The Tucumcari news and Tucumcari times. [volume] (Tucumcari, N.M.) 1907-1921, 1914-03-11
Coo Operative Farm
Products Marketing
How II Is Done in Europe and May Be Done
In America TO the Profit of Both
Farmer and Consumer
SAVING RURAL IRELAND
BY MATTHEW S. ouooEoN.

In 1894 the cooperative movement
has become so great that there was
need OF a central society 10 carry on
the work which had heretofore been
done by volunteer pr%opagandlsts.
The |. A. o. S.
There was needed an organization
which should help rural communities
organize their marketing and business
processes. be a central federation OF
all existing societies. and become q
supervisor and auditor OF their bust.
ness methods. Such "a society IL the
Irish Agricultural society Al its
head has been and is Sir Horace
Plunkett. who has been the John the
Baptist OF the gospel OF cooperation In
Ireland. He II ably assisted By the
secretary. Mr.. X. A. Anderson. a mar
OF rare executive ability and OF emf.
nent common sense Associated In the
movement also is Mr.. George W. Rus.
sell. brilliant journalist and editor OF
the Irish Homestead, "A man who IL
practical as well az a poet and painter.
The yice-president OF the organization
Is Rev. Father Thomas A. Finlay, pro.
fessor OF economics In the National
University at Dublin, Catholic priest
who has a most rare and kindly
knowledge OF human nature. combined
with "a splendid head for the details OF
the business OF the cooperative organi.
cation.
Seldom has 81 well balanced a quar-
tet OF men been associated together in
any economic movement. They are
in very fact n power for the business
regeneration OF rural ireland. Practic.
ally all Of the cooperative societies In
Ireland have been organized By the l..
\. o. ;. Its organizers meet with the
promoters OF a news society and give
them the benefit OF the experiences OF
the older societies. They furnish q
set OF rules, advise as 10 equipment,
Install a system OF bookkeeping and
good business methods. The society
has a stan OF skilled. experienced men
who are organizers, editors and inspec.
tors. To II cooperative societies make
certain definite reports. To Il hoy
constantly 20 for advice and council
and over them II maintains a most
complot" power OF audit. The func.
ton Of the society Is TO unity and co.
ordinate, 10 inspect, 70 audit. TO advise
II has been It's achievement 70 pilot
all cooperative organizations through
n" struggles and difficulties inherent
In the initiation OF the movement 20 al
Innate success. ALWAYS and every.
whore the society insists on good bust.
ness methods, upon the most effective
system of accounting, upon fair and
broad.mind"d dealings with all con.
crrucd, and upon the maintenance of
the highest quality In all products.
American cooperation must have Il
similar central society il IL is to be-
effective.
During the parliamentary recess Of
1895, through the efforts Of this same
statesman. Sir Horace Pluukctt. there
was brought together a committee OF
representative men OF various parties
and Crccds, who later presented a pc.
tition 20 the government Praying for
the institution Of n state department
which would fulhl the functions OF "A
ministry OF agriculture for ireland
These proposals were cmbodies In a
Law enacted in 1899 and Immediately
thereafter the department OF aRricul
turc, with Sir Horace Plunkett at It's
head, began IN career OF education.
The present head OF the department
Of agriculture and technical instruc.
ton as N is nOw termed. is the Hon
Thomas " Russell
Agricultural Wholesale Society.
As was but natural, the cooperative
organizations, after they had estab
lishcd themselves and began furnish.
Ing a product OF high quality, found
that the individual managers OF the
separate societies had not facilities
for obtaining a knowledge OF the mar.
kct, To understand fully the conditions
In all markets 10 which Irish products
might reasonably be expected 10 have
access was too large a task for each
scattered organization 20 undertake
Tor itself Consequently the Irish Az.
ricultural Wholesale society, limited,
began business. At first il confined
Itself to the marketing OF Irish prod.
ucts. Later, when local cooperative
societies found trouble In getting
goods Of high Quality AT reasonable
prices. the organization took UP the
Iobbing business al a side issue. Now
II maintains two branches, oncscventh
OF It's business is performed as a Job.
Der. s~lx'sevenths Of It's busIness Ia mar.
keting Irish goods, About one-third OF
the Irish products handled 30 across
the channel 70 England and Scotland.