American Falls press. [volume] (American Falls, Idaho) 1907-1937, 1915-12-09
COOPERATION THE HOPE
OF THE FARMER.
To Get Better Hold Upon the Profits
Of Their Industry.

CHICAGO, Dec. declaring that
America should launch a citizenship
movement for the organization among
farmers of s~elf-help, Sir Horace
Plunkett, X. c. v. 0. OF Dublin, Ireland
addressed the opening session of the
third national conference on marketing
and farm credits, speaking t. dele
gates from forty states.
The speaker came across the ocean
to address the conference with the end
in view of aiding in organizing Amer
ican agriculture. He was the first
minister of agriculture of Ireland n
is the father of the Irish cooperative
movement, which has under its wings
los 900 Irish farmers organized into
1000 cooperative societies.
The Weak Spot
He describes the weak spot in Amer
lean rural economy as being a lack of
business organization on the part OF
the farmers. He dwelt upon the chaot-
ic conditions that accompany the mar
keting Of farmers products and the
purchasing of farmers supplies. He
showed how the cities of America and
other nations have been developed at
the expense of the countryside. He de-
clared that the time is now ripe for
all public spirited persons to interest
themselves in the fundamental devel-
opment of the agriculture of this coun-
try. "They must get together" he
said, "they must eliminate waste, or
America will fall behind more compe-
tent nations" He showed how the CO.
operative movement of Europe has
stood the test of the greatest crisis in
the worlds history and dwelt at length
upon the sharpening of the business
ability of the cooperative managers as
a result of the stringent conditions
now prevailing. Not only must
America learn to organize her food
supply, he said, to meet critical pc
RODS such as war, but America must
prepare for the great International
competition which is bound to strike
the American farmer keenest, since he
is farthest behind in organization for
his own interest. The damage to the
farmer will be reflected in every other
industry, for America is still dominant
a farming country.
He urged the American farmer to
learn the first principles of selling
farm products-the preparation of
packages for marketing, n consign-
ment in such a way that they will be
delivered regularly and under guar
antee pack.
Form of Combination.
1.-THE towns have r1ourished at the
expense of the country" he said
"Now, by the use of the townsmen's
methods the countrymen can only
Nome into their own again, but the
form of combination which farmers
must develop for their own welfare
differs somewhat from the form OF
combination that townsmen have 50
successfully adopted. The farmers
form of combination should be the CO.
operative corporation. This kind of a
corporation has for its object the de-
velopment of business on a democratic
basis. II contains the one man-one
vote principle; it limits the interes'
on the share capital to a moderate
amount; it provides for a division OF
profits above this on the basis ol
patronage, after certain parts OF the
profits have beer set aside for a re-
$500 r.-l o. dnnxaniafinn anh for
other necessary purposes to develop
1.-The organization to a successful
growth.
'eThese cooperative corporations,
said the Irish visitor, should be or
ganized under uniform laws. They
should be exempt, as in England, from
the income tax, just so long as they
remain non-exclusive as to member
ship; but they should be required by
law 10 submit to regular audits anc
their accounts should be filed in somt
public department and be subject tC
inspection at any time"
He said:
II do not think you will ever b'
able to get either the brains or tn
capital Of American farmers properl.
applied to production until they fint
some means of escape from a business
situation which gives them, to say thu
least, a p~recarious hold upon the prof
its of industry. The ways of es
cape is no other than cooperative or
~ganization.