The Hood River glacier. (Hood River, Or.) 1889-1933, 1915-02-18
state of Washington.

state of Washington.
! Our plan is 10 divide the territory
! into unit districts according TO natural
conditions, making a district OF each
neighboIhood OF locality where there
are sufficient members and tonnage to
warrant the expense OF maintaining
such district. Each of the districts "a
/ have a corporate entity of its own and
these units in turn 10 comprise a cen
| tral organization which shall exercise
supervision over the entire territory,
the membership of which is composed
of the district organizations formed as
above suggested.
The districts shall elect their repre-
sentatives in a convention for the pur-
pose of selecting the Trustees Of the
governing body or parent institution.
We recommend that each member be
required to pay a substantial sum for
bis membership. Experience has taught
that if he can get something for moth
ing, be can 90 out with equal facility.
We recommend that the membership
fee for the unit organizations be placed
at $50 also that each member be re.
qured to sign contract obligating
him to tie up his fruit TO his district
organization, at the same time express
ing his preference as to which selling
agency if any, it shall be disposed for
marketing, thus eliminating all cost Of
soliciting tonnage by the various mar
keting agencies.
BY organizing the district units un-
der the law above referred to they
should be strictly democratic, every
member having an equal voice in its
affairs and management. This law was
passed to enable individuals to organize
and have corporate existence and yet
each one to have equal voice in the
affairs of the corporation. The law
provides that there shall be no capital
stock.
This plan or organization as origin
ally outlined and subsequently devel-
oped, together with the method of
financing it fully, has been approved
bY committee of the Department of
Agriculture of the United States which
has been investigating farmers coop
erative organizations as the best that
has come under their observation.
After substantial number of grow
ers are organized into an association of
this kind there will be no difficulty in
making arrangements with wholesalers
and manufacturers for all of the ma
terial and supplies the growers may
require, payment therefor to be made
out of the proceeds of the crop.
In order to provide an asset on which
to obtain credit, each member is re-
quired to give his promissory note for
the amount of credit or supplies need
ed, which note is deposited with the
local unit or may be used by il through
the central organization as collateral
in obtaining money with which to
finance the grower. At the time Of
giving the note referred to the member
presents a statement as to bis financial
condition, also an estimate of his crop,
to be verified by the district inspector.
The note may then be endorsed by
the board of the local unit. presented
to the source from which the loan is
desired, together with the grower s
statement, and the moneys secured
either through the local bank or by
proper representation by the governing
body to outside financial centers which
would have to be arranged a consider
able time in advance in order that
proper investigation may be made that
the banks may be satisfied as to the
security offered.
The plan herein suggested is no ex-
pertinent, it having been in successful
operation for many years IN other To-
calities and its results SO entirely sat
isfactOry that we feel constrained to
strongly impress upon you'the impera
tive need of its adoption or at least its
basic principles. We have investigated
q considerable number of proposed
forms of organization and what has
been suggested above embraces our
unanimous belief that II will meet with
the approval of every grower when
thoroughly understood.