Askov American. [volume] (Askov, Pine County, Minn.) 1914-current, 1915-01-21

In 1885 the cooperative movement
has become 10 great that there was
need OF Q central society to carry on
the work which had Heretofore been
done By volunteer pFopagandists.
The Z. A. q. s.
There was needed an organization
which should help rural communities
organize their marketing and business
processes, be central federation of
all existing societies. and become q
supervisor and auditor of their bust.
ness methods. Such a society Ia the
Irish Agricultural society At its
head has been and Is Sir Horace
Plunkest. who has been the John the
Baptist Of the gospel of cooperation In
Ireland. He ii ably assisted by the
secretary. Mr.. n. 4. Anderson, man
Of rare executive ability and Of emil
nert common sense Associated In the
movement also IL Mr.. George w. Rus.
sell, brilliant journalist and editor OF
the Irish Homestead, q man who IL
practical as well as d poet and painter.
The vice-presIdent OF the organization
Is Rev. Father Thomas Al. Finlay. pro
fessor of economics III the National
University at Dublin, Catholic priest
who has most rare and kindly
knowledge OF human nature. combined
with splendid head for the details Of
the business OF the cooperative organi
1ation.
seldom has 50 wen balanced quar-
tet OF men been associated together In
any economic movement. They are
In very fact a power for the business
regeneration OF rural ireland. Practio
ally all of the cooperative societies In
Ireland have been organized BY the &
A, o. 8, It's organizers meet With the
promoters OF q news society and give
them the benefit OF tho experiences Of
the older societies. They furnish o
set Of rules, advise aa TO equipment,
install system OF bookkeeping and
good business methods. The society
has staff of skilled. experienced men
who are organizers, editors and inspec.
tors. TO 1t cooperative societies make
certain definite reports. To II they
constantly go for advice and council
and over them 1t maintains most
complete power or audit, The fune.
tlon OF the society Ii TO unity and co.
ordinate, TO inspect, to audit, TO advise
II has been les achievement to pilot
all cooperative organizations through
the struggles and difficulties inherent
In the initiation Of the movement TO III
innate success. Always and every.
where the society insists on good busi.
ness methods. upon the most effective
system of accounting. upon fair and
5broad.minded dealings with all con.
cerned. and upon the maintenance OF
the highest quality In all products
American cooperation must have
similar central society II 1t IL to be
effective.
During the parliamentary recess OF
1895. through the efforts of this same
statesman, Sir Horace piunkett, there
was brought together q committee oil
representative men or various parties
and creeds. who later presented q pc
tition to tho government praying for
the Institution OF D state department
which would fulfil the functions OF q
ministry of agriculture Cor Ireland
These proposals were embodies I'M D
law enacted In 1889 and immediately
thereafter the department or agrieui
tnre. with SIR Horace Plunkett az its
head. began its career OF education.
The present head of ''the department
OF agriculture and technical instrac
ton, rs Il IL now termed, Is the Hon
Thomas IN, Russell
Agricultural Wholesale Society.
As was but natural, the cooperative
organizations. after they had estab
lished themselves and began furnish.
ing product Dir high quality, found
that the Individual managers or the
separate societies had not facilities
for obtaining a knowledge of the mar.
ket no understand fully the conditions
In all markets to which Irish products
might reasonably be expected TO have
access was too large q task for each
scattered organization to undertake
for itself. Consequently the Irish A..
rIculsaral Wholesale society, limited.
began business. At first Ii confined
itself 10 the marketing or Irish prod,
ucts. Later, when local cooperative
societies found trouble Ii getting
goods Of high quality at reasonable
prices, the organization took up the
johhing business - q side issue. Now
1t maintains two branches. oneseysntl
OF Ms business 10 performed as job-
bar. sss-sevenths OK its business Ia mar
kating Irish goods. About one.third or
the lrish products handled 90 across
the channel to England and Scotland