The Meridian times. (Meridian, Idaho) 1909-1938, 1914-03-27
COOPERATIVE LESSONS LEARNED m IRELAND

selves as investors, and ignored the
interests of the fruit growers them
selves. AS result the small growers
were forced out of business and out
of the country.
Here in Ireland so well established
Is this principle that it is definite
rule that no cooperative society can
pay more than per cent per an
mum upon the stock held by the share
holders.
Must Market Through the Society.
Every time that any group of Amer !
lean farmers have organized a CO.
operative marketing concern they have
met sharp and often unfair competi-
ton. The other established buyers
have offered prices which were higher
than the cooperative society could
offer without taking loss. Often they
succeed in coaxing the members of
the cooperative society from its sup
\ port It is hard for farmer who is
| receiving only 35 cents per bushel
/ for his potatoes at a cooperative ware
house to refuse As cents offered by
some independent buyer. But the I'M
varying subsequent history is. of
course, that as soon as the co-opera-
tive concern is put out of business by
this sort of competition prices drop,
4 and the farmer is where ho was be-
fore, and helpless in the hands of the
independent buyers,
To obviate this difficulty in Ireland,
it has been found necessary te ex-
plain the situation fully to the Lros-
pective members of the cooperative
organization; to state to them that IN
less they are willing to agree to mar
ket all their product through the CO.
operative society it is useless to be-
gin. They are warned that they will
be approached by Independent dealers
and offered higher prices. But thus
warned and informed upon the sub
ject, the organizers of Irish co-opera-
tive societies have had little difficulty
in obtaining from the prospective mem
bers an agreement to market all OF
their produce through the concern.
Importance of Quality.
AS we have said, there is no magic
in cooperation. Cooperative market
ing simply means that the farm pro
|, duce is to be marketed in business
: like way without undus waste dur
ing the process. Pioneeis in Irish CO
: operation soon found that after they
: had discovered the best market and
: after they had organized the co-opera
r tive society, and after the members
, had agreed to bring all their produces
r to the company, cooperation was still
4 an absolute failure whenever the mem
!. bers of the society delivered even &C
4 casionally, inferior goods and mingle'
4 them with the better goods. = cream
a cry puts out 100 pounds of good but
!. ter: If the next pound is bad butte
!. the market for the butter of tina
. creamery is ruined. Without high uni
8 form quality cooperation cannot sur
q coed. 1t becomes necessary therefor
Z for the members all to cooperate i
!. producing cream that is of the highes
n possible quality and reaches tn
n creamery in the best condition. Blu
Il Irish experience demonstrates that n
s private concern can compete in qua
w ity with cooperative concern, for n
o private concern can control the pro-
Is uct from it's original source.
Control" is Requisite.
Quality can be produced by the c.
,e operative society, because these col
X Germs reach out to the farm
q self. 1t is not enough that cream
IN cry has the best and latest method
O. of making butter and marketing
70 If the cream comes in from the far
ne in bad condition, the butter is ba
ID To make good butter you must contr
re the COW, and her feed, and her car
re- and the stables, and the milk pa
re and even the milk can used in deli
ed cry.
m Certain rigid rules and condition
I'm are laid down by the creameries theI
In selves, and approved by central col
m. mittee. Each creamery participant
lie in the scheme is required to give fir
tie access during the working hours to Il
nit officers of the /. A. o. s. that they mi
ed inspect the premises and books, che
ed the records, examine any butter
M stock, and take for analysis sampl