Pine Bluff daily graphic., 1915-11-30
FARMERS SHOULD . UNITE, DECLARES
 IRISH LEADER Sir Horace Plunkett Ex- plains How Irish Farmers Bought Land on Credit. 1000 DELEGATES AT FARM CONFERENCE; Organizations with Membership of One Million Represented at Meeting to Discuss Farm Credits and
 Cooperation.

Cooperation.
 Chicago, Nov. 29.-The third an nual meeting of the National Confer ence On Marketing and Farm Credits in joint program with the National Council of Farmers Cooperative as- sociation, opened at the Hotel Ser man tonight and will remain in ses- sion four days. One thousand dele gat.s were present, representing farmers organizations with a total membership of 100000. the govern ment at Washington, soma of the largest banks and business concerns of the country, and agricultural interests in foreign countries.
 After the address of welcome by Edward F. Dunne, governor of Illi- nois, the Rt Hon. Sir Horace Plum kstt, K. c. " O.. founder and presi- dent of the Irish Agricultural Organization society, and former minister of the department of agr:- culture Of Ireland. explained to the delegates the methods by which the farmers had been able to purchase farms, through the government, from the seven landlords who previously owned nearly all of Ireland, but themselves lived in London.
 Cooperation, explained Sir Horace, was the secret of their success. Through system of rural credits small farmers had been enabled to purchase small farms, being given from 25 to, 50 years in which to pay for them, thus enabling the farmers to make the land pay for itself. Sir Horace advised the American farmers to adopt a, similar system if they ever expect to own their farms.
 There are 55 speakers on the pro grams but there will be hundreds of three minute discussions after the speakers have finished.
 How to Organize.
 How to organize the agriculture of America is the great problem to come before the conference this year. At the two previous conferences there was much discussion of what to do At this, the third conference atten- tion is to be centered on how to do things that all are agree must be done. It is expected the conference will draft "a rural credit bill: another permitting the organization of CO., operative farmers societies in vari. ous states: and others encouraging the standardization of production and marketing.
 There are 1O0000.000 persons ir the United States directly affected by this movement, as it concerns tho entire food production of the coun try. In Ireland, Germany, Englanc Dsnmark and other foreign countries there are cooperative societies O. which the farmer gets a better prici for his produce and the consumer pays less for it by the elimination O the middleman It is the object of th' conference to establish such societie! throughout this country, putting tn production, and marketing of agri cultural products on scientific basis. eliminating the waste. and giv ing the former full returns. These soci;ties. bv the banding together c hundrcds of farmers. will be securit, purchase farms. which the individua members could not get as their credi would not ba good at the banks There are 2,5O0000 tenant farmers il the United States. an increase O so, 1000 since 1890, and co-opera.tior would enable large percentage O these tenants to purchase their farm! paying for them in twenty or thirty years. instead of five years-which is the usual tine of a farm mortgagt now.
 ace Societies In Wisconsin.
 Only two states. in the union per init such cooperative organization: at this time-Wisconsin and Cali fornia. In Wisconsin there are nor than 300 co-cperative societies whicf do everything pertaining to agricur tUre. The Sheboygan County Chsest Producers society is one of the bes examples of cooperative bencfits These producers have been able tc market thsir products at net in crease to themselves of s30000o ner year ONGE Wudt lucy Tett'Neu uIlu " tn old arrangement Of selling to mid dlemen. without any increase in prices to the consumers.
 The benefits received bv the Cali fornia fruit growers through their organization have been enormous
 Some of the evils to be overcome are the wastes in various products thrOuph imprOpar ,narketing-Sucll shipments of fruit as soon as picked The fruit growers ct the country lost $25.000,O00 on the 1915 peach crop for this reason. Michiean alone lost s5.000,000 on fruit which rottcd on the trees or in commission houses while thousands of people in Chicago did not s'at peach all summer
 The milk producers of the Chicago district receive less than 8 cents a quart for their milk. while the con sumner pays from to 10 cents a quart