The Mena weekly star., 1921-03-31
Make Cotton Marketing
 Matter of
 Business
The Arkansas Farm Bureau Organiz- ing Cooperative Movement and
 Would Contract Minimum of 2O0.-
 900 Bales-Follow California Plan.

The Arkansas Farm Bureau, at it's meeting in Little Rock on March 22 began the organization of a cooper ative cotton marketing association and work of securing contracts for mini mum of 100000 bales to be marketed thru the association, when 500 repre- sentative farmers from all sections of Arkansas voted unanimously to adopt plans for the formation of an asso- citation outlined and recommended to them by Aaron Sapiro, legal expert on commodity marketing of California. An organization committee chosen from the stongest cotton growing members of the Farm Bureau are be- ginning the campaign for member ship. The movement is fostered by the Farm Bureau of Arkansas which lis also completing its county organiza- tions in view of forming state fed eration as soon as possible The meeting of farmers in Little Rock was called by the executive committee of the farm bureaus of the state and MT. Sapiro's services were secured by them.
 Problems of cooperative marketing and the possibilities of a commodity marketing association were set forth in the dearest and most concise man ner that has ever been presented to the farmers of Arkansas in the opinion of those who heard Mir Sapiro. He came to Arkansas he said, not ignorant of the difference between Arkansas and California crops but also realizing that the same fundamentals related to the marketing of crops in both states.
 In telling of how we'll the cooper ative marketing movement has worked out in California, Mir. Sapiro explained that he was not talking of something that was merely a theory but he was relating practical results of exper- fence. California has practiced CO., operative marketing for 25 years and now the farmers of the state handle between 250 and 800 million dollars worth of their products each year. What California has been able to do Arkansas can surely do, Mir, Sapiro declared, because Arkansas has just as good leadership as California has.
 The ultimte program of the cotton marketing associations is to form a federation of associations in all cotton growing states. Several states ir- cluding Oklahoma and Texas are now organizing with provision in their marketing laws to federate with asso- citations in other states Arkansas has cooperative marketing law with the same provisions.
 In the meantime each state is organ izing with growers signing contracts for minimum amount of cotton to be marketed by the association. In Ar kansas it is planned to sign up not less than 100000 bales because with that amount the association would inn mediately become factor in the mar ket. The association will admit to membership only cotton growers or lessors who receive a part of the cot ton crop as rent.
 Every man who is member of the Farm Bureau is entitled to member ship in the cotton association without additional charge. Those who are not Farm Bureau members will pay a membership fee of $10. This fee also entities them to membership in the Farm Bureau if they so desire. If the minimum of 100000 bales are signed up before the first of July the association will begin work on this years crop. If not signed before the first of next year then work will begin with the 1922 crop.
 Work of organization of the asso- citation is being carried on by the Farm Bureau of the state. An organiza- tion committee of competent cotton growers has been appointed and the campaign for membership in the as- sociation will be carried to all cotton sections of the state at the earliest possible date. From the enthusiasm shown at the meeting in Little Rock on March g, there is no doubt but that the movement will move rapidly. Each section of the state was well repre- scented by Farm Bureau leaders who signified their desire to lend every ef- fort to work of forming a co-operat- i've cotton marketing association in Arkansas.