The Fayette falcon. (Somerville, Tenn.) 190?-current, 1919-11-21
COOPERATION IS
FARMERS NEED
SPEAKERS TELL or PROGRESS
MADE BY FARMERS OF MIDDLE
AND WESTERN STATES.
COOPERATIVE INSURANCE
Fifteenth Annual Session Of the Farm
ers' Educational and Cooperative
Union Meeting Of Vital
interest.

Memphis, Tenn.-Marvelou strides
CT progress made by farmers in the
middle and western states during the
last decade through cooperative bus.
mess enterprises, which are quite nu.
merous throughout that country, were
recounted yesterday at the opening
meeting of the Farmers Educational
ard Cooperative Union of America,
which convened in fifteenth annual
Eession.
1t was stated, however, that the
southern farmers have yet a great
deal to do to compare with the farm
ers to the north. Cooperative insur-
ance companies for farm material, CO.
operative grain elevators, commission
houses, live stock concerns and even
cooperative state exchanges to act
as clearing houses for all co-opera-
Give business-all of them operated
by companies OF farmers-are COM
mon things among the agriculturists
of 80 north.
From far away Washington and
Oregon A. V. Swift. official of TIE
Oregon State Cooperative associa-
ton, came to tell OF the things accom-
plished by farmers in that community.
In prefacing his brief address he told
of travelling through Wyoming while
a blizzard was in progress and the
temperature 20 degrees below zero
which. he added. was strange con-
trast to the balmy weather at Mem
phis.
Farmers of the Pacific coast states
have gone into the export grain bust
ness bv cooperative methods, Mr..
Swift declared One farmers COM
pany in that section, operating as a
unit OF the state organization, trans
acts many million dollars worth Of
business each year The company, he
said. has paid 100 per cent dividends.
w. r, Callicott of Colorado, repre-
senting a cooperative insurance COM
pany, declared that since the insti-
tuition started six years ago It has
written s1o,0OO,000 in insurance. This
rs done, he said, at one-sixth OF the
old line insurance rate. The company
has paid out $4,000 in claims. Had
an old line insurance company paid
out these claims they would have
amounted to. al the same rate, about
100000, he said
The insurance company does not
employ an attorney, but settles its
claims amicably without paying law
yers' fees.
In Nebraska the farmers have es-
tablished cooperative creameries,
stores, elevators, etc, and two years
ago went into the live stock bust
ness. said C. II. Gustafson, president
OF tire state association. Last year
Che live stock company returned 4S
cents on the dollar. and during the
present year is expected to do more
than s40,000,000 in business. He said
chat cooperative concerns in that
state did 500, 100000 worth Of bust
ness last year.
Maurice McAuliffe, official OF the
Kansas association, declared that
Kansas farmers were also deeply in
terested In all methods OF co-opera-
tive businesses. They operated on
this sort OF basis on everything pur-
chased for the home and farm. Kan
sas has 100 cooperative stores and a
total OF 435 cooperative organiza-
tions.
Organization. better organization,
more organization. should be the slo-
gan In these times Of extreme I'M
rest" Charles s. Barrett, president Of
tae Farmers Union. told the delegates
"a his annual address. The session was
executive and newspaper men as well
o. other outsiders were requested to
leave the meeting.