The Tucumcari news and Tucumcari times. [volume] (Tucumcari, N.M.) 1907-1921, 1914-06-25

Agricultural Organization Society
which from the first has been the
power that has made cooperation pos
sible In the island. 1t Is q rigid rule
OF this organization society that no
local society belonging to II can under
any circumstances pay to exceed Ave
per cent per annum upon It's shares OF
stock. The moment the shareholders
conceive the organization is one
which IL to earn large dividends, that
moment It's usefulness ends. More
than n American cooperative enter
prise has been wrecked upon these
rocks.
Following some bitter experiences.
II has been found necessary to adhere
rigidly to the principle that 10 matter
what n mans Investment may be. he
agement OF the concern. Experience
has shown that this avoids jealousies.
and suspicion. and discord. and pre-.
vents Encouragement.
cisioyalty OF Members.
One OF the great stumbling blocks
In cooperative success In America has
been the disloyalty 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 II Is difficult for
tho farmer to see why he should sacri.
flee Ave cents a bushel upon his grain
out OF a mere sentiment OF loyalty 10
the cooperative enterprise. As a re.
suit he almost inevitably takes his
grain TO the privately owned concern.
His nelghbors do the same and soon
the cooperative concern is on the
rocks and liz 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 disloyal.
~ he has made It practically imposst
BILE for any other cooperative con.
Germ eve to be organized In the com.
munity.
European cooperation has had the
same experience. II was originally
hard for the European farmer to real
lie that he should sacrifice q limited
amount OF present profit In order 70
demonstrate his loyalty 20 the con.
Germ and to secure ultimate success
The situation. however. no longer
arises where cooperation has become
fairly established.
Quality and Control.
Another characteristic common ia
all cooperative organizations which
we visited In these four countries 10
that where the society is q marketing
concern II insists upon the highest
quality and In order to get II exercises
absolute control over the acts OF It's
members so far as these acts contrib
ute TO the quality OF the product. Such
n successful dairying institution as the
Trifolium dairy OF Denmark has most
rigid rules to which all members must
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: tho slightest Illness on the
part OF the COW must be reported and
tho milk kept separate: detailed re
quirements as To ventilation, cleanli
mana hu nA1In1 80 ,nIiE anH Mill. nnna
must be observed; the milk OF cows
which have not been inspected mus,
not be mingled with those which
have: milk must be cooled within one
hour after II is MIXED In order tina,
meteorological growth may cease
way; In fact everything is done which
can be done TO improve the quality oil
the milk and the butter and other
products handled by the Trifolium
dairy.
Central Association Needed.
Experience In these foreign coun
tries has also demonstrated that nc
local cooperative concern Is nj Client
unto itself. The manager OF n CO
operative egg marketing institution In
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 In
general about marketing, II Is impos
sible for him. isolated as he Is. Il
know from day to day where there Is 0
demand for his product. As a result |,
IN found necessary in ireland to have
these cooperative concerns affiliated
with the Irish Wholesale Society, with
headquarters at Dublin.
Tho same principle exists in Ger
many but IL worked out In another
way. The necessity of federation IL
recognized. however. In all countries
although the way In which the locaI
organizations are affiliated into "A cen
trail organization varies under the con
ditions OF the various countries.
Europe's Unanimous Verdict.
Europe's cooperative message Il
briefly to this effect: