Tht RURAL NEW-YORKER 
1379 
Membership in the Dairymen’s League 
Co-operative Association 
The spokesmen for the new non-poolers' dairy¬ 
men’s association have raised the question of the 
position of membership in the Dairymen's League 
•Co-operative Association. The statement of their 
reasons for not signing the pooling contract contains 
the following paragraph: 
“The producers who signed the pooling contract have 
been led to believe that they are members of the co¬ 
operative association. This is untrue. They are not 
members, and have no voice or control over the pooling 
association. * * * The relation of dairymen is simply 
that of individuals entering a contract with a corpora¬ 
tion. The association consists of only a handful of 
men. most of whom are self-appointed officers who have 
the right under the contract to make the price of milk, 
to collect for it and take out whatever amount they 
please. They own and control millions of dollars' worth 
of plants and equipment purchased by the producers’ 
money. The dairymen are required to sign away their 
right to an accounting. The form of the organization is 
unbusinesslike and un-American.” 
We did not include the above paragraph in the 
report last week because we did not have time or 
opportunity to get the facts in regard to the member¬ 
ship at the time. A subsequent interview with Pres, 
ident Slocum and Attorney Bradley Fuller supplied 
the missing information. We are frank to say that 
it was our impression from reading the association 
literature and from attendance at meetings that the 
dairymen who signed the pooling contract were mem¬ 
bers of the association, and that the spokesmen of 
the non-poolers were mistaken in their facts. This 
was simply our impression, but it was an error. The 
pooling dairymen are not members of the associa¬ 
tion. The members of the pooling association are 34 
iti number. They are composed of the 24 directors 
and the other members are former directors. Presi¬ 
dent Slocum and Mr. Fuller both say that 
this is the membership of the association and that 
they never said anything to lead anyone to think that 
the pooling dairymen were members. It was not the 
policy of the organization to give any such impres¬ 
sion. and they were not aware of any statement 
made to convey the idea. 
The association was organized in March, 11119. by 
12 men who became directors.. Some of these were 
directors of the Dairymen’s League; others not. 
Later the latter class resigned. The number of 
directors was increased to 24. and the places were 
all filled by the directors of the Dairymen’s League. 
The fiscal year ends March 31, and the annual meet¬ 
ing is held in June. The meetings are not public, 
and the question of public meetings has not been 
considered. Plans are under way to incorporate 
local and regional associations and through them to 
elect the directors. Some dairymen seem to be 
confused over the functions of the two organiza¬ 
tions. They have identical boards, but the function 
of the League now seems to be limited to holding an 
annual meeting and electing directors. It also yet 
has the duty of selling milk for the non-pooling 
members, but practically this is done by the pooling 
association. The plants and equipment are owned by 
the association and the business is all done by it. 
We think we voice the sentiment of dairymen 
in saying that there should be no division in their 
organization. The disputing interests should come 
together man fashion at the annual meeting, discuss 
their problems in the open, and come to a plan on 
which all can agree. The longer a split remains 
open the wider it is likely to grow, and unity is 
essential to an efficient organization. The whole 
world is now turned to conciliation and friendship. 
If there is any internal fighting armor in the mem¬ 
bership of the League, now is the time to scrap it. 
We suggest a committee of disarmament. 
The Farm Bureau and Farm Prices 
The meeting of the American Farm Bureau Fed¬ 
eration at Atlanta. Ga., on November 25, will be a 
great event in American economic life. The Farm 
Bureau in its present form may live for years, or it 
may he reorganized along new lines. That is for the 
future to decide, for any great organization repre¬ 
senting American agriculture must grow and adapt 
itself to changing conditions. The point is that from 
this time on there must be some great agrarian 
organization to represent farmers. We have now 
reached a point where such an organization is a 
necessary part of farm life. There nave been in the 
past several great waves of agricultural discontent. 
were all called into being by what the farmers 
considered injustice in marketing and distributing. 
Our old friend, the 35-cent dollar, has always been 
the powerful force to organize these movements. 
Men of middle life have seen the Grange, the Farm- 
e?s’ Alliance, the Populists, the Non-Partisan League 
and others rise and wane. The Grange alone has con¬ 
tinued. It was felt by many that with the rise of 
the Farm Bureau, the Grange would slowly disin¬ 
tegrate and pass out of active work. The reverse of 
this seems to he true. The Farm Bureau has not 
attempted to do the educational and social work 
which the Grange has conducted for many years. 
The spirit or “pep” of the younger organization has 
aroused the “salt” of the Grange, given it new vigor 
and, as we think, insured its life. The Farm Bu¬ 
reau must remember that it owes its life and vig- 
oious action largely to the Grange. There has al¬ 
ways been an element of discontent and criticism of 
industrial conditions among our farmers. Naturally 
it found its chief expression in the West, where con¬ 
ditions were cruder and where political prejudice 
and habits were not hardened as in the East. The 
Farmers' Alliance and the Populists gave expression 
to this discontent, but they went after results in a 
way that shocked the conservative elements of so¬ 
ciety. They were too radical to be constructive, but 
the work they did was not lost. The Grange, after 
its earlier years, settled into a more constructive 
policy, and for 40 years it has been slowly develop¬ 
ing a culture and study of economics which is now 
bearing fruit. Just as for hundreds or thousands of 
years primitive man slowly developed a language 
in which to express his thought, so it may be said 
the farmer, through the Grange, has slowly con¬ 
structed a case against the interests which for years 
have held him at a disadvantage. The Farm Bu¬ 
reau has fallen heir to this long and patient work 
and has been able to capitalize it as the Grange prob¬ 
ably could not have done. Both organizations should 
be maintained. They are both needed. The Farm 
Bureau must remember that its members have not 
created power. They have harnessed a tremendous 
force which has been developed for them during the 
past 50 years. If they do not handle it wisely or in 
a purely democratic manner it will pass on to other 
hands, but now it will never stop. The student of 
economics and of the development of co-operative 
power should find much to interest him at the big 
Farm Bureau meeting. 
Farmers and Comparative Incomes 
Figures sent out from Washington state the fol¬ 
lowing. said to be based on yearly averages: 
Comparative levels of farm prices, farm wages, rail¬ 
road wages and union wages in other industries since 
1913 are shown in the following table, all data having 
been reduced to index numbers, using 1913 as a base 
represented by _00: 
1913 1914 1915 
Railroad wages (average 
employee compensation). 
Class I railroads. 100 105 109 
Union wages, other indus¬ 
tries (72 trades). 100 102 103 
Average farm wages. 100 99 100 
Combined crops and live 
stock prices (farmers’ 
gross compensation). 100 103 98 
19161917 
113 129 
107 114 
109 137 
119 185 
1918 
Railroad wages (average em¬ 
ployee compensation) Class I 
Railroads . 189 
Union wages, other industries (72 
trades) .:. 133 
Average farm wages. 171 
Combined crops and live stock 
prices (farmers’ gross compen¬ 
sation ) . 207 
1919 
1920 
1921 
227 
272 
288 
155 
199 
202 
235 
i92 
213 
185 
122 
These were prepared at a time when the railroad 
strike was threatened. Mark the drop in income for 
various classes of workers during the past three 
years! It has been hardest for farmers. Every 
other class has nearly held its own or gained, while 
the farmer’s income has slumped. Yet he has not 
declared any “strike.” but has kept right on at his 
job of feeding the country. IIow can he be expected 
to have sympathy for men better paid than he is, 
who would take our transportation system by the 
throat in order to serve their own interests? The 
threatened strike was not ordered because the men 
found that there was no public sympathy for them. 
They succeeded in holding up any reduction of wages 
for at least six months. 
McIntosh Apple at a Banquet 
Over 700 of the leading business men of Boston had 
the success of New England apple-growing directly and 
forcibly called to their- attention at the annual dinner 
of the Boston Chamber of Commerce Monday evening, 
November 7. 1921. At each plate there was an attrac¬ 
tive, highly colored and delicious McIntosh from the 
famous Marshall orchard at Fitchburg. Mass. Ringing 
every table in the room and each apple capped' with a 
gay-colored placard, many of the men immediately 
crunched into* -theirs as a fruit, course and then pro¬ 
ceeded with th. ,dinner. The McIntosh flavor was just 
the appetD"' quired evidently, for after partaking of 
every coins", iOBres called for a second to take home for 
breakfast. 
These apples, with the enclosed card attached, were, 
we believe, a novel advertising idea for New England 
fruit. It showed representative business men of Boston 
and Massachusetts that they need not go to Missouri or 
the Far West for good fruit. The proof of the pudding 
is in the eating, and the eating showed that perfect 
apples, with a distinctive flavor, could be obtained right 
at their doorstep in New England. 
LAURENCE A. UF.VAN. 
Here is a copy of the little blue placard mentioned 
above: 
A NEW ENGLAND APPLE 
This McIntosh Apple, as the taste will tell, 
has exceptional flavor and quality. 
NEW ENGLAND CAN GROW GOOD APPLES. 
IF YOU WANT FLAVOR BITY AND USE 
NEW ENGLAND APPLES. 
The Agricultural Council is encouraging 
Fruit Growing as one of the sound New 
England Farming Industries. 
This advertising scheme is a good one, and might 
well be imitated elsewhere. The eye and the mouth 
are the two well-travelled routes over which we may 
hope to reach the average men. A McIntosh apple 
carries a ticket over both roads. In years gone by 
Baldwin stood for the best that New England could 
do in the apple line. Now comes McIntosh—a hardier 
grower and with finer flavor. It well represents 
New England. A Yankee has no business to seek 
other varieties when he can find a McIntosh. New 
England should become as famous for the production 
of these apples as California or Florida are for 
producing oranges. The plan of serving them as 
the first course at all banquets is great. 
State Farm Bureau Federation Meeting 
The sixth annual meeting of this organization was 
held at Syracuse, November 11 and 12. In general, the 
federation will continue and amplify the work it has 
conducted so successfully in past years and emphasize 
those factors which have arisen as real problems or 
vital issues in New York State agriculture. 
One of the most signal steps taken was in the thor¬ 
oughness with which a program calling for efforts to 
secure continuation of the campaign for eradication of 
bovine tuberculosis was adopted. In four separate reso¬ 
lutions adopted unanimously the federation pledged its 
own influence to secure an adequate institution, both 
federal and State, for the work; called on the national 
federation to give tuberculosis work a prominent place in 
its program, and called on New York State federal legis¬ 
lative officers to support the emergency appropriation 
bill introduced recently by Representative Dan Reed 
of Dunkirk, carrying $600,000 to complete this year’s 
work, and on county officers to write to legislators call¬ 
ing for support of the bill. 
A new sheep and swine building at the State Fair 
grounds, and support of the barge canal erected at great 
cost by the State, were the subjects of other important 
resolutions. In tin* program adopted, work to place 
county federations on a .$5 fee with permanent member¬ 
ship has a prominent place. Another valuable sphere 
of work to be taken up is given to the marketing and 
transportation committee, headed by .7. B. Pease of 
Gasport, and with L. R. Simons of Ithaca as secretary. 
That is investigation and aid in improving marketing 
conditions for State bean growers. Beans are a valu¬ 
able and large crop in New York, and it is believed 
that organization could improve the value of the crop 
to growers immensely. 
The report of the marketing and transportation com¬ 
mittee by Mr. Pease pointed out the trend of farming in 
New York State at present toward greater concentra¬ 
tion and centralization, thus eliminating wastes of time, 
money and effort. Among other things he recommended 
the establishment of a legal bureau acquainted with 
agricultural organization and laws, of a department in 
traffic and freight, and a division to handle research, 
advertising and publicity. Mr. Pease also advocated 
establishment of a general advisory committee, its mem¬ 
bers to be representatives of each of the co-operative 
associations of the State now functioning. The value 
of such an organization in supervision of new organiza¬ 
tions. in securing publicity and in correlating organized 
effort in the State was pointed out. It is easily possible 
to think of other valuable uses. 
Other committees will carry on the work of the past 
year and such work as arises falling within their sphere. 
The legislative committee was instructed to keep close 
watch on all measures influencing agriculture, and be 
prepared to go before committees or officials at Albany 
with full facts concerning farmers’ ideas on any impor¬ 
tant. measures. The organization committee will have 
plenty to do in seeking the 1922 goal of 70,000 members 
and affiliation in 55 counties, besides its regular work 
of promoting permanent membership and more suitable 
fees. The educational committee will co-operate with 
the Committee of Twenty-one on rural schools, and 
establish means for securing more publicity concerning 
the federation’s activities; it is hoped this publicity will 
reach and acquaint city residents with the aims of agri¬ 
culture as well as farmers. 
Some of the very finest parts of the two-day session 
were the two-minute reports of delegates concerning 
activities in their various counties. In the first place, 
it was highly amusing to hear each one claim emphati¬ 
cally that his county was finest in the State. But the 
main thing was the admirable record of progress each 
one reported. Better seeds, better cultural methods, 
better livestock, better marketing conditions, and better 
everything in agriculture is the rule of the day in County 
Farm Bureau work, and concrete examples of results 
showed achievements that are undoubtedly worth thou¬ 
sands of dollars to members. 
Iln election of officers, S. L. Strivings of Castile was 
re-elected president. Enos Lee of Yorktown first vice- 
president, B. W. Miller of Owego second vice-presidnet, 
and H. S. Fullager of Penn Yan succeeded himself as 
director. B. W. Mather of Adams was elected treasurer 
in place of H. C. McKenzie, who was relieved of his 
duties because of the pressure of his work as an official 
of the national federation. 
Mr. Strivings, Mr. McKenzie and Mr. Miller w r ere 
elected directors of the A. F. R. F. and delegates to its 
annual meeting in Atlanta, Ga.. November 21, 22 and 
23. Other delegates to the Atlanta meeting are: Roy 
Shepard, Batavia; T. S. Cross, Lagrangeville; Frank 
Salisbury, Phelps; Lincoln Gardner. Horseheads; F. A. 
Torrance. Ausable Forks; Kenneth Harsh. Canastota; 
Walter Kimmey. East Schodack; and T. T. llussou. Jr., 
Pomona. b. l. v. 
