Woodruff County news. [volume] (McCrory, Ark.) 1901-1910, 1909-01-21
Farmers Educational
AND
Co. Operative Union
OfAmerica
Get Into the Game.

40
the excitement Of the game as for the
winnings. Even good men like to
put up quarter or half a dollar on a
game or horse race lust to make it
more interesting" We are all gam
blers. Life is game of chance and
skill combined. We are either win
ming or losing stake. Some put up
moey (speculators), some put up am
bition (politicians), some put up their
time and energy along wiah financial
outlay (farmers). They all take
chances on winning or losing. The
Spectator must play the game as
stock gamblers play it. The politi-
clan must play the game as politi-
clans play it. The sports" must be
sporty or get out of the game The
farmer must stake his all on the
weather and insects and all that
makes farming a chance, and play
the game as the best farmers play it.
Every business man takes his chances
In competition with others in the same
line. Farmers, see here, you are too
absorbed in playing your own game
to watch the others play theirs, but
you are contributing to the jackpot
hand In the game that settles who is
to pocket the winnings Directly the
situation is thus: You raise the grain
and stock. the tobacco, cotton and
wool for the other fellow to gamble
over in boards of trade, they take
your stuff at what figure they please
and play with itsas a cat plays with a
mouse. You have some needs that
cannot be homegrown or homemade
Nearly every one Of these is controlled
by trust and you pay what they
please to charge. You all know this
So you are demanding remedy. Diff
ferent societies of farmers are seek
ing to remedy the marketing end. Co.
operation is the key. Why do you
pay more than things are worth? Be-
cause the other fellows are bound to-
gether into associations that protect
the trade. Why can't you sell at a
profit too? Because you are not
bound together. Follow natural laws.
Backfire as when a prairie fire or
forest fire is sweeping down on you.
Fight fire with fire. Fight organiza-
ton with organization. Let producers
and consumers get closer together. 1t
Is the middlemen that are the key
to the problem. When they quit fight
ing each other they have the situa-
ton cinched. You need coal. Your
local dealers belong to the coal deal
ers' association. He is slave Of the
coal trust, hence you pay 81 to 81 per
ton more than coal is worth. GO
operate" You need dry goods, shoes,
etc. Your local dealer belongs to the
mercantile association, hence you
pay from 20 to 200 per cent more than
goods are worth. Cooperate" You
need hardware. buggies, wagons, farm
ing tools. Your local dealer is in the
merchantile association, hence you pay
form 10 to so per cent more than hard
ware is worth. Cooperate" You
need -four, meat. lard, sugar, coffee.
etc. Your dealer is in the grocers'
association, hence you pay from 10 to
40 per cent more than they are worth.
Cooperate"
Well" says one. "it's easy to say
that local dealers are robbing and
getting more than goods are worth.
but the whole shebang is operated by
one trust and we can't get them from
anyone not in the trust" Yes, you
can. There is an independent dealer
for all your needs. Hunt them up"
If you approach one of these Cant
help yourselves" fellows, say to him
l am making up a carload of coal,
feedstuff, flour. salt, or a carload of
coffee, barrel of sugar or syrup and
can save you on coal 81 to SO per
ton or rs cents per 100 pounds in
feedstuff, 80 cents per 100 in -four,
60 cents per barrel on salt, 20 cents
per gallon on syrup, etc. He will say
am afraid" it is not good. Then
tell him that 1t is guaranteed by the
manufacturer to you and he will say,
Eyes, Mr.. Jones (local dealer) guaran-
tees his stuff and | havn't got the
money now" Then tell him it does
not take any money until the goods
arrive and he will say, 81 guess I'll
not order any today" l do not need
any just now. bought some yester-
day, etc. There is no competition in
local dealers associations and their
game is a winning game. Let us get
into the game Of fighting fire with
fire" and it will revive the old adage
Competition is the life of trade"
Get into the game and cooperate and
the mortage will be a sure thing of
the past in an alarmingly short time.
Get into the game and win.-H. A.
Collins, in National Co-Operator.