Atlanta tri-weekly journal. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1920-19??, 1921-04-14
Sapiro System
OfFarn1 Markets
Told by Author


tom poverty to prosperity by coop
,ative marketing of their products
as told on Tuesday by Aaron Sapiro
lie noted economist and marketing
kpert of that state, to the statewide
Inference of farmers and allied bust
ess interests held in the state
pitol.
The object of the conference was
launch an organization of Geor-
cotton growers along lines sim
pr to the organization among Cali
rnia raisin growers, peach growers
alnut growers, almond growers, al
liza growers, poultrymen and
hers.
The meeting was called by the Ell
rt County Cotton Growers asso-
htion, which was formed at a mass
Getting in Elberton several weeks
10 as the result of similar adj
ess delivered by Mr.. Sapiro. The
bert county growers were so ire
endously impressed that they de-
ded to organize at once and carry
e message to the state as a whole.
An organization committee COM
sed of prominent cotton growers
d business men met in Atlanta
onday and worked out a modifica-
bn of the Sapiro, or California, plan,
d this report was to be submitted
the conference at the conclusion of
e address by Mr.. Sapiro, who was
II speaking when this edition went
press. Charles S. Barrett, nation
president Of the Farmers union,
esided over the conference. o. E.
tie, president of the Ebert County
ton Growers association, was vice
airman.
Story of Raisin Growers
Mr.. Sapiro told the story of the
sin-growers in California as typi-
of the complete transformation
all of the agricultural Industries
that state. He said:
I'm 1911 the raisin-buyers, repre-
hting the big spectators, were
wing our raisins for l cent a pound
Whereabouts. Each year the rails
O"SIS were SSlIll6 pOOICl c1Ao
raiSin-packerS and spectators
re getting richer. Mortgage aft
mortgage was being foreclosed on
sin vineyards and the towns in the
sin district were known as Cal
rnia's dead towns.
The raisIn growers decided to get
gether. They were practically
lose and all to gain by organiza-
n. They had tried three times to
ganize, but had failed three times
cause they started in the wrong
y. This time they started In the
int way, and their success has been
of the most remarkable exam
of cooperative marketing in the
story Of the world.
In the first place they organized
raisin industry as an industry,
stead Of organizing small associa-
rs in the different localities which
spectators could put out Of bust
IS, one at a time.
Second. They admitted nobody to
mbership but bona fide rafsin
DIVERS. They admitted vineyard
Il ners whose rent was paid in rails
but they did not admit vineyard
ners whose rent was paid in cash.
Signed Contract
Third. They signed up the grower
contract running for five years
that the experiment in co-opera-
n would be given a fair trial, and
contract was an iron-clad con-
ct which could be and was enforc-
led If they had tied themselves
ether with ropes OF sand instead
ropes OF steel, and you will fail
you tie yourselves together with
Ething EXCEPT ropes of steel.
Fourth Taair contract was a
himum requirement contract. That
to say nobody was bound unless
pertain specified number of raisin
wers were signed up before the
erprise started. In other words
4 must make yourselves as they
de themselves, the biggest single
tors in your commodity. Other
e you need not start. They start
with a contract requiring IS per
t of the raisin growers to be sign
up, and they got rs per cent.
Fifth. The enterprise was abso-
; ely cooperative without any capt.
stock, and without any profit ex-
It for the members. Each grower
in his products to be graded and
h grower took out his proportion
part of the net proceeds.
Sixth. The whole selling opera
h was handled by experts because
growers realized that while they
4 re experts in producing raislns
Y knew absolutely nothing about
ling raisins. We employed the
st expert men in the selling, in
7ertising, in shipping, in grading
First Years Results
What was the result? In the first
ar of our enterprise, we sold $4,000
BIS of raisins, plus a carry-over of
900 tons from a previous season,
our growers averaged three and
half cents a pound. In 1915, four
brs later, we sold 100000 tons of
sins, and the price was still going
We found that the American
bp1e at the start Of our enterprise
re eating raisins on Thanksgiving,
ristmas and New Years day. We
hvinced them by advertising that
by ought to eat raisinS throughout
year. When we got them to eat
raisins throughout the year and
Py could not eat any more, we be-
to look around for new methods
Eered that raisin bread was one
the best breads in the world and
began to teach our customers
American people, to eat raisin
BAD. Year by year the production
raisins has increased, and year by
ar the price OF our pFOuuCCS mas
creased, but still the American peo-
are paying very little more fol
em than they used to pay, and they
getting perfectly graded raisins
uniform quality. We are sell
the famous 'Sun-Maid' raisins
roughout the world. The differ
ce is this, where the grower used
take eight cents out of every con-
mer's dollar spent for raisins, a
pwer now gets 49 cents.
of course, some of you may say
bt raisins are different from cot
b, but you need not tell me that
cause I know it. but we have done
tn raisins what has also been done
tn peaches, prunes, Walnuts, pc
ms, Almonds oranges, alfalfa anC
gs. Spain produces eight times as
my almonds as California produces
d yet California almonds are be-
sold in London, right under the
Sc of Spain. Denmark produces
gs a few miles from London
ross the English channel, but we
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