The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1915-01-31
VIRGINIA FARMERS
UNION PROGRESSIVE
EDUCATIONAL AND COOPERATIVE
BODY HAS GREATLY H3oAD-
ENED ITS FIELD
700 LOCALS IN STATE
SouTHsIDE EXCHANGE IN oPERA-
TIoS IN PETERsHURG--CO-
. ERATTyE TRADING CENTER
LOCATED IN RICHMOND.

The virginia Division Of the Farm
.rs Educational and Co operative Tn
ion Of America was organized about Ave
wears ago, says State Secretary y. ".
Rlankenshtp. OF Virginia, writing for
the Progressive FarrSer He tells Of
progress made As follows:
For The FIRST two years OF our exis-
tence our energies were largely direct
ed 10 an attempt to solve the tobacco
problem. and x was NOT until Il little
over two wears ago that we hegan TO
broaden our field OF operations beyond
tho tobacco belt and take an active
b interest in the other and greater prin-
cinals Of our organizatiou--Ed Education
and Co-operation. We began to realize
thar the solution of the tobacco prob
lem as weel as the many other VeSing
questions confronting us depended upon
education and cooperation for solu-
ton I
Three years ago our organization
embraced only 1s Counties. II now
covers nearly three times as many
Counties and is growing at a healthy
rate. We have about 200 I've. active
locals In the state. and many Of them
are doing most excellent service To
illustrate New Hope Local ia amber q
County has an open meeting once eacf
monta, aud mas AN invited speaker te
address them on some subject of gen
eral interest; suca as, our County
government, how we can help to i'm
prove r." public schools and text
/ books" equalization of taxes good
roads. how TO keep them ~ the dos
law" and various other subjects The
speakers are usually secured several
months in advance. and are selected
because of their Knowledge of the sub
ject ia be discussed This has result
ed in great good to the Union as well
as TO the entire citizenship. This Local
also buys it's supplies comparatively
with great saving 30 its members.
The membership around Petershurg
organized and put into operation there
the Southside Exchange. The manager
told me 4 short time ago that his sales
now amounted To more than $S.oo1 3
month, Nothing bus internal dissep-
sions can prevent it from being a con
tinous and growing success
: This same exchange contracted for
sc, 900 peanut bags at saving of APP
proxfmateiy So. 700 when compared with
last years prices arr sorry 10 have
70 say, however, that this contract
which was made with importers was
rendered null aud void by the outbreak
tof war, and peanut sacks will cost more
this year than had been expected,
Gus Union has also established the
! Farmers and Consumers Cooperative
Company, Inc. of Richmond, Va. which
deals in all kinds OF livestock and
farm produce, I have before me Q
3comIliuntcation from its president, Chas
F. Cook. in which he says: I'm little
over two months We have built up a
retail business Of over IS, ooo per month
and this is increasing every day" This
promises to he one Of the biggest CO.
y operative enterprises ever undertaken
by the Union Both of these enter
prises are operated on the kochdaie
plan.
since our organization has reached
some proportions, our fertilizer has
cost us approximately IS per ton less
/ than formerly. and is being rapidly
put on Il cash basis, far as members
OF our Union are concerned.
1 Our State business agent tells me
! that during the past year our mem.
bers bought through their local bust.
ness agents practically "A half million
dollars. worts OF groceries. hardware
and farm suples This business was
done AZ wholesale prices through con-
/ tracts made by our State business
agent
The business world now seeks our
contracts, whereas In the days of our
weakness, they listened TO our bust
e
ness Agent with induigent tolerance
but respectfully declined to do bust
ness with us as union. Those who
have made contracts with us and sold
! us for the past two wears, tell US that
( they have never lost a penny on any
sale made to our local business agents
We are proud OF thA record. especial
4 iy as IL includes fertilizer also. The
best of 1t all is that we are doing
4 much to educate our people to the
advantages of buying on cash basis
We have also accomplished some
things worth while along legislative
lines. Two years ago we centered
our efforts on securing the passage
of lime grinding bill. that would
permit the state TO use "A part of this
lconyicts from the penttentiary IL
grinding limestone and shells TO be
!. sold to the farmers nj cost plus 10 pei
I cent. The law was passed. and after
two years Of litigation In the courts