Catoctin clarion. [volume] (Mechanicstown, Md.) 1871-1940, 1914-09-24
DEFINITION OF COOPERATION
In Agriculture II Means the Working
Together Of Farmers for Trans
action of Business.
Try b. IL. HIRRARDl

(By B. II. HIBBARD)
BY cooperation Is understood the
working together Of number of per-
sons for some common end. Literal
ly, it may mean a working together
in an unorganized way. For example,
two farmers exchange work, or they
unite their efforts in breaking the
road after a snowstorm. These are
undou bted examples OF cooperation.
SO also is 1t kind of cooperation
which brings men together in the
processes Of manufacture. One group
of men digs the ore, another trans.
ports it, third reduces and reflnes
1t, and so on to the final process
These men, however, are not members
of a company in the management Of
which they have a voice. They are
not doing the work for themselves
Their cooperation Is on the basis of
contract and their reward is a stipn
lated sum- In the case OF the owners
OF the business, the return Is In the
form of interest, rent, or profits. In
this form of organization the rewards
in proportion to labor performed, land
owned, capital invested or some bust
ness advantage. In the mana gement
OF the business the voting strength OF
the proprietors Is ordinarily in pro-
portion to the capital owned by each.
In the cooperation with which we
are here concerned the business is
owned and run by the group among
whom the rewards are apportioned
whether on the basis of capital con-
tributed. business transacted or labor
performed. The distinguishing fea-
ture Is the ownership Of the business
by the group concerned in Its opera
ton not as wage earners or as In
vestors, but as buyers, sellers, pro-
ducers, or consumers: all on par.
In other words, the co-cperators con
stitute class, and are not representa-
tives OF several classes For exam
pie: the group may consist OF farm
ers who are either sellers or buyers,
or both; or possibly as breeders OF
stock or grain; or yet again as manu-
they are banded together for the com
mon purpose OF doing for themselves
Jointly something which each sepa-
rately could not do as economically,
and which they do not choose to
leave to an outside, or Independent,
agency. Briefly, then, cooperation In
agriculture means the organized work
ing together of farmers for the trans
action of business. The essence OF
such a business IS the common ad-
vantage of the group. 1t is a method
Of performing a work which. presum-
ably. can be more economically per
formed by the Interested parties than
by the tradesmen outside the group
who are disposed to perform the serv.
ice for gain TO themselves. In true
cooperation there are no true profits
such as private company strives to
get, but salaries and wages of man.
agcr and employees will have to be
paid by any such company of any
considerable Size. In some minor un.
dertakings the work Is sometimes
done by members free of charge. thus
eliminating both profits and salaries
There is no dividend on stock above
nominal interest rates. the increased
price for produce. decreased price OF
supplies, or the more favorable rates
on loans, use up the surplus which
otherW Use might 90 into dividends
Presumably, 1t IS a method OF taking
some Of the friction out of the proc
esses Of production. distribution and
exchange. and bringing the co-operator
|. more directly in touch with the mar.
kets in which he has business to
transact
Cooperation may have for It's OBJ.
ject either the buying or selling OF
goods, and these are by far the most
usual objects. In many countries the
furnishing OF credit is one of the
most prominent objects Of all agricul.
tural cooperation. Less frequent but
quite as important, Is cooperation
practiced In some lines of production
and manufacture