The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1914-05-27

LnlQS we nave not DeeQ aDle 10 mahe
money out of is the sQueal. For ex-
ample, we manufacture bone meal tor
chicken feed. We turn the blood into
a special quality Of fertilizer, most
of which is shipped to Germany and
Holland and used largely upon their
famous tulip beds. We burn moth
ing. Most Of the offal goes back to
the farms of this region as manures.
There is no more profitable use for
1t. The very water with which we
flush out our slaughter rooms Is used
as a fertilizer.
Each Friday we send out quotations
Of prices which will prevail during
the coming week. About one-half OF
our output, however, is sold in ad-
vance on standing orders from Eng
land. They direct us to send them
so many hundred pounds at the rul-
ing price. They understand, of course,
that we will fix a fair market price
upon what we send them. With these
who want good bacon, however, 1t 1s
not so much a question Of price as a
question of quality, and it is because
of our quality that we have these
standing ORDERS"
Fixing Prices.
Each Of the factories has a local
price-fxing committee, consisting Of
the president Of the local society, a
well-known farmer who is not a direc-
tor of the society, and the manager
Of the factory. The manager Of course,
produces the latest market reports,
kilograms and all other information
obtainable as to the results Of previ-
GUS shipments, the state Of the mar.
ket and its trend whether up or down.
After providing for a small profit
which goes to the sinking fund and
allowing a quarter Of a cent per pound
for working expense the committee
decides upon the prices which should
be paid and which it will recommend
to the general district committee.
The district committee Of the Fed
Grafton of Bacon Factories meets once
a week to fix the prices which are to
prevail for the following week. This
general committee first learns the
views Of all the local factory COM
mittees in the district and sets the
prices according to their recommended
tons; that is to say, If five local
committees recommend IS ore per
pound, while five others place the fig
ures at 46, the general committee sets
1t at 45h.
II Pays the Farmer. ,t
I'VE are now paying a little over
fifteen dollars per hundred weight.
Other private dealers pay the same
price, but with the private dealer the
first return is all the farmer will ever
get for his pigs. Each year we lay
aside something for our reserve fund,
and something to pay off what we Dor
rowed at the bank. After we have
done this we declare an annual .div1-
dend, which amounts to from $1.25
to $1.50 on each hog that has been
delivered to us. You see also that
at the end of the ten years period
each farmer has a share In our estab-
lishment here, which may be termed
additional price for his pigs. Un-
der our system each farmer has an
interest in this concern, when It Is
paid for. In proportion to the
number Of pounds Of pork which he
has delivered to us during all these
years. We figure that the average
amount, which has been laid aside
and invested in this plant, Is about
twenty-five dollars per member. We
do not pay this in cash to them, but
issue a certificate which Is evidence
that. they own a share in this plant
and in the business which VI are do
Ing here. This Is not a closed cor
poration, but any farmer who wishes
to join 1t can do 80 by paying the
value Of membership.
Standing Together.
There are 43 cooperative bacon
factories in Denmark. We have a GEN.
trail organization, which is rather a
association for the mutual
benefit Of the various cooperative ba-
con factories. The office is In Cop
enhagen. Weekly reports come in
from each factory giving the amount
killed and sold. the expense Of the
business and the market returns re-
The heads of the various fac
tories meet from time to time to talk
over the best business methods and
possible improvements in our way OF
handling bacon. We give each other
the benefit of our experience and
think Of every way possible to help
each other. We do not feel that we
are, in any ~antagonistic sense, rivals.
We fully belieye that every factory
is helped by the success Of the other
factories. The success of each de-
ponds upon the fact that all Of the
factories are putting out a good
product and are dealing in an honest
business-like way with the foreign re-
who take our products. What
hurts n Of US hurts all Of US. We
are anxious, therefore, to help each
other in every way, since in helping
others we are helping ourselves.
"You will find that there is the same
spirit among our members that there
Is between the heads of the factories.
The members do not feel that they
are competing with each other, but
feel that they should help each other