Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1921-09-23
COOPERATIVE MARKETING
Clarence Poe Delivers Worthwhile
Address.
The FARMERS need BETTER SERVICE

Nation Wide Movement in Which all
Farmers Have Heretofore Been
Heavy Losers For Lack of Or
ganization and Taking an Interest.
Cooperative marketing was the key
note of an able address that Clarence
Poe, Editor of the Progressive Farmer
delivered at the "Made-in in the Caro-
linas" exposition in Charlotte, last
week The add ,3s, in substance was
as follows:
Il came as the representative OF no
mere local movement, but of 4 move
ment which is sweeping over the
United States. Everywhere farmers
are seeing that the only hope for them
is to adopt the same common sense
methods of selling their products that
other businesses use. They sec that
they must quit dumping their pro-
ducts or the markets of the world,
and instead must merchandise their
products. That is the whole purpose
OF the cooperative marketing move
ment
Co. Operative Marketing Sweeping
America.
THE grain growers of the west are
now signing up to sell their wheat CO.
operatively. Among cotton growers
Oklahoma has led the way with more
Of Nlrpl0y
signed up. Texas with 6OO,OCO and
Mississippi quarter of million bales.
Arkansas and Georgia are getting un-
der way, South Carolina is sure to get
its 400 900 bales and North Carolina
starting only to get 100000 bales by
January /, has over 250,000 bales al
ready. Meanwhile the tobacco market
ing campaign goes on from victory to
victory, and the latest news is that
Kentucky will soon sign up Is per cent.
of its barley production.
Condition Of Agric culture.
Cotton farmers as wei as other
farmers see that something must De
done. Farmers as a whole have been
producing the worlds food and the raw
material for its clothing, and have not
been getting even their yearly support
in return. We have been paying FOR
the privilege Of farming by giving up
each year a certain proportion of the
capital we formerly owned.
Consider what has happened in
the last 40 years. OF American farm
ers in 1880. only one in four was ten
nant. In 1910 practically two out OF
five were tenants.
These figures mean simply that
year after year and year after year
we have been giving up little OF
our real estate in order to support our
families and to stay in the business or
making food, tobacco and cotton for
other peope. We are exactly In the
plight of a merchant who finds his IN
ventory showing him worth 100000 in
January this year, 100000 on January
| next year, and $4,000 the following
January. Such 4 man would be pay
ing for the privilege of selling food and
clothing. We have been paying for
the privilege of producing food and
clothing for other people.
But granting that the farmer has
not been living on his annual income
but has been sacrificing a part OF his
capltal-that is to say, his land-year
after wear, in order to continue III
business. what has been the trouble?
And what is the remedy?
Dumping VS.. Merchandising.
THE main trouble, | believe, lies in
our present system of dumping farm
products on the worlds market. The
remedy lies in intelligent cooperative
marketing.
81 think it is plain enough that the
farmer has suffered more than manu-
facturers, merchants, or union labor
ers. Why? Because in farming every
single individual farmer sells his pro-
duet for himself, not knowing what
ought to get, and without any under
standing or cooperation with his
brother farmers, and no matter how
glutted or overflowing Il market may
be, we keep on selling and thereby
running prices for ourselves and all our
brother farmers.
"A friend of mine gives the follow
ing dialogue as representing all that
the farmer has to do with the sale of
his products under the existing sys-
TEN:
What have you got on your wagon
"A bale of cotton
What gradc?"
II don't know"