The Hartford herald. [volume] (Hartford, Ky.) 1875-1926, 1912-07-31
THE COOPERATIVE
PLAN OF SELLING
Certainly Brings the Best
and Surest Results.
APPEAL TO FARMING CLASSES
How ii Is Managed In Wis.
cOESin-DetailS Must Be
Attended To.
FARMING A BUSINESS MATTER


ing price. That is his only way of
making a living If it is to our in
terest to eliminate him as far as
possible in buying an article, it is
also to our interest to avoid him as
far as possible in selling an article.
Acting in accordance with this
principle, the farmers in the vicinity
of Waupun. Wisconsin, organized
the Waupun Cooperative Commits
sion Company. This company is
capitalized for $4,000 and is in
corporated under the laws of Wis
consin. 1t operates a creamery. an
elevator, ships it's own live stock
and recently opened a cooperative
store.
This farmers union" has at
tracted much attention through its
livestock shipping operations. The
middlemen (private shippers) in
that community have, it is believed,
organized in opposition TO the farm
ers. Apparently there has been no
competition between the various
private shippers, for at least four
have combined and contributed all
profits to one account. Further
more, it is claimed that the private
stock buyers in Waupun and some
of the neighboring towns and vii
lagos have organized a stock buy
ers' association and hold regular
meetings to discuss methods of OPP
posing the various farmers ship
ping associations. The methods
employed to counteract the success
of the farmers associations are in
many cases very effective.
The private shippers have been
able to cause much mistrust and
lack of confidence among the farm
ers. Very often they have aimed to
ship their stock at the same time
that the farmers did. At such
times they have competed by bid
ding high for live stock owned by
farmers of the cooperative compa-
ny, on the grounds that they would
secure a higher selling price in Chi
cago than the representative Of the
farmers association. This, howev-
er, is seldom true and nearly al
ways they must figure on a loss
which must be made up by under
weighing or by catching this same
farmer or other farmers at some
future time when no comparisons
can be made with a farmers ship
ment. In this way they have
sometimes succeeded in causing
mistrust and discomfort among the
farmers.
The Waupun Farmers Shipping
Association hires a manager whose
only business it is to look after the
interests of the farmers. He knows
approximately through records
kept by him. which farmers have
live stock ready to ship at certain
time. Farmers outside of the asso-
citation are also allowed to ship on
the same terms as members and
members are not compelled to ship
through the association. The man
ager receives five cents per 100
pounds on shipments, which to-
gether with the transportation
charges, etc., is borne proportion
ately by each farmer. BY this
method the farmers get exactly
what their stock is worth at the
central market, less actual expens-
es. They have received as much as
$40 more clear profit than the To-
cal private shipper offered. The
manager also serves as an informa-
tion bureau and reports on request
which farmers have calves, pigs, !
horses. etc. to sell. The farmers
thus keep in close touch with one
another through this central mana
ger who acts as a very effective adj
vertising medium.
The farmers on the whole are
we'll satisfied with the work of the |
association. Sometimes It is al
most impossible to get a car load
together when only few farmers
have stock ready to ship. This diff
ficulty is brought about because
there are always some who Insist
upon occasionally. trying the private
shipper and thus disappoint the,
manager. II the association is
large enough and the members ship
only through the association, then
this dificulty would be avoided. A
skillful manager with a large num-
her of dependable farmers to draw
upon. can always arrange it SO that !
no one will suffer any inconve-
nience.
There are some commission men
iAff't t, ,4n- 49,. .s...