The Democratic banner. (Mt. Vernon, Ohio) 1898-192?, 1913-07-29

%. lney are more excItiDg and DOS
sibly require more skill. A lady wo,
the championship. She was mounte
on magnificent black gelding whicl
looked every inch the victor. Late
we Witnessed flight by airship b,
the man and the ship Which has cross
ed the English channel several times
We bade our friends soodby an,
took the train at e:SO for Queenstown
whore we arrived at 10 o'clock, joine,
by the greater part Of the commits
sion.
This was q very happy reunion II
anticipation Of sailing on the morrow
Also that the gods have been singular
ly good to US. We have not had AZ
accident, no one seriously i'll, no bag
gage lost, nor any bad weather up Il
date. We were up early Friday morn
ing ready to take the tender for the
hip at s o'clock.
When all 10 said and done we arc
glad that our work is over It has beer
q strenuous three months. We have
learned much collectively and 1t now
remains to be seen whether or not
we can put II into good shape for our
people back home.
Cooperation applied to agriculture
has become q familiar Institution and
q great economic power almost all
over the continent, to the admitted
material benefit Of the countries In
which 1t has found q home It puts q
fresh heart into agriculture where de-
clining and In many ways builds up
the community where It flourishes.
In Germany and Austria agricultur.
al societies are very numerous. Ger
many has more than $4,000 of them
ministering to almost every want Of
agriculture, buying, selling, provid-
ing power, converting produce into
marketable shape, pressing grapes.
distilling potatoes, drying roots, stor.
ing grain. improving breeds of live
stock, insuring farmers property, and
last, but not least, furnishing plenti.
fully money wherewith to stock and
improve farms, buy for cash and
launch out into large and more profit
able operations.
In Switzerland agricultural coop
GRAFTON supplies its members not only
with agricultural, but domestic requi-
sites. making q considerable saving
to its members, also through the live
stock Improvement associations 1t en-.
ables the small farmer to dispose Of
his pedigreed stock at much better
prices than they formerly brought.
In Italy agricultural cooperation Is
successfully and economically manu-.
featuring fertilizers, breaking up q
makers ring.
France processes to have $4,000
agricultural societies, all Of which
may not rank as fully. cooperative.
In any case cooperation effectively
covers the ground. and those who
have recourse to it are the better for
1t. This is the result throughout. The
rural portions of the country affected
by agricultural cooperation have been
and raised to higher
productive efficiency. The agricul-
tural classes and the entire country
have grown richer, and the men prac.
ticing such cooperation have been
as well. It makes men
think, calculate, study all Of which
trains them for business. Those who
practice It cry out for more educa.
lion, more technical instruction, bet
ter seeds. better implements, bet
Ter methods of husbandry and better
homes. Fifty years ago German agri-
culture was at very low ebb, today
t ranks first Of the nations. It Is
which has brought about
his remarkable change, making men
hink, placing business skill and tech.
iical knowledge within the reach OF
he humblest among them and Great
ng opportunities for turning all such
to account
Cooperation to be real and abiding
must rest on the spirit Of self-help
lmong Its members. No movement
vas ever more independent In spirit.
And that lies at the bottom of all true
Cooperation makes men
'egard farming as an industry, as
business and life; makes the COM
nunity physically mois comfortable,
more satisfying and socially
more enjoyable.
1t Is found that when men come to-
yether in the business Of their lives
Ind have found 1t of mutual advant-
lge to do so, 1t Is much easier to get
hem together for the higher purpose
" intellectual and social advancement
n the community life.
There are certain characteristics Of
he cooperative systems, notably the
democratic principle Of one man one