Cut Bank pioneer press. [volume] (Cut Bank, Mont.) 1909-current, 1914-05-15
BY MATHEW S. DUDGEoN


. SOCldt SGHICT oC1OOiNOuSGs
we have seen a new farm building or
any permanent repairs on old build
ings or any other farm improvement
inquiry invariably has revealed that 1t
had been added since the farm went
into the hands of a ~purcasing tenant.
In other words, Meeghan and other
tenant purchasers feel now that in
making repairs or improvements they
are working for themselves, adding
value to their own property, where for
merly any improvements made were
for the benefit of the landlord for
whom they had no particular liking.
Farmers Views on Cooperation.
We asked him what he thought of
the cooperative society and what use
he had made of it. Before the coop
erative society was organized" he
said, ut was difficult to procure fer
t~ilizers. While the department of ag-
riculture analysed the soils and
taught the farmers, by bulletin and
otherwise, the elements which must
enter into fertilizers it was absolutely
impossible for the tenant to procure
of the dealers fertilizer containing
these elements in proper proportion.
Fertilizers were high too"
Now, as he explained, the co-opera-
tive societies buy the elements going
into the fertilizers and themselves
mix them in the proper proportions.
The cooperative association not only
guarantees the quality of the fertilizers
furnished to their members, but sells
them at q greatly reduced price. That
they are better than the pur-
chased of the regular traders is evi-
denced by the actual effects upon the
crops,
Cooperative Credit.
It was evident that in Meeghan's es-
timatior the greatest benefit to the
members of the local organization is
from the credit society branch of it.
The farmers in this vicinity had been
well taught and were anxious to i'm
prove their stock to get better nipple
ments, to use commercial fertilizers
properly compounded, to plant better
seeds. Before the cooperative credit
association was organized they were
unable to do anything Of this sort
Since the cooperative organization
has been in operation, however, 1t is
easy to get from the society a small
loan for any of these purposes and the
farmers were in consequence steadily
improving their property. In Other
words he seemed to think that the i'm
provements in rural agricultural meth
DDS which we see everywhere would
have been absolutely impossible with
out this little local credit society
Meeghan himself through loans se
cured of the cooperative credit society
had been enabled to purchase bloodeG
stock and had bought improved nipple
ments and tested seeds.
We found upon our return to the vii
lage that school was just closing ant
Quinn went with Us to his home, which
although modest, was as trim and com
Portable as any village home which We
have ever been privileged to visit II
America. He talked freely of the af
fairs of the society, showed us the
books and records and explained thu
methods and practices employed in th'
cooperative conduct of the business.
A Simple Organization.
The cooperative society has nj
headquarters and consequently has NJ
rent to pay. The home of the secre
tary Is the Office of the society. Their,
the banking business as we'll as thu
other affairs of the society are con
Quoted by him out of school hours. Thu
little society has 500 members, eacl
member having one share upon which
he has advanced about sixty cents
The credit society, a branch of the CO
operative association, has 161 mem
bers.
THE society meets" he said, "fou
times each year. At those times tn,
members give US orders for thes,
goods which We handle comparatively
including seeds, manures, implement
and occasionally other articles. w,
go over the old accounts and arrang
for their payment or extension. w
talk over the plans of the society. w
consult about local farm problems
about seeds, and rotation O
crops, exchanging ideas as to method
OF meeting various questions tina
arise. There is no cooperative stor
here and we never keep articles 1
, stock We order seeds, manures Q
implements and notify the farras