The Celina Democrat. (Celina, O. [Ohio]) 1895-1921, 1914-06-12

identical. Each Is seeking to accom-
pllsh the same purpose.
The richer member does not feel
himself disfranehised. What Is good
for him Is good for the poorer member
and he seems 10 have been always
able TO make the poorer member see
Il and vote with him. Everywhere II
is one man one vote, There is abso.
lutely no dissent from the principle
Ireland Belgium, Denmark, and Ger
many, all agree that this is absolutely
the only method OF management
pisoyalty Of Members.
one OF the great stumbling blocks
In cooperative success In America has
been the dlsloyalty OF the members
themselves. AS soon as a cooperative
marketing concern is organized a pri-
vately owned company is likely to Of
fer an advanced price-one consider
ably above that which the cooperative
concern Is Offering and possibly one
much higher than the condition OF the
market viii justify. In America hu'
man nature. like human nature In
general, is selfish and IL is difficult for
the farmer TO see why he should sacri.
fee five cents bushel upon his grain
out OF a mere sentiment OF loyalty to
the cooperative enterprise. AS a re
suit he almost inevitably takes his
grain to the privately owned concern. |
! His neighbors do the same and soon !
the cooperative concern is on the |
rocks and is abandoned. No observer |
! OF American commercial methods |
needs TO be told the next step The |
privately owned concern Immediately |
lowers the price, the farmer is where |
he was before but by his own disloyal.
ty he has made 1t practically impossi-
BILE for any other cooperative con
| cern ever to be organized In the com
munity.
European cooperation has had the
same experience. It was originally
hard for the European farmer TO real.
ize that he should sacrifice a limited
amount OF present profit in order to
demonstrate his loyalty to the con
cern and 10 secure ultimate success
The situation, however no longer
arises where cooperation has become
fairly established.
In the very beginning Of the organi'
cation a frank statement is made and
prospective members are informed
that the competition of privately
owned buyers will be such that they
will be offered larger profits than the
cooperative concern can offer them
and that unless they are ready to go
into the cooperative enterprises and
to agree TO bring all their products to
it irrespective of the price which it is
offering no organization can be sue
cessful. The fact that the high prices
which will be offered them in compe
tition are but temporary is fully ex
planned and experience shows that
when the farmer understands what
the situation is likely to be lie is very
ready to enter into an agreement to
market all of his produce through the
cooperative concern.
Quality and Control.
Another characteristic common tc
all cooperative organizations which
we visited in these four countries is
that where the society is a marketing
concern it insists upon the highest
quality and in order to get it exercises
absolute control over the acts of it:
members so far as these acts contrib
ute to the quality of the product Such
a successful dairying institution as the
Trifolium dairy of Denmark has most
~ / u oh Of
subscribe. There must be monthly
inspection by the veterinarians repre-
senting the society; a COW found to be
unhealthy or defective must be with
drawn; the slightest illness on the
part of the COW must be reported ant
the milk kept separate; detailed re
quirements as to ventilation, cleanli
ness, handling of milk and milk cant
must be observed; the milk of COWS
which have not been inspected must
not be mingled with those which
have; milk must be cooled within one
hour after it is MIXED in order thai
archaeological growth may cease;
cans must be cleaned in a certain
way; In fact everything is done which
can be done to improve the quality o
the milk and the butter and Other
products handled by the Trifoliun
dairy.
Central Association Needed.
Experience in these foreign coun
tries has also demonstrated that ne
local cooperative concern is sufficien'
unto itself. The manager of a co
operative egg marketing institution il
northwestern Ireland may know al
about poultry raising and egg produc
ton, may be skilled in the art Of pack
ing his eggs, and know something IL
general about marketing. 1t is impos
sible for him, isolated as he is, Il
know from day to day where there is
demand for his product. AS a result i
is found necessary in Ireland to have
these cooperative concerns affiliated
with the Irish Wholesale Society, with
headquarters at Dublin.
The same principle exists in Ger
many but is worked out in another
way. The necessity of federation Ii
recognized, however, in all countries
although the way in which the loca
are affiliated into cen
tral organization varies under the con
ditions Of the various countries.
Europe's Unanimous Verdict.
Europe's cooperative message II
briefly to this effect:
l. Cooperative societies cannot bt