our purpose is the best possible 
service. Our record must be the measure of our 
success. In this particular case we have he.sitated 
in the hope of avoiding friction. We yet Avithhold 
information to prove Air. Cooper’s business incom- 
petency because Ave fielieve Ave serve the best in¬ 
terests by doing so. But Air. Cooper has precipitated 
the discussion by alloAving himself to become the 
spokesman of a class of men AA'ho scent <langer to 
themselA-es in a farmers’ revolt against abuses, and 
in doing so he has brought out the ditferences that 
(‘xist. AA’hile Ave hoped to see them adjusted quietly, 
pt'rhaps it is as Avell to have it out noAv. The success 
of the League depends largely on the confidence of 
its members. ’Fo maintain that confidence they must 
luiA’e full and complete information. Tiny luiA'e not 
had it so far. This is not a problem to he solved by 
personal vitupei'ation or Teutonic ruthlessness. If 
Air. Cooper in his vain purpose could destroy us, the 
l)rohleni Avould remain. It needs friends in its conn- 
cil.s, and Air. Cooper has introduced his enemies. 
Some big men in the organizatiofi. Avho are not satis¬ 
fied Avith the present regime, have suggested a con¬ 
ference to Avork out a definite policy and plan to i)ut 
the Avork on a sound husine.ss basis. They cannot do 
it any too quick. If such men undertake it they Avill 
relieve the present situation and make the Dairy¬ 
men’s League Avhat our fondest hope h.is been to see 
if—the greatest cofiperative farm organization in 
the AA'orld. 
Mutual McDermott Dividend 
George A^ S. AA''ilIiams, Esq., the receiA'er of the 
AIutual-AIcDermott Alilk Corporation, has just sent 
(>ut checks for an extra dividend of .20% for the 
creditors of the corporation. This makes a total of 
4.0% to date, and Mr. Williams hopes that the final 
dividend will reach 20% more. He has been espe¬ 
cially successful in collecting the accounts and in 
selling the property, only two small country cream¬ 
eries are left on his hands. It is seldom that a failure 
of this proportion is handled AA'ith .so much skill and 
interest in favor of creditors. It is certainly an in¬ 
novation in the handling of milk prohlem.s. 
Our Mixed Population 
In several parts of Noav York the problem of trying 
to assimilate ncAv elements of popnlation has been 
brought home to the “old familie.s.” There are some 
counties Avhere up to a foAV years ago it could be 
said that 00 per cent of the inhabitants Avere “pure 
.Americans.” It is hard to tell just Avhat that means, 
for most Americans carry a mixtiu’e of the blood 
of one or more European nations. Usually, Avhen 
speaking of this, it is meant that an “American” is 
a direct descendant of the sturdy people Avho, three 
or ff»ir generations ago, took up farms in the Avilder- 
ness and developed them. The grandchildren of the 
men aa'Iio conquered the AAuId land call themselA'es 
members of the “old families.” Noav in a number 
of interior counties these families have not been able 
to hold the land. The families haA’e groAvn smaller 
Avith each generation, and they luiA'e produced law¬ 
yers, doctors, teachers and business men rather than 
farmer.s. Thus it has happened that miiny rural 
toAvnships have lost in population, Avhile thousands 
of acres of good land have gone out of production. 
Now comes a neAv army of pioneers to take this land, 
and the “old families” face a ncAV problem. There 
are immigrants from the West, hack-to-the-landers, 
•leAvs, Irish, Finns and others from the north of 
Europe. They are impelled by much the same motiA’e 
AA’hich sent the earlier settlers into the AA’ilderness— 
the hunger for land and the desire to make a home. 
'Fhe.v all take up the idle farms and make them pro¬ 
ductive. change the character of fjirming and also 
shake up and change the old Avays of life. It is not 
likely that any other class of people at present Avill 
take these farms and deA’eloj) them. In most cases 
it mu.st be confessed that the “old families” are in¬ 
capable of doing it. The change is nnAA' going on 
rapidly in several counties of Noav Y'ork. and nothing 
can stop it. It Avill he a good thing to repopulate 
these hack districts, and those Avho rightly call them¬ 
selves Americans may Avell direct the movement and 
come to the front in social leadership. 
Great Value of Lime 
There should he five tons of lime for each ton 
of commercial fertilizer used in the Atlantic 
States. There are many sections Avhere the lime 
need of the soil is greater than any other, and Ave 
must forget the idea that fertilizers or even manure 
Avill supply every need of the soil. There are many 
.soils naturally deficient in lime, and long-continued 
cropping has nearly exhausted the available supply. 
.Such soils must have lime in order to do their best, 
and eA'ery natural deposit of lime should he investi¬ 
gated and utilized if possible. A bulky crop like 
lime, in these time of inadecpiate freight seiwice, 
cannot he projmrly transported, and Ave must depend 
more and more on local depo.sits. Lime clubs are 
iK'eded all over the Eastern States, and Avhere there 
is any lime deposit Avorth Avorking a good lime 
crusher Avill proA’e invaluable: in fact, the lime 
crusher anyAvhere near a lime quarry ought to rank 
AA’ith the threshing machine in service to the farmers. 
AA’e shall find more and more as time goes on, the 
great need of lime on our Eastern soils, and so long 
as the Avar lasts the transportation of lime Avill be 
a hard problem. If there could be found a deposit 
of available potash Avithin 50 miles of a given farm, 
evei-y energy Avould be spent to make use of that 
deposit. In many cases lime is (.)f more importance 
to the soil than potash at this time, and every ledge 
of lime ro<’k should be xitilized to the limit. 
