The midland journal., 1914-06-05

tlOnB were amltaced with the Irish
Agricultural Organization Society
which from the first has been the
power that has made cooperation pos.
sible in the island. 1t is rigid rule
of this organization society that no
local society belonging to it can under
any circumstances pay to exceed I'VE
per cent per annum upon its shares of
stock. The moment the shareholders
conceive the organization is one
which is to earn large dividends, that
moment its usefulness ends. More
than one American cooperative enter
prise has been wrecked upon these
rocks.
Following some bitter experiences.
it has been found necessary to adhere
rigidly to the principle that no matter
what q mans investment may be, he
may have only one vote in the man
agement Of the concern. Experience
has shown that this avoids jsalousies,
and suspicion, and discord. and pre-
vents mismanagement.
DlsIoyalty Of Members.
One Of the great stumbling blocks
in cooperative success In America has
been the disloyalty of the members
themselves. AS soon as cooperative
marketing concern is organized q pri-
vately owned company is likely to Of
fer an advanced price one consider
ably above that which the cooperative
concern is Offering and possibly one
much higher than the condition OF the
market will justify. In America hu.
man nature. like human nature in
general, is selfish and it is difficult for
the farmer to see why he should sacri-
fce Eve cents bushel upon his grain
out of a mere sentiment of loyalty to
the cooperative enterprise. As a re-
suit he almost inevitably takes his
grain to the privately owned concern.
the cooperative concern is on the
rocks and Is abandoned. No observer
of American commercial methods
needs to be told the next step. The
privately owned concern Immediately
lowers the price, the farmer is where
he was before but by his own disloyaL
ty he has made it practically imposst
BILE for any other cooperative CON,
cern ever to be organized In the com.
munity.
European cooperation has had the
same experience It was originally
hard for the European farmer to real.
lie that he should sacrifice limited
amount Of present profit in order to
demonstrate his loyalty to the con,
Germ and to secure ultimate success.
The situation, however, no longer
arises where cooperation has become
fairly established.
Quality and Control.
Another characteristic common ia
all cooperative organizations which
we. visited in these four countries ID
that where the society is marketing
concern 1t insists upon the highest
quality and In order to get it exercises
absolute control over the acts of Ito
members so far as these acts contrib.
ute to the quality Of the product Such
a successful dairying institution as the
Trifolium dairy Of Denmark has most
rigid rules to which all members must
subscribe. There must be monthly
inspection by the veterinarians repre-.
senting the society; COW found to be
unhealthy or defective must be with
drawn; the slightest illness on the
part Of the COW must be reported and
the milk kept separate; detailed re.
Quirements as to ventilation. cleanlf
ness, handling Of milk and milk cans
must be observed; the milk of cows
which have not been inspected must
not be mingled with those which
have; milk must be cooled within one
hour after 1t is milked in order that
meteorological growth may cease;
cans must be cleaned in certain
way; In fact everything is done which
can be done to improve the quality OF
the milk and the butter and other
products handled by the Trifolium
dairy.
Central Association Needed.
Experience in these foreign coun.
tries has also demonstrated that no
local cooperative concern is sufficient
unto itself. The manager of q co.
operative egg marketing institution In
northwestern Ireland may know all
about poultry raising and egg produc-
ton, may be skilled in the art OF pack,
ing his eggs. and know something in
general about marketing. 1t is impos
sible for him, isolated as he is. to
know from day to day where there is
demand for his product. AS a result it
is found necessary in Ireland to have
these cooperative concerns afiiliated
with the Irish Wholesale Society, with
headquarters at Dublin.
The same principle exists In Ger
many but is worked out in another
way. The necessity Of federation IL
recognised. however, in all countries
although the way in which the local
are affiliated into CEN