Deming graphic., 1913-05-23

IL must be voluntary action. Right
here lies the great reason why this
system of marketing has not been
generally developed. | cannot point
to a single illustration of success
ful cooperative association, which
has been developed, where the farm
ers selling through that association
were opposed to the idea. doubt
whether you can find such an asso-
citation where the members are even
lukewarm. Ii takes enthusiasm on
the part of the members; it requires
faith on their part--faith in the sys-
TEN and faith in each other. Such
u conference rs this is good, but il
is well that we bear in mind our linn
itations. This is n place for educa-
ton. There are many here who pro-
badly do not agree that this is the
whole aim of such conference. |
attended a similar meeting not long
ago and several expressed the ideas
that we had talked and educated long
enough. and what was needed now
was action. So they forthwith pro-
ceeded TO organize an association
with large capital, which was to solve
the marketing problems of Il large
part of the country. We wish them
success in their enterprise, ! hope
you will pardon me if | dwell little
longer on this phase Of the subject
which really does not come quite I'M
der the subject of my paper, but it
seems very important that we get
clearly before us the possible and
the impossible, the practicable and
the impracticablc. We are all inter
csted in better systems of marketing.
We do want action. but We want it
along the right line and directed III
the proper channel. There is such
Il thing rs cooperative selling. We
have some excellent examples where
farmers have united and sold their
crops jointly. On the other hand, We
have cooperative buying of farm
produce. There are few illusira-
tions in this country of consumers
uniting to buy foodstuils where sue
cess has followed their attempt. The
Housewives League is doing some
good work along this line, and no
doubt ii is doing more To show the
possibilities of such movement than
anything else We have had. To lhi,
extent il is educational. Thus We
have the two extremes: Co-opcra
tive selling of farm produce, where
the initiative comes from the man olI
the farm; operative buying of
farm produce, where the initiative
comes from the consumer III the city.
When cooperative selling aud co
operative buying have both been
much more largely developed, then
il will hr II comparatively easy task
to bring buyer and seller together.
We, who see the possibilities of this,
are wont To chafe and fret that cv-
rrything cannot be- accomplished at
once. Ru this Is big movement.
Il represents millions of people, Such
movements come slowly. II is u qucs-
ton of little here aud Il little there,
u group of farmers seeking the light
IN Texas, a number of consumers
working out their problems in Chi
cago. and so-and only So vii the
movement progress.
THE ADVANTAGES
Let Us turn now to a more definite
study of certain phases of opera
tive selling. There are certain ad-
vanlagcs which this system of hand
ling produce offer over any other
Cooperative selling is impossible
without uniform grading, uniformity
has been secured. II is doubtful if
there has been one thing which has
worked to the greater disadvantage
of the Eastern apple industry, than
the lack of uniformity in the packing.
This would have been impossible III
der u system of operative mar