The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1920-06-26
Cooperative Marketing
Tremendous Advantage to be
Gained by Producers

dous economic advantages of co-ope-
rative marketing will be stressed IN
every county in South Carolina in the
intensive campaign 10 be conducted
by the South Carolina division OF
the American Cotton Association; the
South Carolina Warehouse Commis-
sion; The u. S. Department of Agrl-.
culture and the extension forces Of
Clemson College.
In Arizona the members Of the
American Cotton Association have al
ready organized cooperative market
ing associations and have found the
beneficial results OF them. A letter
received by-J. SkottS we Wannamak-
er, president Of the American Cotton
Association, from. the head Of the
Arizona division says:
~ cooperative marketing has prov
en- a decided success in Arizona, as
compared to individual marketing.
Odd and unusual as il may seem, The
marketing association has succeeded,
time after time, and without excep-
ton. in securing for its members not
only better prices than the prevailing
local market at all times during the
season, but has. in addition, on nu-
merous occasions secured better
prices for small lots for single ifldi.
viduals than they themselves were
able to secure and from the same
buyers for the same lots of cotton.
"These are facts, not dreams, as can
be shown by the records Of the asso-
citation, and by the testimony of
many individual members. Not only
did the association, in making actual
sales, top the market for both seed
and lint throughout the season, but
by keeping the membership informed
as to the actual value Of their cotton,
enabled many to more intelligently
market their own products and thus
secure better prices for themselves.
t..All authorities on marketing cot
ton, or any other farm product. are
agreed that, in common justice, the
man who sells should know as much
about the value of his farm productl
as the man who desires to buy it. |
Given this information, and with pro-
per. financing, the farmer is placed
in position to demand and secure a
price that will give them a fair profit. |,
based on the cost Of production, his
own and hired labor costs, land rent
al or interest on the investment, and
every other factor that modern &C
counting takes into account in figur-
ing costs. Lacking this information,
the farmer is at the mercy of the
plausible buyer, whose only object
and it is a legitimate business OBJ
ject-is to buy at the lowest possible
figure and sell, at the highest pos |
sible profit to the next man in the
chain of middlen,en that stand be. |
tween the producer and the user
cit is this matter of accurate infor-
nation that is the cornerstone upon /
which has been built the remarkably
success of the Arizona Americans
Egyptian Cotton Growers Association.
cit has been said that the minds
of men run in the same channel and
it so came to pass that this group of
Arizona cotton growers looking to the
same thing, the good Of the cotton
growers, were organizing after much
the same plan as the American Cot
ton Association throughout the south,
though the distance in between had
prevented the local men from hearing
of that activity.
$50 it came to pass, after due in.
yestigation that the aims and methods
of the Arizona association and the
American Cotton Association were so
similar that they were combined. and
this association is now the South
western branch Of the American Cot
ton Association, thus adding the re-
markable sources of information Of I
that body to those already acquired.
ct is the firm and expressed belief
of the association that the cotton :
of the Salt River Valley. as I
direct result Of the work Of the associ-
alton. received last season at least
two million dollars more for their cot {
ton lint and seed than they would :
have received otherwise. by virtue OF =
the inforrat ton received and distri- s
huted and the sales made. This was {
accomplished with a membership OF