The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 18??-19??, 1912-11-26

W fitH lH' SlatecbnNentlon CT the
Farmers Union meets III raleigh be-
cembes 10. the problem of economic
cooperative distribution is ~ be the
big subject. The removing Of the
obstacles IN Its way is the thing for
which the organization is working
Co-OpeTatlYe ventures and the elm
ination of troubles through the mis-
takes naturally made. are sivin. con-
fidenca. state Lecturer J. H. Green
says. and the people arc learning a
good deaf about the plans Of = body
attempting something practicable.
II requires the most rigid economy,
in spite Of our progress" Mr.. Green
surplus< farmers should attempt
10 indul- the ordinary high life
Of conmet ~n, they would immed-
lately go int :. 2kruptcy In speech
in the Senate. =. >ator McCumher. Of
| North Dakota, what would hap
pen to a farmer Id he go on the
road as 4 travelins =, ernan and stop
/ Scnat tors description:
| "'Cab to hotel--six b lshels Of oats
Tip to driver-iifteen cahbages;
Tip to e|evator-hoy one halt
! DuSntl or baticS,
a." breakfast ast--uparter ton Of hay:
" Tip to waiter-tWo bushels OF
potatoes.
! :. Luncheon--on sheep;
Tip TO wtiter--o half bllshel cI
| carrots;
Dinner -four bushels rye;
Tip 70 waiter-one bushei Of on
.Room-h half car Of turnips.
/ In This State.
II Senator McCumbers comparison
appears to be a little overdrawn. we
might bring it down to a practical ap-
plication in another way to North
Carolina conditions:
"A mountain farmer exchanges nine
bushels, or one hundred pounds 81
dried fruit for q pair of shoes. Il
there are six members Of tn. family
it requires fifty-four bushels Of apples
or six hundred pounds Of dried frlI'
| TO buy shoes for the winter. If hs
prefers to exchange cabbases for thes.
necessities. he has the sweet privilege
OF hauling 1900 pounds TO tn.
station for six pairs Of shoes. This is
on q basis OF what the farmers re
ceiEe for their productS-not on tht
basis Of the relatively higher prices
paid by consumers. with two hundreC
per cent distributivc toll added.
The Farmers union folks believe
that voluntary distriDutifc and indus
trial cooperation will stop useless
economical waste Ia all lines OF com
merciAliSm that do not embrace nat
ural monopolies and public utilities
In other words, il corporation is
too big to practice effectively the prin-
ciple OF cooperation based upon ths
world famous Rochdale plan that tt,
turns to its patrons the profits. less !
limited hire for capital and labor, II
should be owned BY tho city, state ol
nation.
The Wisconsin Law.
Mr. Green spoke Of the Wi>e onsiT
law and the provision for the forna
ton Of corporations. The Dfain fea-
lures is capital, all attention and pro.
lection being offered to the majority
stockholders, The laws give eacl
share the privilege OF q vote, nothin9
more In such corporal tions, thf
profits OF surplus must be divided each
year among the stockholders in pro
portion to the capital in.eSted II
shares Of stock. regardless Of those
who assisted in creating the profit ~
'surplus by their labor. p4trota - 81
other heIpfUlnesS
The Wisconsin, ca-oper.,tile eoF
poration law provides tfa5 the dire
tors shall appo:rion lie earniisa hA
first paying di,iderdS or rtic psfd i
capital stock no rNcre4Irg SIX p-l
cent per i.Enufn. and tie per @"rt =
the net profits TO b. applied % a1 81
u,tlti0I;.l fund t. st used ~ ..atctifs-
co-operation. and the remainder q
, such net profits by Uniform iii .d"nd
upon the amount Of sh2rel3 der@. anf
upon the wages and salaries OF tiu
employees. and ale-hatI Of SIrn N.t
form dividends % nol snare tc lGsrs -
the amount OF their purchases. ese q
course the co-opel,-ti.e foruos et' O.
must buy and sell is goods in accord
Gnce with their market vd'le IL ert:a
yxFtfh f".tTE = 1 r