Cheyenne record., 1914-04-02
Coo Operative Farm
Products Marketing
Hov 1t Is Done in Europe and May Be Done
in America to the Profit of Both
Farmer and Consumer
a nlInaEnA
COOPERATIVE GERMANY.
Farmer and Consumer
BY MATTHEW 8. puDaEoh.

purity. softness and quality; 2. Co
operation ensures extreme economy In
maintenance and management; Co.
operation enables the smallest commu-
nifty to provide itself with really
good water supply"
It is not impossible that there is in
this German experience a suggestion
for the irrigation companies In western
America, where mismanagement and
graft seem to have prevailed. Ger
tainly truly cooperative association
ganized upon the one man one vote
plan, freed from all motives of exces-
sive or speculative profits. and man
aged with the efficiency that Is tradi-
tional in cooperative concerns could
never have made shipwreck Of so
many fair prospects as have some of
the irrigation companies in the west
ern states
Flowing by Steam.
The owners of the big wheat farms
in the northwestern parts Of the United
States might sit up and take notice Of
some of the cooperative power plow
companies which are operating In Ger
many. At present there are 46 such
societies. The entire power equipment
is owned by the society, and its mem
bers, even though they occupy COM
paratively small farms, are by this
means enabled to have the benefit of
the improved and cheaper work Of the
power plow. Experience here shows
that the power plowing plant, consist
In - go$o - vi koo 49,
or electric power, cannot be main
tained economically unless 1t has
something like 1000 acres upon which
to operate. The concerns are most care
fully managed. A good machinist is
always in charge of the outfit. In ad-
dition to his SALARY he is allowed a
commission upon every acre plowed.
He has entire charge OF the operations
and requires all members to remove
all distractions before work is under
taken. The rates are carefully graded
according to the soil, the depth and
the accessibility. In some cases, also,
less charge is made for blowing dur
ing the slack periods, the price being
raised as the demand for services of
the equipment increases. -,
Cooperative Societies Federated.
The cooperative spirit has not
ceased when 1t has led the farmer to
cooperate with his neighbors to form
a local cooperative concern. The Ger
man genius for organization has led
to most elaborate system of co-or-
dinatioh between the various local co.
operative associations. For example,
all cooperative dairies within q prov
ince will be united together in GEN.
trail association which unifies and har-
monizes the work of all the local or
ganizations. These central provincial
societies are in turn in an empire
wide federation with headquarters at
Berlin. You will therefore in that.
city find several central concerns,
each Of which is allied with hundreds
of local societies. This Capitalization
scheme has many advantages. 1t pro-
vides for supervision, inspection, and
audit which leads to good accounting
systems and good business methods.
The central office serves as a bureau
OF information and advice. In case Of
marketing the central society, by rea-
son Of its size and financial resources,
gets into markets which would be al
together inaccessible to the little To-
cal concern. Without Capitalization
German cooperation would be much
less effective than 1t Is.
Increased Quantity.
Here in Germany, as elsewhere, CO.
operation has not only enabled the
farmer to make the most out Of what |
he PRODUCES, but has increased the |