The Green Forest tribune., 1910-04-15
VITAL NEED OF COOPERATION
Organization of Almost Every Kind and Class of Commercial Life
 Compels Farmer to Act.

! Business men of the city work to- sether; those of the country act in dependently, These statements are true only in a general way. The req son for the cooperative spirit among
 city business men and the lack of 1t in rural communities is not far to seek. The former is constantly deal ing with other people; his daily work
 brings him in contact with them in a business way. This constant relation develops a confidence in his fellow men that will readily grow into an organization or association when it is shown that economical results can be obtained On the other hand, the farmer does not deal with men so much as he deals with nature and with things. His daily work takes him to the fields or among his stock or in the orchards. The major part of his attention is demanded upon the farm. Incidentally, he sells his products to the city man; occasionally he deals with his neighbors, but when he deals with the city man, the conditions gre made conventional for the farmer and there is no initiative demanded on his part. If he buys grain, stock or land or other property from his neighbor, the business relations are the same as when the city man deals with his patrons, but such transactions are so few that it does not develop in him that spirit of business confidence noted in the city man. It Is therefore easily understood why the farmer has been the last man to make use of CO., operative enterprises The very con- ditions of his life have kept him from it. He has not been educated to it and it Is folly to assume that he will with one stroke, organize his busi- ness with that of his neighbor in such way as to eliminate much of the expense and disadvantage he is put to in carrying on his trade relations. Nevertheless, it is essential that the spirit of cooperation be developed. Organization of almost every kind and class of commercial business compels the farmer to organize with his neigh DOT farmer. It must come as a mat ter of protection. but in order to do this successfully. the farmer must have confidence in cooperative or ganizations lest they fail. The confi- dence can only be developed by be- ginning in a small way. When he re- alizes that there is real benefit to be derived and that it is possible for him to work together with his neighbors after some specified plan, then he can undertake larger things. but not until then.
 It would seem, therefore, that the greatest good can be done our rural communities by encouraging farmers to organize to carry on their business in small way only, to start with. and that as their education along this line is developed, larger undertakings can be started. It would also seem that any attempt to begin a very compre- hensiye organization, one that incurs great deal of responsibility from people who are not accustomed to CO., operative enterprises, would not only be unWise but would ultimately be a detriment in that their failure is al most assured, and such failure would make those participating in the under. taking, as well as others, very reticent about attempting cooperation even in small way. It is not our purpose to despise the farmer and eXalt the the city man; we only wish to en- courage the former to acquire, even before necessity demands, what the latter has already developed to a con siderable degree. To fruit growers the idea should appeal particularly strong