The Monticellonian., 1915-10-21
GOOD AIDS IN COOPERATION
Strong Capable Management and Sup port of All It's 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 l the attention of American farmers more and more to cooperative market 1 ing associations as promising rem | edy. Producers of perishable products | have advanced the furthest in this di rection. and the best organized coop eratiye marketing associations are now to be found among the California citrus fruit growers and among the l deciduous fruit growers of the Pacific Northwest. In general 1t 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 se- curing of capital and credit; proper advertising to encourage consump ption of meritorious but little known prod
 
 of old markets; securing information as to crop and market eonditions the equitable division of profits; adapting production to meet market require ments; the use of by-produets; secur. ing cold and common storage facili- ties; the cooperative buying and man ufacturing of supplies; cooperative nf fo curing of lower freight rates. more equitable refrigeration charges, and more efficient transportation service, the securing of more and better la Dor; and the general cultivation of spirit of cooperation in all community affairs
 These objects can not be achieved without strong, capable management. If 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 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- tion products, and should have control of the brands and labels, and their use on the association packages, in ac. cordanee with the rules of the asso ciation He should enter into con tracts for the sale Of the association goods. He should have entire charge of the marketing of all association goods. subject only to the action of the board of directors and the bylaws and rules of the association He can not be held responsible if he is to be dictated to at will by each member or the officers are constantly to meddle with his work This does not imply that the manager should be dictator From the suggestions of the officers and members together with those from his own experience he constructs business plan. Whenever manager loses the confidence of the members. it is better to replace him with a man ager who possesses that confidence But no manager, however competent he may be, can lead cooperative as. sociation to success unless he has real cooperation from the members In cooperative circles the disloyal mem Der is the chief element of failure.