Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1897-02-02
COOPERATIVE MARKETING Bv
ENGLISH FARMERS.

WHAT THE FARMER HAS RIGHT II
EXPECT OF THE GRANGE.-DIsCUs
sloNs SHOULD NOT BE RESTRICTED
Are the farmers Of England more ad
vanced than we yankees In methods o.
marketing their products? IL Is re
ported that cooperative movemen
has been started by the farmers arount
London to sell their farm products OF al
kinds In that city through agents o.
their own. The plan Il similar to tn
one by which milk Is sold In this eoun
try except that all parties are members
Of one organization, and that TIT
profits are divided among the whole
Collectors will drive over certain routes
daily to collect goods and deliver q,
nearest shipping points. The goods vii
then be sent in bulk by rail at lowest
rates, but In the case OF eggs each mus,
be steuciled with owners name so thai
any bad ones can be traced back to the
owner. A large central station has
been secured In the city for receiving
the products and which will be the head.
quarters Of the organization. Out oi
the profits will be paid the interest on
capital, the balance to be allotted
equitably among managers, employees
aud members. The most promising
feature Of the movement is the fact
that the stock has already all been
taken and the farmers are Ia earnest.
Is there any good reason why New Eng
land farmers should not sell their own
milk to consumers instead Of giving the
control Of Its sale into other hands.
Are we less enterprisiug than our Eng
lish cousins? Cooperation has been q
marked success over there for many
years.
In an address recently delivered at a
grange meeting in Winthrop, Maine,
Past State Lecturer ID. ii. Thing said :
The farmer coming into the grange ex-
poets, and has right to expect, to learn
something about his business. He has
troubles, and casting about for =
remedy he finds he must produce more
chesply, and asks the grange TO tell him
how, and that Is just what the grange
should teach him." Mr.. Thing would
have more practical talks on farm
matters by hard working farmers. He
would have a talk or lecture by q men,
Der appointed for the purpose on the
production and destination OF the corn
crop, another on the oat crop, and
others In turn on the potato, the kitchen
garden, the fruit garden, and another on
the orchard and It's fruits. Then there
would be something TO talk about and
think about between meetings that
would be Of more value to tillers Of the
soil than what they now get. The
grange would then be place TO look
TO for needed Information. II members
are so poor that they grudge the time
spent in the grange and are all the time
thinking about getting home to do the
chores, they cannot get the benefit they
require. II members come together 70
have good time merely, they will fall
OF the great object OF the grange.
make the farmer prosperous" he says,
land you make a man Of him."
Mr.. Things statements are all true,
but they are more applicable TO some
oranges than 70 others. The character
Of every local grange Is just what Its
members make IL. II q large majority
Of the attendants are young people who
think more Of music, theatricals, good
suppers and having a good time general
ly, than Of learning how TO produce
crops chesply, then the time OF the
meetings will very naturally be largely
given up TO exercises Of social char
scter. had supposed that the oranges
81 Maine were less open to such crit
ieism than are some OF those iu eastern
Massachusetts where manufacturing In
dustries predominate. In this vicinity
meetings are mostly in the evening,
while In Maine q large proportion are
held In the daytime and last all day.
This gives much more time for such
work as the grange was intended to do.
have known families in Maine to drive
L. or 20 miles 10 attend q meeting and
that too twice month. I think there
must have been some other object than
mere entertainment 10 have drawn the
farmers that distance. The grange
and board of agriculture have worked to-
gether with commendsble harmony In
that state, and as result the farmers
have already learned to produce their
crops more cheaply than formerly.
There are men there who claim that
tutN Cdu pIOuuSt uutlci ~ ~ SSues !"
pound less and other products In pro-
portion, and this has been made posi-
ble through the influence OF just such
work as Mr.. Thing Is asking the
oranges In his vicinity TO carry on.
The most useful grange, however, Is the
one that keeps In view the needs OF all
its members, young aud old. To simply
know how 10 produce crops chesply Is
not all that is needed TO make farmers
life worth the living. Ii is far better to
be a full, broad-minded man than to be
merely good farmer. The grange as
| know il Ia doing q good deal TO i'm
prove the condition Of country people
In the direction Of higher manhood
aud womanhood. Ii Is really working
for humanity. Human society cannot
attain a very high state until the people
can think clearly upon the many social
problems that are continually coming
up for solution. l know OF no better
place for discussing these problems than
in the grange or farmers club, II bot
tom principles are kept to the front
rather than party divisions. l would
not have the grange neglect field work,
but so long as a man Is Of more conse-
auence than q farm the grange should
not be too restricted In the choice OF
topics for discussion, nor In ways OF de-
yeloping the character Of Its members.-
A. w. CHEEvERi in New England Farm