The Manchester journal. [volume] (Manchester, Vt.) 1861-current, 1912-01-18

lry may be found cooperative organi
cations Of farmers many 81 them very
successful But there Is no state wide
system Of cooperation 10 any state
simply separate unafiiliated societies
some 81 these we shall briefly aiude
70, but they are not necessarily the
largest Or most successful There are
hundreds Of others. but these may be
taken as an Illustration Of the large
work done.
In the middle west the cooperative
grain dealers movement Is assuming
large proportions. II Is said that there
are over 200 farmers grain compa.
mics organized and that they are saw
Ing the organized farmers S60,0oo.0o0 a
year. This estimate Is on the author.
fly Of The president OF the Grain Deal
ers' association OF Illinois The states
Of Iowa, Minnesota and South Dakota
have more than 500 farmers elevator
companies with total membership 81
1900 farmers,
The Summer Fruit Growers associa-
ton OF Puyallup, Wash, has 700 mem.
bers. who shipped last year 020o0
crates OF raspberries and about 5000
crates OF blaekberries, its own canning
plant using 10000 crates OF the former
and 1900 crates OF the latter The
total sales were over 100000 crates Of
all fruits This association was organ
tied with capital OF $4,000 IN 200
shares. In 0athe. Kan, Is the Farmers
Cooperative b0nk. where stock is held
at $500 per share. II pays a dividend
OF 80 per cent per annum The Farm
crs' Fire and Tornado Insurance com
pany In the same place carried $1,000.
600 In risks. and the cost OF insurance
Is So per $1,000. In Upland. Kan,
three mutual companies have head.
quarters-a mercantile corporation. a
telephone company and an insurance
organization. The company has $500
members. The store Is so profitable
that shares are quoted at $3.50 The
telephone company serves 1900 per.
sons, mostly farmers. II Is remarka
BILE success
In the east there are also many co.
operative enterprises. and these are
mostly among the oranges This is
one important feature OF their work on
IFS business side Massachusetts Pa
irons organized cooperative assocla
lion with a capital stock of $4,000. In
less than year 1t handled 100 car
loads Of grain, IL carloads OF -four, 500
tons OF fertilizer. for which II paid
altogether over 100000 and In so do.
ing saved over $4,000 on the pur.
chases
One of the most prosperous co.opera.
tive organizations In the east Is the
Turner Center (Me.) Dairying asso.
citation. Here are some figures OF Its
operations for thirteen months ending
Jan. ], 1911 Total receipts from sales
OF butter, cream. milk. etc, were ST.,
35,22562. Eggs, trade and miscella
neous brought the total up TO ST.
50,4346G. Patrons were paid sl.433,
329.95 for cream and milk and SG2,
023.s5 for eggs. The total expenditures
we're 81 ,Gi5,62525. The creamery paid
farmers for cream delivered In the
month Of December S70,9l5.90 The
assets OF the company are S303, S7372.
In Houlton. Me-, the grange store
and grlstmill did a business of $780,
s56.s9 last year The cost OF operat-
ing the plant was Si,352.3l The
three grange insurance companies Of
the state carry S20,0o0.000 in policies
on farm buildings. 1t may be said
Just here that the grange fire insur-
ance companies are saving thousands
upon thousands Of dollars to members
every year. For instance, the Dutch
ess and Columbia Patrons Fire Re
lief association in New York carries
2,753 policies, all on farm property,
the total risks being SG,si2 500. 1t
cost $l.G5G.7i to run this organization
last year apart from the Losses paid.
The average annual assessment for
Twelve years past has been S1.80 per
81 600. The secret OF the success Of
this Kind OF farm insurance is the
slight expense for operating the busi-
ness Other similar Insurance coinpa
MES In New York are those In Wayne
county. carrying Ss,765.s27 in lnsur-
ance: the Herkimer County assocla
ton, Si173.429; steuben and Living
ston Patrons Fire Relief association. |
Si.035.0o0 The Jefferson and Lewis
County Patrons Relief association Is
the greatest grange cooperative fire |
insurance company In the United |
states. II carries over $500 policies. |
e0yering insurance 10 the amount Of /
slJ .234. 1875, and has over $4,000 in It's
II has written nearly 90 |
900 policies since its organization and |
Insured over s53.3s0. 900 Of farm prop. |
rrty. Nearly every grange state has
these Patrons FIRE relief associations. |
saving thousands OF dollars annually
TO the insured
The latest idea In cooperation seems
10 have been adopted In Ohio. where
an entirely new plan Of farmers buy
ing and selling has been inaugurated
10 Portage county. A large warehouse
has been erected at Ravenna, O., at a
cost Of $4,000 The owner IL to get |
4 per cent for the use Of the building,
and be pays the taxes The member.
ship Of the corporation has been lin.
tied 10 900 actual farmers, each one Of
whom owns $50 worth OF stock. which
entities him 20 one vote. He may own
more shares, but he can have but one
vote. He may sell bis share to anotb
er farmer, but only on the majority
vote Of the company The concern
pays no dividends There are no sal.
aries or commissions except the store
keeper. manager aud helper, who draw
small par. The executive committee
Is also board OF auditors and meet
each week. All goods are supplied
i.enbers at actual cost. and all sales
made return 70 the farmer The actin.
al amount Of sales IL IL IN this way
stock hoiders get their dividends. buy
ing at reduced cost and selling al full