The Pascagoula democrat-star., 1912-08-16
An Example For The South.

Suppose we had In each county IN
the South two cooperative creameri
es, one or two farmers cooperative
banks, and one or two cooperative
societies for the sale OF poultry and
truck: such a development would cor
respond TO what has been accomplish
ed 10 Ireland.
or course, all this has not been
brought about In day. The move
ment started away back In 1889 when
Mr.. Horace Plunket began to tell the
Irish farmers that what they needed
was less politics and more business
or at any rate, good deal more bus.
mess along with their politics. For a
long time his voice was as that OF oOe
crying 10 the wilderness. He beld ff-
ty meetings and pleaded with fifty
different groups OF farmers, asking
each group to join 10 some co.opera'
tive business organization, before a
single enthusiastic response varied
the long monotony OF deaf-eared fail
ure. But Mr.. Plunkett was an Irish
man terribly In earnest; and anybody
who is terribly in earDest is likely to
90 a]ong way-especially II he is an
Irishman.
The Irish farmer, at that time, was
the joint prey Of landlords and ''gom-
been-men, the latter phrase being
use to describe a class OF credit mer-
chants whose exorbitant time prices
kept the poor peasants In virtual
slavery, What profit the landlord
did not get in the shape OF rent, the
"gombeen-man got when the money
for the farmers products came 10.
Or, to be exact, l should say that the
credit merchant took the farmers
goods at prices named by himself, and
credited them on the farmers account,
and about all the poor soiltiller knew
was that he was getting deeJer and
deeper into debt all the time. 1t was
our blood.suckng ''credit system" OF
even more abominable form; and the
''gom been-men," furnishing not only
supplies, but liquor as well. often took
further advantage OF the peasant after
getting him full OF drink.
In word. middlemen were absorb
ing all the profits Of the irish farmer.
Nothing was done directly There
was circuitous route from the farm.
er's produce to the city consumer,
with tolls taken all along the way;
and there was IA circuitous route be.
tween the fertilizer. maker or imple-
ment-manufacturer and farmer pur-
chaser, with tools taken along the
way.
Another thing that Sir Horace saw
& say Sir Horace because the King Of
England has since knighted Mr.. Plum
kett in recognition OF his great ser
vces) was that II the farmers were to
succeed, they must organize and co.
operate. Only considerable number
OF farmers working together could
sell their products to advantage-a
small farmer cannot profitably ship
dozen or two eggs or pound or two
of butter or basket or two OF vege-
tables, whereas, it is very different IL
a hundred farmers together wish to
ship their eggs, poultry, or truck-and
they must work together along very
business-like and scientific lines. He
saw that the farmers were suffering
not only because the middlemen's tolls
were excessive. but also because their
failure to unite prevented them from
giving consumers uniform, high
quality products. He declared they
must furnish zone good kind OF butter
not many samples OF bad and good
kinds; uniform fresh egg-nOt doz
en- stale ones OF different shapes and
sizes, with occasional fresh ones rub
bling shells with their dingy neigh
bors," and that they must furnish
regular supplies at regular intervals
not three long weeks OF famine and
then a week OF surfeit.
"Better Farming, Better Business,
Better Livine"-this was the three
fold program which Sir Horace pro-
posed for slreland: more productive
methods, better methods OF
buying and selling, and a richer rural
life. Aud he kept everlastingly at it,
in season and out Of season. After
fifty meetings he got one society
started in 1889, and 1890 ended with
1ut another one being added to this
lonesome first one. But 10 1891 the
number jumped to seventeen next
year there were twenty-five; next
year, thirty; next year, thirty-three:
and then the day Of small things was
over. ln 1895 the number OF societies
doubled; 10 1896 the one hundred
mark was passed; in 1885, the two
hundred marx; in 1899, thesfour hun
1red mark-and now there are more
than eight hundred.-Clarence Poe,in
The Progressive Farmer,