Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1912-08-22
COOPERATION IN FARMING,

l desire to express my appreciation and
hearty approval of your editorial, The
Distribution of Population and Prices"
You have here touched upon the most
vital economic problem Of to-day. and
have made clear the important cause Of
such conditions. America is now becom-
Ing aware of the fact that its agricultural
production has not kept its former ratio
to the demand necessary to meet the in.
creased home consumption and permit the
expectation of such quantities as hereto.
fore. The primary cause of this Us that
many producers have become dissatisfied
with their small and uncertain profits
and, leaving the farm. have turned to thu
cities and to other occupations. Thu
condition has existed for several years
but not until now has it become so per
| ceptible to every consumer. 1t now be-
comes necessary to seek remedy. and in
| order to make 1t permanent and effective
| II must come from the people themselves,
| ana not through politics or legislation.
The reason for this drift away from the
| farm is primarily that such occupation
on small scale " generally Improbable.
IN addition to which It Is not attractive
socially, and scientific farming has not
| become general enough to make many
! Farms attractive Intellectually. ! desire
to suggest remedy which l believe
should be considered by every person in.
| terested in this question I refer to co.
operation, a principle which has met SINH
lar conditions heretofore. and Is now ex-
tensively practiced In England. ireland,
France, and all the other European eoun.
tries, signifying as it does mutual, volun.
tary, Organized effort, operating through
| self-supporting Institutions and associa-
! tons. Unlike the various countries of
Europe, America has not heretofore had
any direct reason for resorting TO CO.
operative principles. but the increase in
the cost of living and the proportionately
small adv nee In wages now make such
action ur.t ssury.
| licn.rnr'l le-orted TO agricultural CO.
operation ,ts a direct result Of the loss of
a large portion of her fertile provinces
through the war with Prussia. necess!tat
ing the adoption Of an occupation dairy
farming) which could he operated on
smaller and less fertile area. With France
and the various other countries OF Eu-
rope. cooperation assisted them in adopt
ing a more intensive system of farming,
as they found they could not successfully
compete with the New World in the pro-
ducton of grain. When England and Ire
land found 1t necessary to raise the stand
ard Of their agricultural products in or
der to compete with Denmark and other
countries teven Australia) in their own
markets they resorted to cooperation. and
are now succeeding in their efforts.
Cooperation helps the farmer to pro-
duce moro and better goods. and to handle
and market them at less cost and with
greater efficiency. 1t has organized the
consumers enabling them to purchase IN
large quantities, goods of a known quaint!
and at prices materially less than they
, had Heretofore paid. Moreover. 1t has
brought consumers and producers as
sociations together and enabled them tc
deal direct with each other. thereby
+ eliminating the profit formerly demanded
I by the several middlemen and leaving one
profit Chat to the producer himself plus
y the actual expense of distribution.
Those who desire TO start farming mus
be assisted and advised in locating, ant
a when located. must be helped in nakinf
, their farms profitable. Farming will ther
, automa tically become attractive and IN
-, structive. To make the farm pay, the
farmer must use better business methods
and TO do this most efficiently. he mus
| resort to some sort or a1nllauon Will
! others who are working toward the SAM
n end. Therefore. let him consider the pos
4 sibility of cooperating with others In e
> the purchase Of supplies. CD the owner
$ ship of large equipment, tc) the sale ant
: distribution of their products. and td) a
o a means OF obtaining credit. and see 4
+ what extent he could be assisted by thee
u means
o An association Is In process OF organiza
d ton In this country which aims to carr
out these principles. and has for Its spe
c!hc object the study and promotion
cooperative societies. 1t must be born
j. in mind that cooperative societies mus
,. be self-supporting, and for this very rea
d son It makes such principles hard an
y slow to promote, as there can be not At
- tractive inducements mada to recompsns
A Individual effort in such promotion In ne'
"a localities Therefore, ! believe the Even
=. ing Post is to be thanked for Its clear rea
soning In declaring the importance OF th'
matter, and thereby assisting all oths
efforts working toward the betterment q
the present economic conditions,-H. {
&c Struggled in the New York Post