Montpelier examiner. [volume] (Montpelier, Idaho) 1895-1937, 1914-03-27

Dublin, Ireland.-There is no magic
in cooperation. 1t Is not cure-aA
for economic ills. Cooperative con-
Germs succeed because they employ
good business methods. In fact CO.
operative marketing is good business
and good sense and intelligence APP
piled to farm marketing. This is the
biggest and most important lesson to
be learned in Ireland. AS Rev. Fa-
ther Finley, q great believer In CO
operation, says in an article in the
Constructive Quarterly, THAT 1t has
been productive of much material
good to those who employed its meth
DDS with intelligence and energy, is
beyond question; that 1t has been
barren of useful results where those
qualities were wanting Is equally I'M
deniable"
Cooperative marketing succeeds in
Ireland because it stands for three
things: Cd Good business methods
and intelligent management; (2) A
uniformly high quality of product;
(3) Justice, equality and loyalty
among members. without these char
acteristics cooperation fails in Ire
land and fails everywhere. These are
the lessons that Ireland has to teach
America. No group which does not in
sist upon running its cooperative con
Germ along these lines can succeed.
To tolerate poor business methods, lax
lty as to quality, or disloyalty and in
Justice to each other is to fail.
These are some things Americans
will not be required to experiment
upon, because the Irish have already
tried them out
Simply Good Business.
Irish cooperation makes money fol
farmer and city consumer alike. L
has succeeded in bringing the producer
and consumer nearer together. The
farm products go directly to the cit.
consumer. The product arrives II
good shape. 1t brings only a reason
able price. The result is that cit.
man and farmer profit by the NOR
economical method of distribution
But cooperative marketing after al
Is simply good, common sense and eff
cient business. There is nothing mys
ferrous about 1t. AS we have SAID
there is in it no magic. The goo
cooperative marketing concerns owe
here succeed because they are wei
organized. well managed, intelligent
governed, carefully supervised bt
cause they are simply efficient bus
ness organizations in which 100 c
1000 men with common occupatio
and a common interest get togethe
TOR a united, harmonious effort
a. A,.H aha
Must Be Purely Democratic.
Over here it is always "one ma
one vote" One lesson that Irelan
mas for America ia that no man an
40 small group OF men can be permi
ted to control any cooperative orgal
Ization. The principal of one man or
vote must prevail. The man who hs
invested 81 900 must have no moi
voting power than the man who hs
invested only IS. Men, not pro
erty VOTE" is another expressic
used here. Under this system no ma
can use the cooperative society for h
own selfish ends. The poorest farme
attend the meetings, and II they sho
ability, go upon committees and b
come officers. The organization
most essentially democratic.
Here in Ireland, as In America, q
poor men who have Joined cooper
tive concerns In which richer mi
have the controlling vote, have !
GREETED It Always the motives
those in control are questioned a
discord and discomfort have ensue
II Is one man one vote or failul
-
put In more money / ought to ha
more to say how 1t is managed" B
there is nothing in this contentic
a Human experience teaches US tn
there is no danger that the man
property will be DISTINGUISHED.
never was. In political fields whe
the rich man has no more voting po
er than the poor man. the rich m
has too much influence, rather tn
not enough. In cooperative societi
the rich man has as little to co
plain of as in politics. The man V
is wise and successful in his O
business has proved the leader in
affairs of the association by his y
dom and the prestige Of his succe
Property has not been unduly
franehised in cooperative societi
The struggle is always rather TO K
its power within reasonable limits.
All Profits to the Producer.
The purpose hack OF co-operat
organization differs from that b;
of a commercial enterprise. 1t SCI
not to make dividends for the n
who invests his money, but to I
vide that the producer shall rece
the largest possible percentage of
price paid by the consumer. Ireli