The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1913-12-07
COOPERATION IS
THE WATCHW0RD
Movement Started in
Richmond to Reduce
High Cost Of Living.
PRODUCERS AND
CONSUMERS TO ACT
Richmond the First Town to Act
on President Wilson'S Big Sug-
gestion-A Thing to Be
Tried Out on Sixth
Street-Farmers
in the Lead.


or the United States, has n way Of do
Ing things that is unusual For in
stance. he talks right out to the Con-
gress instead OF writing TO that BODY
as other chief magistrates have done.
Ills talks 20 the Congress have been
unique. mono more so than his second
one. or rs some of the authorities call
1T, his first real talk made last xee1.
Ihat talk of last week was right to
ehe point In all respects. The one
point however, that has attracted tho
most attention in certain quarters. or
ought to have done So was what he
mad TO say about co operation betwea,
the producer and the consumer. CO.
operation which, he argued, must
come about to reduce the high cost of
hvins-a thing that all OF the country
is Just now complaining about.
In that little talk to the Conpress
Mr. Wilson sets forth some ideas that
are we'll worth considering. and he
telis the people that he and his adj
Visers are doing and propose to CON
unue to do all in the power of the
,' uiiilistratlon to reduce the cost of
living. He at least limited Mt a sva-
TEN or cooperation that the admin
iStration viii encourage, and to that
ehu ne declares that he and the Agri-
cultural Department of the govern
nleht VIII do all in their power to
Dring the producer and tho consupoar
IN closer contact and help to knocl,
out the middle man
Virginia Leads.
President Wilson perbons di, 80
Know Ii at the time but tho fart 10
that virginia has already arranged TO
put IN iorcc the very proposition that
ne suggests, and the Farmers and
n GnSuhers Co-Operative Company of
richmond that will commence husi-
ness In this city in a short while l.,
me hrst thing to show up along This
The company has been formed in
Wy quiet way and nobody in Rich
monu knew until a few DAYS AFRO thn+
tho company had secured o,,ortors ~
NO. 324 North Sixth Street. and that
'hey VIII soon open up business there
ms movement was started by
Iharies r. Cooke. of Frederick Hail.
Louisa County. and he was nor Ionr
IN getting many prominent citizens nf
that county and OF Hanover Fin
V"ha' Spotsylvana and Chesterfield in
Ierested In the corporation movement
me company has leased quarters at
me place mentioned above, and in n
rev days will be doing the co-opera-
tive business all right
The Manner of business
me nature of the business TO ba
uo'Ie Is set forth in the concise little
circular Mr.. Cooke has sent me Tn
that he saws. III
The high cost of living in the cities
ana throughout the world is largely
caused by the excessive profits OF those
who come between producers ana con-
s"ncrs' together with the waste and
deterioration in general farm productS
from being handled by three or four
middlemen. each one making n profit
ana In many cases being placed in
storage several times before finally
reachihG the consumer. II the produces.
OF I'VE stock and other farm products
can sell same direct to the consumer
both parties would profit
ne eXorbitant prices paid by con-
sumers for meats and other farm pro-
"uctS nave not only not benefited the
producers, but have lcssuned the h,,x,
ing power OF the consumer.
IL is OF vital Importance TO the farmer.
ana consumer that the farmers (pro
uuccfs) form cooperative COMPANY
mat VIII both eliminate the middlemen
ana encourage the producers TO breed
ana iatten more live stock, and raise
more general farm products, enabling
them To obtain fair. legitimate profit.
thereby assuring the consumers az
regular and ample home supplies at 81
great saving, as they participate in n
part OF the prohts when earned by the
company.
How Operated.
TO sell and deliver the farmers
products direct to the consumer. and
al manufactured products used by the
larlner direct to him, is the object OF
The plan OF business proposed.
IT has been demonstrated, both by
our government ana by several great
railroads of the country. that the farm
or only receives from 80 per cent to As
per cent of the dollar paid by the con-
sumer for the product of the farmer
the remaining 40 per cent, or so per
cent going 10 the army of middle men
= e. those exploiting and manipulate
ing the product from the time il leaves
the producer until it reaches the con-
sumer. Cam we cheaper this process.
Emphatically yes Why are we so GER
tain: Because this thing has been
done so many times. and by farmers
cooperative companies, and in the very
way we propose To do IL And thus we
have the experience of our fellow
farmers to guide us against past pitt
falls and to pilot US 70 success"
Prohts ana Things.
That sounds We'll enough. and maybe
II may work out, but hear the good
man again. lie SAYS;
After paving all stockholders OF re-
cord PEE cont. the balance of profits
available Tor dividends shall be divided
as follows. 30 per cent TO stockholm
ors 20 per cent paid 70 consumers or
purchasers according to .he amount
OF their purchases. . per cent to en-
pl0yes according TO the amount of their
wages earned each year. and 10 per
cent TO be paid 10 the shippers to tho
company. according to the amount oc Z
their shipments each year"
Mr.. Cooke explains further on how =
the whole business is bound To work
out to the good OF l..c producer and
the consumer alike. His theory liz
No. sl....
prove equally so. The -Dispatch
bids tho good work godspecd.