The Chattanooga news. [volume] (Chattanooga, Tenn.) 1891-1939, 1920-03-19
FARMER-LABOR CO-OPS
AGREE ON COST FIGHT
Producer and Consumer Work
Toward Same End, Says
All American Congress.
{ ey Russ sIMoNroNN

BY RUSS SIMoNToN.)
Chicago-(N. Fl. A.)-Can the farm
ers and consumers OF America unite in
national cooperative movement to
slash the high cost OF livingT
Representatives OF 1900 900 farmers
and almost as many workers. meeting
for three days here. decided that only
the combination OF the farmers and
| consumers to eliminate the middleman
will reduce high prices.
Decide Many Things.
II cooperation Is to be as wide
States as in Europe the following are
necessary, the an-American farmer
labor cooperative congress decided:
Cooperative banks to back CO.
operative ventures and prevent other
banks from fighting cooperative enter
prises.
Standard ways Of doing business, In
GLIDING uniform trade labels, auditing
and accounting systems and store ar
rangement.
National wholesale cooperative SELL
ing only cooperative made or grown
products.
National ownership Of railways and
the establishment OF postal motor truck
lines to link the farms and the rail-
ways.
Widespread educational propaganda
pointing TO the governments failure to
reduce living cost and the advantages
of cooperation.
The mutual distrust OF the farmer
and labor delegates melted away in |
the opening sessions when speakers |
from both camps showed that for each |
the problem was the same-to make |
the dollar buy more.
1t developed that in many parts of
the country farmers and consumers al
ready were working hand in hand and |
had reduced the living cost.
The pressing need of the cooperative
movement now, 1t was agreed, is CO.
"Profteers who own or control the
banks are now taking the money of
bth the farmer and the consumer to
fight him with" declared Warren S.
Stone, president of the Brotherhood of
Railway Locomotive Engineers. The
bank Is the natural enemy of the CO.
operator. We must own our own banks
so that the money we deposit can help |
our enterprises and be loaned to us
and not to ,profiteers bent on further
exploitation"
To Open $50 ooO, 900 Bank.
The engineers are about to establish
a bank in Cleveland that will have mi
A special banking committee, appointed :
at the meeting here. will work in con- :
junction with the engineers to estab- :
fish branch cooperative banks in all
large cities and industrial and pro-
ducing centers.
There are too many cooperative
mark citing labels. 1t was pointed out :
A uniform label that can become known :
as the mark of comparatively made or :
sold gods is needed. the meeting de-
cided. One great reason for the failure
of cooperative ventures has been poor
Uniform systems of :
bookkeeping and auditing by national
representatives was Offered as a rem
edy and committee appointed to de-
wise this system.
Next to the cooperative bank pro- :
gram the delegates held that Corpora :
tive wholesalers were most important :
"Jobbers are fighting co-operators :
now" declared Duncan Mcdonald, pres :
Of Labor I'VE need our own whole
sale houses to counteract this and also
to guide by careful suggestion and :
supervision the management OF local
stores"
Plumb Plan Endorsed.
Ultimately the producer and con- :
sumner movement will be in control of :
he government, speakers averred. :
They recommended that the railways :
be continued in government control :
FOR two years and the Plumb plan :
adopted. In addition they urged
motor truck system to carry farm pro- :
luce to the railways. A committee :
% urge that army trucks be released :
'or this purpose will be appointed. :
The cooperative movement should :
grow slowly to become strong, 1t was :
agreed People should be taught that :
he primary reason for cooperation is :
not small and immediate price reduc-
ion. The speakers declared co-opera- :
ion aimed at a peaceful overthrow of :
he profit system within few decades. :
rhe movement, It was declared, should :
tie in" with every department of life. :
I should be identified with community :
and recreation, educa- e
speakers urged slow and careful de- Z
,elopment OF the movement and strict :
adherence to the Rochdae plan, 30 z
successful in many European coun- 2
ries. :