Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1916-10-19

-. =. -. furnished part OF
the capital. offers look al.er ~ .n.ar.
aging. His duty Il to snow s.,,ra1lv
est which any stockhoioeF n g..
oossesses and to receive =
his snare of the DIVIDENDS.
Wen. that is not the KIND OF CUISINES
enternrise which was advocateo OF u
eanized BY Mr.. Embree. AS 1'
stated there are today more than ~ m
cornorated locals in the Farmers On
-, ~ Maine. each with capital STOCK
=, en-, o0O and with articles OF assocla-
t,on. constitution and bylaws prac-
t;calIv identical What is the plan! ~
10 sinplv what is known as Hoch-
dale Cooperation" the outstanding
features OF which are a one-man-one-
vote control regardless OF the huiaoe,
OF shares held, no proxy Young anu
dividend based on patronage.
There are about 1900 cooperative as
sociations in this country, but with many
Of them the term is q misnomer, LOT IL -
frequently found that some OF the So
called co-operatives do not enjoy the
nrinciples Of Rochdale organization; ana
a nerusal Of the failures of farmers Or
ganizations will disclose the fact tnat
almost invariably the trouble arose De-
o.u.a of the lack Of these fundamental
principles.
Let us see how q creamery Is man
a ped under the cooperative or Rochdale
plan.. Let us take the same situation. Tho
$1,000 worth of stock has been subscribed
by the farmers and for the time being
h4 tcnd
bers get together. however, and establish
a credit with a bank and borrow the SSooV
necessary to float their enterprise. Ihey
nav the current rates of interest, when
in the State of Maine would be about b
per cent Each farmer has one vote only,
regardless of the number of shares. Inc
man who owns one share may nave ~
cows. He receives upon his share the le-
gal rate of interest, but at the end of the
year the books show that after overhead
expense has been taken out there is a
certain profit left from the sale of the
butter manufactured from his milk. If
the cows produce upon the average the
same as those of another shareholder
who may have only five cows, his dvi-
dend will be four times as great as that
Oh the OWHeT VI Tie icSSSi huHlpCi' A~eA|ii
one is getting just what he is entitled
to, which is the fair and proper thing
for all concerned.
This is the plan that exists among the
associations organized by Mr.. Enbree and
the result is that the business of the req
Grafton is growing by leaps and bounds
and commands the respect and admiration
of all who have looked into his plan of
organization. Due to the fact that his
organization is based upon sound prin-
ciples, the members are loyal and enter
prising They have not been content to
accept market conditions as they were
but have developed business acumen and
are constantly broadening their field Of
activity.
On the same trip which / made recently
in the East and visited Mr. Embree, l
also had the good fortune to meet Q. E.
Abbott, the business manager of the
Farmers Union Distributing Co.. located
at Boston. This organization was Crgan-
ICED by Mr.. Embree under the laws OF
Maine 1t is used as the outlet for farm
products, particularly of potatoes be-
longing to the Maine association. Mr.. Alb
bolt informed me that about 1000 cars
was handled for the membership. Suisse
ouent investigation proved the truth Of
this statement
Not the least Of the credit dive to
Mr. Embree in his work among Maine
farmers is due to the success he has