Daily Arizona silver belt., 1908-12-25
COOPERATION AMONG FARMERS


 Anyone reading the annual report of Secretary Wilson can hardly fail to get the impression that the veteran head of tho Agricultural Department is some thing of a farm uplifter himself For twelve years he has labored for the ad- vancement of agriculture in all it's as- poets and for the betterment of rural conditions in innumorable ways. Civ ing an account of his stewardship, Sec retary Wilson declares that during his administration agriculture has made wonderful progress and permanent ad- vances, and that the farmer of the med ium and better sorts, in matters of in formation, intelligence, and industry, has thriven mightily.'' The farmer has solved the problem of national suste- nance by increasing food production, he has developed larger efficiency in what may be called the financial management of agricultural enterprises, and he has established himself and family in pleas anter ways of living. His uplift is not among the things that are to come; it has already arrived.
 We have not the space to dwell upon the many elements of the agricultural transformation MT. Wilson has witness ed in the last dozen years, and to which this department has largely contributed, but there is one of them deserving special mention naccount of its eco homie importance and that is the spread of cooperation among farmers. Con trary to his reputation, says the secrei tary, the farmer is great organizer. It is estimated that the number of farm CTS cooperative associations is 75,000, with total membership of 3,000,000, representing one-half of the cultivable farms of the country. To give an idea of the scope of these associations, we quote these paragrahps from sum mary of the secretary's report:
 ''The lines along which farmers
 have more especially developed CO.,
 operation are fire, live stock and
 nado insurance, with about 2,000,-
 900 policy holders; butter and
 cheese making and selling, irriga-
 tion, the warehousing of grain and
 cotton, telephone service, and CO.,
 operative buying and selling. The
 buying is conducted mostly by CO.,
 operative stores and more nten-
 sively by groups of farmer, who
 buy potatoes, wheat and otfer pro
 ducts for seed, or who buy from
 certain merchants and man,ifactur-
 CTS under an agreement for dis
 count from regular prices.
 Associations to regulate, promote
 and manage the details oI selling
 products of cooperating farmers
 are found in all parts of the United
 states. There is cooperation for
 selling by the growe!s of fruits,
 vegetables, nuts and berries; by
 livestock men, by tfe producers of
 cotton and tobacco, wheat, sweet
 potatoes, flax, oats, eggs, poultry
 and honey. Farmers cooperate to
 sell milk for city supply, to sell
 wool cantaloupes, ceelry, caulifow-
 CT, citrus fruits, apples, and so on
 with long list.''
 In addition to the associations for purely economic purposes, there are many others for educational or social improvement, giving opportunity for ex- change of ideas, and for comparative study of farm methods. The economic associations, however, are destined to play an increasing role in the country's agricultural life. Some of them have come into unpleasant notice by reason of the lawiessness of some of their mem bers in the night-riding districts of the south, but in spite of their lawlessness they have an economic reason for being which will survive when the unruly members have been brought into sub mission. The formation of these asso- citations shows that the farmer has felt the moving spirit of the times, which is cooperation and organization. By closing up ranks he will be better able to hold his own in the economic strug- gle; he will no longer be at the mercy of both buyer and seller. It is move ment of immense significance, both na- tionally and agriculturally.
 MT. Richard Croker says he will nev- GIT return to the IJnited gtatea apajn