The Irish standard., 1914-08-22


mainly is assured. 1t is writ not only
in the stars but also in the hearts and
minds of the masses"
Governor Glynn on Cooperation.
Governor Glynn of New York at
the recent conference of cooperative
farm societies made notable speech
on cooperation. He said in part:
eff l were a producing farmer
would be here to discuss the best
means of distributing the produce of
my farm. If were a private citizen,
anxious to find an economic answer
to the rapidly mounting cost of liv-
ing, would be here to assist in de-
vising an effective method of pur-
chasing the necessities of life with
the least possible outlay.
GAS public officer, responsible on
the one hand to the producer and on
the other to the consumer, sworn to
promote the best interest of both, I
have a two-fold concern for the sue
cess of this conference. And what
ever influence may possess by vir-
tue of my position, am here to ex-
ert on behalf of the practical Coop
GRAFTON which you are planning.
'The history of cooperation is
marked with wrecks of cooperative
enterprises. The failures along the
road indicate the difficulty which
must be met and surmounted by each
new venture. But the fact that the
principle of cooperation has sur
vived a thousand disasters is suff1-
cient proof that it contains prom
Use which will in time bear abund-
ant fruit.
'"The argument against co-opera-
ton is never against cooperation as
an ideal, but simply against it as a
practical method of social reform.
And the practical argument against
it may be summed up in the state
ment that the average man is not
ready for the duties and responsible
ties of cooperation.
''The fact that for every dollar
the consumer pays for farm produce
the man who raises it receives but
IS cents indicates that there is some
thing radically wrong in our present
metohds of distribution. And it is
significant that in this conference
there are representatives of Cooper
ating consumers, as we'll as of CO.
the demand for change is evident. in
operative producers. The need and
this place, from two sides of the
economic triangle.
This conference is cheering in
dication of the individual activity de-
manded by cooperation. If the rep
resentative men of the state, the men
who must form the nucleus of any
active of any active organization for
economic hetterment. are nrararad to
enter into broad plan for co-opera-
tive progress, then cooperative re-
suits are assured.
You have definite object to OBJ
tain; you must agree on a definite
policy and a definite division of en-
ergy. Your object is to bring tie
producing farmer and the distant
consumer into closer touch. Your
method is through the formation of
cooperative societies of farmers on
the one hand and of cooperative So
cieties of consumers on the other.
"In the past the farmer has been
manufacturer who has bought his
raw material at retail and sold his
finished product at wholesale. It is
small wonder that he has found it
hard to keep balance on the credit
side of his ledger.
1.-The cooperative plan will permit
the farmer to purchase his feed and
fertilizer in carload lots and sell his
ripened produce at price approx
mating what the consumer pays for
it. In his turn the cooperative con-
sumner will reach out to meet the CO.
operative farmer. Through cooper
ative stores the consumer will .pur-
chase his foodstuffs at wholesale
prices and secure for himself what
ever profit there may be in the re-
failing of this produce. Eventually,
if the initial efforts are successful,
the cooperative farming societies
and the cooperative societies of con-
sumers will deal directly one with
the otherS on a basis which expert
ence may show to be the most equit-
able to both.
Il am told that this is the first
conference ever held in the United
States between cooperative produc-
ers and cooperative consumers. And
this fact imposes proud RESPONSE
bility upon each man who has taken
part in it.
You have placed yourselves in the
vanguard of a mighty movement
which is circling the world, gather
ing strength with each new dawn.
Cooperation is in the air. We find
it in the office of business and in
H0 -