Tensas gazette. [volume] (St. Joseph, La.) 1886-current, 1914-11-27
STUDY OF MARKET SYSTEMS
Cooperation on Farms 10 Not Sum-
Client to Solve Many Problems Con-
fronting the Farmer.

Organization Is absolutely essential
In all forms Of marketing because we
buy In an organized market and we
sell In an organized mgarket. think
we are only beginning on the problem
OF cooperative activity in marketing
our farm products. Cooperation on
the farm alone IL not sufficient to
solve our problems. 1t must reach
through to other stages; Fthink 1t will
have to touch the consumer before we
reach any very great degree OF sue
cess In the whole cooperative scheme.
There Is another problem that CO
operation will have 20 solve Now and
then we find box apples not up to
standard. There is the tendency on
the part Of the individual to slip In
the defective or Gull apple. There Is
no other way to deal with this prob
lem except by close cooperation. Then
every man has the interest of the plan
definitely at heart. II we hire inspect
ors to do this work they have only q
salaried interest, but men definitely in
terested in the proposition SO that 1t
directly affects them will naturally
watch things more closely. 1t IL
through cooperation that we can
bring the most pressure to bear on
this problem to solve It. Recently
visited a community where butter was
selling for IS cents a pound, when ]
knew that butter from my own home
state of Nebraska was selling In
nearby town for IS cents, Most Of the
farmers were making good butter, but
because few were not. buyers were
suspicious of all the butter.
There Is q difference between the
product on the farm and the one that
is manufactured. You cannot destroy
a farm crop If there is going to be an
oversupply; II the hens are laying too
many eggs you cannot tell them to
stop until winter. There is always this
element of risk that there is not in
the manufactured products. We have
boards of trade operating on cotton
and wheat. They are the risk taking
group. We find q close organization
in the dairy and egg products. In the
fruit industry, to q very large extent.
the commission man absorbs this ele-
ment of risk. He is not going to lose.
so he places the margin Of profit high
enough 80 that II the risk should
take q downward move. he will be
safe; II It takes an upward move
ment he is pretty well on. This makes
plausible the very high prices. II the
grower would carry the risk . little
further ahead he would reap the re-
ward that now goes to the commits
sion man. In all forms Of co-opera-
tive activity 1t is possible to overes-
innate the benefits that may come Inn
inediately. Cooperation IL only one
phase Of the problem. The whole mar
keting system must be studied.
Now IL the time when we should be
intensely interested in the study Of
all cooperative activity because We
can do it. / am not half 30 able. to
view a situation calmly II have just
hit my thumb an awful Jolt with .
hammer because / can think Of moth
ing but my thumb. II we are bur-
dened with an Qvercrop Of fruit that
we cannot market, we cannot see
the bigger problems. Some Of this 10
theoretical. but I believe 1t IL the real
solution of the problem. Look beyond
the immediate market Of this years
crop or next years crop to look at
the whole field. When We have .
year when prices are good we should
not let down in the study Of the prob
lem of marketing. ! think the price
we have to pay for, successful mar.
ket system 10 eternal vigilance in
the study Of marketing conditions.