The Springfield herald., 1913-05-23
PRINCIPLES OF COOPERATION
There Is No Glass About II, No spe-
ciaI Privilege and No Benefit at
Neishbor's Expense.

For q number Of years the Iarm
press of the country has been urging
the farmers to cooperate in the mar
keting of their fruit and produce. But
l have yet to see in farm paper
definition OF the true principles OF Co
operation, writes C. N. Gamble In the
Fruit Belt.
Thomas Hughes. author of Tom
Brown. says its aim "is to change fun
damentally the present social and
commercial system" II that is the
case, why is 1t that the first thing
farmers do when they build were
house or creamery. is to form point
stock company and call 1t co-opera-
tive?
Stock companies with big dividends
and cooperation have tried to live to-
gether many times in the past with
out much success. Still 1t has become
q proverb that farmers won't stick to-
gether. The trouble is. that In the
stock company q certain group OF
men are soon in control. They stick
together and become 80 sticky that
they stick their brother farmers for
15 to 60 per cent. interest as many So
called cooperative creameries are do
ing In Michigan today.
Prohibitory laws are past supposed
ly to prevent immoral acts. Michigan
has law prohibiting one man from
loaning money to another man for
more than seven per cent. But a
group of men can loan to another
group OF men money to build cream
to- x,F a.
gage and collect 80. 40 or so per cent.
interest. II one act is immoral. is not
the other? What is the difference
from the standpoint Of Justice and
morality? There is none.
That Is the reason why stock COM
panies with unlimited dividends divide
the farmers. Instead Of cutting out
a middle man we have got q worse
one. disguised under the name CO.
operation. Oh. cooperation how many
sins are committed in thy name?
Nov. Mr.. Editor. instead of teach
ing us how to make two blades Of
grass grow where one grew before.
teach US how to get more than S6
cents of the consumers dollar. Teach
US the true principles Of cooperation
and we will do the rest. There Is no
class about 1t and no special privilege.
No one can profit a copper cent at
the expense Of his neighbor. 1t will
teach them to do some things to-
gether and they will finally learn to
do all things together. 1t will pay
them in dollars and cents and all the
fruits which will follow the practice Of
Justice and the sermon on the mount
will be theirs.
Get rs law that we can incorpor-
ate under In Michigan. so we won't
have to go over to Wisconsin to In
corporate. and then pay a license to
do business in Michigan. Wisconsin
has forbid by law the use of the word
cooperative" before the name of a
corporation that is not cooperative in
principle, and Wisconsin farmers will
be deceived no more. And the prin-
ciples are plainly set forth in the law
as follows:
1. One man, one vote, regardless OF
investment or shares held. No voting
by proxy.
2. Interest on shares to be limited.
8. Division of profits wherever a
division is made in proportion to pat
ronage.
a. A sinking fund to redeem the
stock.
5. An educational fund to teach CO
operation.
When these principles are applied
will come the equal distribution oi
profits between worker, capitalist pro
ducer and consumer concerned in the
| transaction.