The midland journal., 1914-06-05
Where Fifty Thousand Belgian Peasants Cooperate.
EUROPE,s COOPERATIVE MESSAGE

No one can make such a trip Of in
vestigation as we have made without
becoming convinced that into Ameri-
can rural life must come some form Of
cooperative enterprise. II It costs as
much to take the farm produce from
the farm to the city consumer as it
does to produce 1t (and this is an ad-
mitted fact) it necessarily follows that
our distributive system Is wonderfully
wasteful. How long will the intelli-
gent American farmer tolerate sys-
tenn which nets him 25 to so per cent
of the retail price Of his farm product
after he knows that the Danish farmer
gets a little over ninety per cent Of
what the consumer pays for his prod
uct. As we investigate what is done
abroad and what could be done in
America in the way of efficient dis
tribution the wonder grows that the
American farmer with his intelligence
and independence and initiative has
consented to be a victim of a distribu-
tive system which has put him abso-
lutely in the hands of the commercial
forces that intervene between himself
and the consumer. 1t is no less as
tonishing that the more businesslike
and more commercialized city consum-
er should have so long consented to
pay price to the distributor Of farm
products which is over 100 per cent
above the producers price.
Cooperation is coming to America.
Whether 1t will come in the exact
form in which it evidences itself in
foreign lands or in some other differ-
ent form is immaterial. 1t may not
come Immediately but eventually and
inevitably the idea OF cooperation will
prevail in the future agricultural and
commercial organizations of the Unit
ed States.
Cooperative Lessons.
It is safe to assume that Ireland,
Belgium, Germany, and Denmark have
learned some lessons from their many
years Of cooperative endeavor. 1t is
safe to assume that If certain princi-
Piles have been found to apply through
out all these countries, then these prin-
ciples are at least worthy Of care
full consideration for future use In
America.
There are some points as to which
all cooperative societies abroad are
. the same. There are some as to
which they differ, as is but natural
when we consider the varying condi-
tions under which the various socie-
ties operate In the different countries.
We are of course primarily interested
In those fundamental characteristics
which are common to all
Whenever a number of American
farmers gather together to consider
an organization which has to do with
mercantile or other financial enter
prise, 1t is but natural to talk about
profits and dividends. Their idea Of
organization Is joint stock corpora
tion in which each man invests such
money as he can spare. in which each
votes In proportion to the shares pur-
chased, and the main purpose of which
is to earn money and declare divi-
dends. It is difficult for him to con-
ceive Of commercial organization
whose chief function is not to squeeze
all the profit there Is out OF every ac-
tivity.
True cooperation is impossible SO
long as this idea OF organization is
retained.
The purpose Of the cooperative en-
terprise is to handle the product with
economy and efficiency so that there
will be no waste and no profits d.
verted from the producers pocket. II
such concern pays large dividend
to shareholders 1t Is not evidence of
success, but clear indication that
money which should have gone to the
producer has been taken from him
and given to the investor. This con-
ception has not yet reached the con-
seriousness Of the American farmer
who still expects a cooperative con-
cerH to pay dividends.
The Irish Way.
n Ireland we found that nearly all
Of the effective cooperative orgnnizar