Pine Bluff daily graphic., 1915-08-08
Nearly Every Line of Indus try Has Organized to Pro
 tect It's Inteests.
COOPERATION IN
 MARKETING HELPS
California Fruit Growers Have Ac. cOmplished Remarkable Results Thru Cooperation, and Jefferson
 Farmers Gan Gain.

By J. E. BOYCE,
 President Jefferson County Farmers
 Club and Cotton Belt Savings
 & Trust Company
 The great benefits that can be ob- tained by cooperation in the mark eting of the products of the soil have been so strikingly exemplified by the many organizations throughout our country working along that line, that it seems every community in the United States would have ere this formed some organization to assist it's people to profitably dispose of their surplus products. Practically every line of industrial and mercantile en- deavor has provided some means of protection against ruinous competi- tion in the selling of it's output but the tillers of the soil seem to be the last to awaken to the benefits of or ganized effort along business lines. In fact, the lack of business .princi- ples particularly at the selling end Of his efforts, seems to be the weak point of the average American farm er.. Too much of his produce is mar keted about like the little girl dis posed of her mothers eggs:
 Sister" inquired the storekceper "what does your mother want for those eggs you have?'
 Well" replied the little girl, "sae told ,me to ask you a bit, but if you wouldn't pay that, to take ten cents"
 1t is needless to say what price bought the eggs.
 Fruit Growers Wise.
 We have many successful co-opera- tive 4lling agencies, and the Califor- nit Fruit Growers Exchange stands out pre-eminently as a success. The problem of getting profitable price for their 5000 car crop per annum was the cause of it's being called into existence. It solved the problem quickly, and now 45,000 cars are sold , every year at a good profit to its 5000 members. 1t also just after the San Francisco earthquake, showed the mills of that section that it's mem bers did not have to pay P cents for boxes, but that they could get them through their exchange for E 1-a cents over a period of eight years, and come out with over quarter Of a million dollars worth of lands, tim ber. mills, etc., as the net profit of the exchange for its efforts.
 Locally, the Ozark Fruit Growers Exchange, which handles the fruit crops of Southwest Missouri and Northwest Arkansas, has made a great succes ss for its members. and it stands ready to extend it's services over the balance of the state at prac- tically no cost to its membership.
 At Searcy, Judsonia and other near by towns, strong organizations among the truck and strawberry growers have profitably marketed their out put for many years, and have assisted their members in many other ways.
 Eastern Virginia Exchange.
 ] A very ltrikingly successful or ganization of this kind has been brought to our attention, the Eastern Shore of Virginia Produce Exchange. A perusal of it's literature discloses the fact that it serves S,S6S members, has capital stock of $41,S40 and a surplus of $155, 5,09S.14. It earned dur ing 1914 over $93,000, one-half of WulCn IL paIA eo Ato hiNAhNNA N in way of 2 dividend, which dividend is better than 110 per cent of its capl- tai. This sounds like eating the cake and having it too. With a net worth of $196,93S14 at the. close of the year. after paying the dividend named, and with $194,233.30 cash in the bank, it would seem. to be able to help its membership in 1915.
 Another feature, which is a logical consequence of loyal cooperation, shows that while the 1914 shipments were short -335,000 barrels, under the shipment of 1913, the net cash returns were $l,110,0S1.03 greater. Provins that .sthe, longer she stands the stronger she grows" The total re- ceipts for the year were $5,S93.9 .942Dl, which is some business for two coun- ties dn Irish, and sweet potatoes, cab bage, onions and other truck. Their operations apparently did not cover the grain, tobacco and other sucE staple crops.
 We believe Jefferson county could easily reach the figures above given and it could do so if our farmers and truck growers would join togetn- CT in an organization such as is now provided in the Jefferson County Far mers' club. The directors of this or ganizatiCn and the local chairmen al the various points throughout the county are all men of integrity and leaders in their respective communi- ties, and we feel sure are interested in the upbuilding of our farmers in terests.
 Need Demonstrated.
 The need of such an organization was forcibly demonstrated recently when our canteloupe growers were to sell at to 25 cents per dczen, many hauling thsm back home when in St. Louis ready market was prevailing at one dollar per dog ,n. If all our farmer would comhins in sue. an organization. Jetfsrsor county could quadruple its crops ano ge would have money coming to us