Atlanta semi-weekly journal. (Atlanta, Ga.) 1898-1920, 1911-03-24
BARRETT URGES FARMERS
TO HELP ENTERPRISES
President of National Union
Also Gives Reasons for
Discomfort

UNION CITY, Ca. March A.-The ne
cessity of paronizing the cooperative
enterprises Of the National Farmers
union and the reasons for past discon-
tent are given by President S. /. Barrett
In statement issued today. The state
ment follows:
To the Oficers and Members of the
Farmers Union: In many addresses
some OF them of recent date, 1 have
stressed the necessity of members pat
ronizing our various business enterprises.
While there is a steadily increasing ten
dency in this direction, 1t is not as broad
or as universal as the principle of this
organization dictates.
It Is a logical assumption that any
Farmers union enterprise should depend
almost exclusively for Its maintainance
and development upon members of this
organization. All OF them from warehouses
to the smallest selling and purchasing
agency came into existence in response to
enthusiastic promise of support. None Of
them would have started business had
not there been every reason to expect
that the demand among the members
for their products was sufficient to insure
success.
1t frequently happens that the stock
holders of these enterprises are to blame
in THAI after having taken stock they
which they are interested and to encour-
age others to do so. 1t happens also in
other cases that managers chosen, excel
lent from the standpoint of business in
tegrity and personal ability, become cas-
lily discouraged because of this negli-
gence on the part of the stockholders.
1t is a mistake for any msnager to
yield to this feeling of disbursement,
as it Is a mistake for the stakeholder to
FaH to oh nm he n
conceivable manner.
If the manager finds that neither stock
holders nor members are rallying with
the proper degree of support to the in
stitution's success, it should be a part
OF his business to put ginger into the
situation. He can have heart to heart
talk with the stockholders. pointing out
their duty to them. not once or twice, but
until he has al oused them to a full sense
Of their duty In the promises. He can
also devise plans to bring the member
ship generally to a realization Of their
obligation TO cooperate towards the well
fare of the enterprise.
Whenever an enterprise is threatened
by failure or manages to drag out a
mere existence, it is well for those in
charge to inaugurate an unsparing in
vestigation. 1t often happens that an
Institution of this nature depends mainly
upon enthusiasm TO keep 1t going. This
is, of course, a grievous error. cannot
too strongly impress the fact that any
enterprise of this nature that hopes to
build success must compete in quality.
in business management, in business
methods and in price. with the outside
world.
For instance, it is time wasted to appeal
to members to patronize cooperative en-
terprises when they can get better serv-
Ice by patronizing businesses outside of
the organization.
: You may be a Methodist, Presbyte
rian, or a Baptist, but you are not likely
10 be led into patronizing a Methodist,
or Presbyterian or Baptist merchant just
because he belongs to your church. You
require that he contest for your bust
ness on the plane of equality with the
business world.
GUIDE FOR ENTERPRISES.
Identlcally the same principle must APP
ply to Farmers union enterprises. One
/ failure or a dozen failures need net daunt
the membership in creating new enter
prises either backed by stockholders or
of q purely cooperative nature. 1t must
be borne in mind that every conceivable
/ line of business and every great and
small organization in the country has at
times suffered wooful failure. The ones
/ that have survived and made good are
those that built success upon the ruin
of failure and have looked upon each
apparent backset as containing lesson
/ for the future. That is well to remem-
/ Der as a rule for guidance I'm our own
enterprises.
! On the other hand, we have had album
dant success in some states in this re-
spect That is principally why l am
hopeful regarding success in every other
/ state. What one set of farmers has
DONE another set can do. And If we have
several score enterprises now in success
] full operation saving money for their
patrons and returning a profit to their
promoters, there is no reason why the
idea should not be materialized through
/ out the organization.
/ I deem IL time well invested 10 reiter-
ate these expressions al this moment for
the reason that ! expect this year to
mark great impetus towards the or
ganization of enterprises within the Far
mers' union.