Richmond daily register. (Richmond, Madison County, Ky.) 1917-1978, 1921-06-14

try. The real answer is the enormous
number Of students coming from thu
organized rural districts. Wherevel
there are big cooperative associations
and therefore stabilized prosperity
an enormous number of the boys anC
girls go to college. The men giv'
their children the very best thing:
possible. Hardly a day passes in my
office in San Francisco that some
farmer doesn't bring his boy up to get
advice as to whether he should SEND
him to an agricultural college or try
to make something else out of him If
a professional way. They figure al
ways on the best because they have
brought farming to a stabilized con
dition where they can do it.
Cooperation alone did it. If you
were to go into Fresno and were tc
ask the merchants there, or even the
bankers, what contributed to the
prosperity of Fresno, they would say
two things-the raisin growers and
the peach growers-the two big CO.
operative associations there.
How They Co-operated.
Perhaps 1 can best illustrate by tell.
ing another story that banker told
me himself. He was once approached
by a man who wanted to borrow $780,
900 for vineyard. He said to him,
IT know the vineyard, it is a good
vineyard. The land is fair land. Are
you member of the association"
The fellow said, NO"
The banker handed him a contract
In most cases you will find that the
bankers and the real estate men OF
Fresno and all the little towns around
there keep the contracts of the associ'
alton ready for any one who might
want to sign them. The grower said
he didn't want to sign a contract, he
had made other arrangements about
his raisins. The banker said, Il cans
make you sign, I don't want to put
pressure on you"
The grower said, Il have made ar
rangements to sell my raisins to Gug-
genhime."
The banker said, Whose money are
you asking for?"
He answered, II am asking you to
loan me your money"
The banker said, Yes. 1 and my
associates own about 10 per cent of
this money. If you want $1,000, $1,000
is mine and my associates, but who
owns the bulk Of the money!"
The grower answered, well, most
of the raisin growers and the peach
growers"
The banker answered, What do you
suppose they are in the association
for? How many are in the associa-
tom"
About so per cent are in the asso-
ciation."
The banker said, Exactly right. Do
you know what Guggenhime is to the
Eyes, Guggenhime fights the asso-
citation"
Then" asked the banker, what is
It you are asking me to do? You
come here, come to us who handle the
money of men who have made it
the association, and ask US
to lend you some Of that money 80 you
can raise crops and sell them to the
man who is trying to destroy the
association. If I did that would 1
be doing fairly to lend you the
The grower answered, II think you
ought to let me have the money.
The banker said, You can't have
the money. If you want the money,
20 and have Guggenhime indorse your
note and get it in San Francisco"
He didn't get the money. There are
mighty few men who get money in
Fresno who don't belong to the associ-
ltion because the bankers realize that
had absolutely come to the
growers through their own efforts, and
hat these growers had lifted the
whole district from absolute despair to
They were absolutely for
he association.
The Signing.
Then when they had the second sign.
I'D for five years, you should have
,een the growers. They formed teams
md went through the entire district.
There might be four growers and u
,anker in one team; and a banker and
wo or three growers in another team;
md merchant and a couple of grow
RS in still another team. They would
70 from house to house and canvass
he growers. Now, throughout the
Whole valley this cooperative move
nent is just like religion. 1t has
hanged the viewpoint of the valley
ntirely.
That raisin story is as interesting
ale of merchandising as any that the
standard Oil Company. or any other
ouipany you ever knsw in your life.
Yer accomplished. 1t was not done