The Monett times., 1921-02-25
COOPERATION KEYNOTE
OF BERRY MEETING
Officers of Ozark Fruit Growers As
sOciatiOn Address Fruit Men at
Special Meeting.

Growers Association held Speclal
meeting here Thursday afternoon at
the National Bank assembly room.
Mr. MulkeySpresident of the local or
ganization, presided over the meet
ing.
The keynote of all the speeches was
Incorporation" 1t was clearly shoWn
that the only hope of the farmer for
future prosperity was in organization
and cooperation.
| The visitors were made welcome by
Mayor S. A. Chapel in q short ad-
dress. Mr. Chapell urged better CO.
operation between business men and
farmers. The success OF each de-
pends on the other, Mr.. Chapel said,
and better understanding should eX-
| list between them.
j. W. Stroud, who has been secre-
tary of the 0 +. e. A. Ior about fif-
teen years, gave practical talk on
shipping problems, freight rates, etc.
Il. N. Plank, of Decatur, Ark, who
has grown up with the fruit industry
in the Southwest and who has become
wealthy in the growing of fruits,
made very interesting and forceful
talk on Cooperation.
| Mr.. Plank told the fruit men that the
farmer must solve mis- own problems.
He said that if they spent as much
time and energy in marketing their
crops as in their production they
would receive the benefits of their la
Dor to which they are entitled. He said
that they must cooperate and get
living price for their products OF they
could not produce. The children of
the farmer is just as much entitled TO
good schooling, comfortable homes.
modern conveniences and the pleas
ures of life as are those of the man
who sells his product, but what pro-
portion of them get these advan-
tages?
Mr.. Plank gave an instance of the
work of a business mems club at
Memphis, Tenn, in helping the farm
ers in that section. They realized that
the farmers prosperity meant their
own prosperity, and went to work to
help them market their produce anil
get fair prices and to plant a diver
sity of crops, rather than "put all
their eggs in one basket" The result
was better than their fondest hopes.
Mr.. Plank said that working or
ganization meant good pack and a
good pack meant reputation and bet
ter prices. A good pack cannot be Sc
cured by disorganization.
Mr.. Plank said that the conditions
would be different this year from the
past several years. Money is not
flowing so smoothly this year. The
buyer must be protected and the ber-
ries must be sold Systematically.
Consignment of the cars will not do
this and only organization can ac-
| cOmpllSn IHe TlSnC feSulIS.
P. A. Rodgers, president of the
Ozark Fruit Growers Association,
spoke more particularly on the work
of that organization. He explained
how the per cent charge by the As
sociation for handling Strawberries
and other products was used. He said
that the funds were used to maintain
the office of the organization, for
telegraph and telephone service to
keep in touch with the markets dur
ing the berry season, and for the
maintenance of men in the principal
market centers of the United States.
| This, he said, was necessary in order
/ to secure for the growers an adequate
price for their product.
Mr.. Rodgers said that he usually
visited the principal markets
himself during a shipping
season and that he always
! found there, statesmen for the Cali
fornia Fruit Exchange, the Oldest and
most successful cooperative agency
in the United States. He said that ii
these good business men had found
after twenty-five years experience
that statesmen at the markets was
paying proposition, that surely the
Ozark people could not afofrd to leave
the field to them.
Mr.. Rodgers cited instance after in
stance where better price for their
product followed organization and CO.
operation, and demonstrated that the
future of the industry depended upon
closer cooperation.
He told of how the Ozarks Assoc
iation had been widening out into
Tennessee, in Texas, Oklahoma, Ar
kansas and Southeast Missouri and
appealed to the men present to be 10y
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