The Madison journal. (Tallulah, Madison Parish, La.) 1888-current, 1915-10-23
GOOD AIDS IN COOPERATION
Strong Capable Management and Sup
port of All Its Members Essential
to Any Market Association.

The growing feeling that there is too
much difference between the price
paid to the producer OF food and the
price paid by the consumer has turned
the attention of American farmers
more and more to cooperative market
ing associations as a promising rem
| edy. Producers of perishable products
have advanced the furthest in this di-
rection, and the best organized coop
| erative marketing associations are
| now to be found among the California
citrus fruit growers and among the
deciduous fruit growers of the Pacific
| Northwest In general it may be said
that the most promising field for such
associations is in the marketing of
highly specialized and localized crops
The work of the marketing associa-
tions includes the establishing of
grades and standards: the adoption
of brands and trade marks; the Sc
curing of capital and credit: proper
advertising to encourage consumption
of meritoriOus but little known prod
uct; discovery of new and extension
of old markets; securing information
as to crop and market conditions; the
equitable division of profits; adapting
production 20 meet market require
ments; the use of by-products; secur-
ing cold and common storage facili-
ties; the cooperative buying and man
ufacturing of supplies; cooperative
| nf nciv far oh
curing of lower freight rates. more
equitable refrigeration charges. and
more efficient transportation service:
the securing of more and better Ia
Dor; and the general cultivation of a
spirit of cooperation in all community
affairs
These objects can not be achieved
without strong, capable management.
If a farmer has not sufficient faith in
the cooperative idea to go into the en-
terprise with his whole heart, to hold
up energetically the hands of the man.
ager and work disinterestedly for the
success of the association as a whole,
he had better not become a member.
for he will be far from a source OF
comfort to his partners.
The manager should be employed by
the board of directors and should have
large powers. He should employ and
discharge all labor. He should secure
information as to crop and market con-
ditions and furnish same to the mem
bers on request. He should encourage
the production of the best varieties of
products demanded by the trade. He
should conduct packing schools. in or
, der that growers may become trained
, in the best methods of grading. pack
ing. and labelling their products. He
/ should have charge of the grading
packing, and inspection of all associa
ton products. and should have control
, of the brands and labels. and theii
= use on the association packages, in &C
. cordance with the rules of the asso
, citation. He should enter into con
!. tracts for the sale of the association
q goods. He should have entire charge
n of the marketing of all association
r goods, subject only to the action o.
!. the board of directors and the bylaws
!. and rules Of the association He cal
:. not be held responsible If he is to bt
dictated to at will by each member o.
A the officers are constantly to NEEDLE
v with his work. This does not impl!
A that the manager should be dictator
h From the suggestions of the officer
q and members together with those from
q his own experience he constructs
a business plan. Whenever a manage
4 loses the confidence of the members
% it is better to replace him with man
n ager who possesses that confidence
, But no manager. however competen
I he may be. can lead cooperative as
- ISOLATION to success unless he has rea
Q cooperation from the members. u
;. cooperative circles the disloyal men
;, Der is the chief element of failure.