St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1916-02-09

written into the statute law of the
state. Vermont producers are in po-
sition to organize under conditions
conducive to success. The voting
privilege is restricted to the single
vote for each shareholder regardless
of stock controlled; stock ownership
is limited; large dividends are denied
the greedy stockholder who looks to
personal profit rather than the larger
interests of his community; a safe re-
serve is provided for; and, finally
distribution of surplus earnings is
based on transaction of business
through the channels of the associa-
ton rather than on stock control.
Must Have Paid Manager.
Such a cooperative association, hav-
ing come into being through the eff
forts of those recognizing the neces-
sity for its existence, should be re-
stricted in area to the single township,
or, at the most, not more than several
townships. Cooperative in form and
with a definite aim its membership
should be composed exclusively of
farmers. It's bylaws should prohibit
disposal of stock inimical to the in
terests of the association and should
regulate the disposal of the produce
through it's channels by prescribing
penalties for the violation of agree
ments. And. finally. and perhaps the
most important of all, it should pos
sess the services of an efficient paid
manager of pronounced organizing
ability who through largely taking
over the function of middleman
should secure the market for the
produce. Such a manager should be
man possessing the essential quail
ties of honesty, intelligence. general
aptitude, and strong character. He
should be a man of constructive mind,
and yet one who is not visionary but
rather practical; one who can think
out problems. meet situations. and
carry on the work so that definite re-
suits are obtained. He must be man
who knows how to handle men and
situations. The influence of the man.
ager, next to the loyalty of the mem
bers, exceeds all other influences, and
the success of the undertaking de-
ponds upon his skill and ability in de-
velePing, with the directors and MEM
bers, a constructive business policy
that rs able to meet conditions as they
shall arise.
What Cooperation Has Done.
Concerning the work of the coop
ket Commission of New York city in
its recent report says: Recent years
have seen the formation of a great
many cooperative associations of pro-
ducers. Where the farmers of a dis
trict all raise more or less of the same
products they unite in an association
to take charge of the grading, pack
ing, shipping, and marketing of their
goods. They do not eliminate the mid
dleman, but they eliminate his profits.
They employ him and pay him fixed
salary for his service and return to
their members any surplus that &C
crues over the expenses of the asso-
citation. Such an association we'll
managed is the best protection the
farmer can have. BY its size and i'm
portance it inspires respect, and, by
establishing a uniform system OF
grading and marketing goods that is
known and trusted, it protects it's
members from the worst enemy they
have the dishonest farmer, who, by
fraudulent packing destroys the con-
fdence of buyers that goods will be as
represented. Many of these associa-
tons keep in constant touch with con-
ditions in all the large markets of the
country and, after shipments are on
their way, divert them by telegraph at
intermediate points from their original
destinations to other cities where the
markets promise better prices"
The Trolley Freight.
With such an organization we have
our association of producers ready to
perform its part of the program which
we shall now consider. In short, our
program involves the cooperative or
ganization of producers coming to eff
fective expression through the med
ium of the trolley freight and the mo-
tor truck.
To take up a consideration of the
trolley freight first. We should recall
here that the Vermont farmer has al
ready expressed his desire to have
facilities provided which shall take
his product from some convenient
point in his neighborhood. Small
storehouses erected along the trolley
line will provide the necessary con-
venience The trolley freight will
gather up the contributions from the
various storehouses along the line of
| it's operation AS a means of getting
produce to the market the trolley is
more widely used in the middle West,
| despite the fact that the Eastern
states have greater mileage in inter
urban lines. AS a freight carrier the
trolley is most commonly used to car
ry farm produce to the market, and
necessary merchandise and farm sup
plies to the country; to carry carload
lots as feeders of the steam line; par
eel delivery in and out of the large
cities; and as a means Of urban dis
tribution.
The work of the cooperative asso-
citation in connection with the trolley
freight service would for the present
be purely that of an efficient agency
securing the most satisfactory terms
available for its members. But it is
not visionary, as one looks into a fu-
ture in which the cooperative asso-
citation should become ever stronger
and more resourceful. to anticipate
the time when the association shall
itself construct new freight lines into
otherwise isolated producing areas,
and through the ownership and opera
ton of such lines become able to make