Ladysmith news-budget. [volume] (Ladysmith, Rusk County, Wis.) 1907-1927, 1921-04-15

3. n. Hibbard. pect of success.
There is found almost universal
ly q fair amount of business in sight
and a fair amount of working capt.
tai wherever a cooperative company
is proposed. Moreover, there is
disposition to find a good manager at
whatever price it may be necessary
TO pay.
The outlook is encouraging. Very
few failures are recorded among I'M
dertakings of recent years, and the
number of companies and the amount
of business done by them is constant
~ increasing.
Most numerous of these cooperative
undertakings are the telephone ana
insurance companies. Not very much
real business, however is done
through these companies.
Creamery Men Cooperate.
The first rank, so far as effect on
the income and Outgo of the farm is
concerned, must be given TO cream
cries ana cheese factories. Approx
mately third of the three thousand
within the state are cooperative. VI
growing Importance are the fruit as
sociations, live stock shipping compa-
MES cOwteSting associations and p0-
tato warehouse companies.
A small beginning has been made
in marketing eggs comparatively
through the creamery. There are
some half-doZen fruit-selling associ-
ations, perhaps twenty live stock ship
ping associations, and about the same
number of contrasting associations.
Not great quantity of grain is grown
in Wisconsin for shipment save for
seed purposes, hence the number OF
cooperative elevators is small.
Organized for Profit.
Cooperation in America has usual
" been carried on for the economic
gain to be made out of it. Probably
this gain must be considered deslr-
able and a prominent feature. Bust
ness ventures are normally run for
gain, and it seems useless to insist
that some other, though higher, mo"
tive be substituted. 1t does not, how
ever, follow that the economic motive
must be the sole end and aim OF
group of farmers acting together in
Il cooperative capacity.
Community enterprise requires
community action, and where there is
organization for one purpose it serves
as a convenient starting point for
other undertakings.
Must Know Sins and Outs"
It requires no argument to show
that there must be an intelligent IN
derstanding of the objects to be
gained on the part of those making
the effort. All too many agricultural
cooperative movements have been
launched by men who desired strong
~ TO get somewhere. but who knew
little or nothing Of the proper route
10 follow. General intelligence IS sell
dom lacking, but specific information
often is
Where a cooperative company un-
dertakes the marketing of q pr0duct
there should be clear understand
ing of the ms and outs OF the market
which it is proposed to enter or per-
haps to possess. They should have
clear picture Of the marketing
processes, should know what charges
are made, and why. Unless there are
wastes to be eliminated, or excessive
profits to be cut down, the probaDli~
ity of a happy outcome is small.
Good Leaders Necessary.
Leadership is of the utmost lmpOrr
lance. Even though every man could
do the work of general no army can
act as a unit, unless some one man
actually be given the authority and
| put in charge Likewise there may
| be a score of men capable OF acting
| as leaders of cooperative company,
| but some man, or some small group
| of men, must actually become leaders
| or nothing will be done. Leadership
| Is a rather rare quality; at any rate
| it is not superintendent as found In
connection with new movements, ana
the man who wishes to do things Will
! find the cooperative field rich in OPP
pOrtunity for constructive action.