American Falls press. [volume] (American Falls, Idaho) 1907-1937, 1914-07-30

mittee be appointed. The officers fool
ishly and arbitrarily refused to con-
ccde even an audit unless they them
selves selected the committee. Then
these smaller storekeepers demanded
that the M man vote principle be
applied no that for the future they
might protect their own interests.
This also was denied them. The only
course possible seemed to be a separa-
ton and the smaller stockholders
withdrew, the larger stockholders
buying out those who did not care to
stay In the concern. While this socle-
ty did not fail from a financial stand
point, Its record is OF course to be
cited as that OF a cooperative concern
which did not succeed In the best
sense OF the term.
The small shareholders of this So
ciety later formed another co-opera-
! tive society, organizing and admins
tering II. you may be sure. upon a
purely cooperative basis, adopting the
n man vote plan, and providing that
no dividends be declared upon shares
but that all the profits go TO those who
grew the fruit In proportion to the
amount furnished TO thhe company by
each.
Greed Causes Another Failure.
The experience OF a Minnesota CO.
operative warehouse elevator was
somewhat different. AS originally or
ganized and managed by the farmers
II was a success. all the profits were
distributed back to the producers as
an additional price upon the grain de-
livered and the farmers Loyalty sup
ported II. Later, however, the shares
OF stock became centered In a few
business men who were not grain
growers. These men held a major
ity OF the stock and were In full
control. They began squeezing down
the prices to the producer until they
were paying him no more than the
privately owned elevator companies
paid.
The trustful farmers continued to
deliver their grain for a time and the
business men in control received a
forty per cent dividend. At the end
OF the year. however. the farmers real
ICED that they were being imposed
upon and the next year abandoned the
project. and hauled their grain elst-
where. AS a result this cooperative
effort which had been at first an ex-
ceedingly profitable venture became
so absolute a failure that II was with
difficulty that the shareholders dis.
posed OF their building and equipment.
European Failures.
There have been failures In Euro
pean cooperation also. You cannot
talk cooperation n Germany long
with anyone familiar with the general
situation without having your atten-
ton called TO the fact that co-opera.
ton has received one black eye. Years
< the government. anxious to aid In
the marketing OF grain, devoted a
considerable amount OF money to the
erection Of elevators or corn houses
leaning the money to local co-opera-
tive concerns whose organization II
fostered and supervising the erection
In each case OF a rather imposing
structure. II would seem that the
government generously tempted the
promoters 10 unressonins extrsvs.
gance. How could you expect our
people to calculate closely when they
had this heap OF unearned money
forced upon them one man re-
marked Everything Was done on q
costly scaie. The s~torehouses we're
too big. They were not carefully 10
Gated. Into these concerns crept, also
a desire to speculate. to corner the
grain supply. 10 do In Germany what
Letter war reported 10 have done In
imeTies.-io capture the srs.n msr
ket.
Everyone persuaded himself, II Ia
; said, that he was going to grow rich
, by approprating by degrees the
! wealth thus to be gained. They had
! heard that there were great corners
] In the United States. and by buying
and storing grain men had made enor-
; nous fortunes. There was TO be gold
for everyone who wanted II. A careful
study Of the situation has revealed the
, absurdity OF the situation. Those who
controlled b warehouses could no,
control ~ sxSoo5 ols-s=sasssth 81 ths
] supply Of grain crown In Germany
.l..