The Chesterfield advertiser. [volume] (Chesterfield C.H., S.C.) 1884-1978, 1921-04-14
CONCERNING COOPERATIVE
MARKETING
l. General Statement-The Problem

>A ~ oSiiS Saiu anu WTltCen aDOut
cooperative marketing of farm prod
ucts that in the first article of this
series on the subject, it is well to re.
view briefly the problem which co.
operative marketing is expected to
solve. The problem may be stated this
way: "How may the products of the
farm be delivered to consumers at the
least possible cost for the various on.
erations involved in making the deliv.
ery?" Or again this way, "Granted
that the law of supply and demand
does fix the price which consumers
pay for any product, how may the
operations of this law be extended to
the grower and he made to fix the
price which he receives for the prod
uct, minus only the necessary ex-
pense of distribution?"
There is rather fixed opinion
among growers of all kinds of crops
that the law of demand has too many
amendments and riders attached be-
fore it affects the price they receive.
If this is not true, then farmers are
all mistaken, everything is really sll
right after all, and they should simp-
ly admit that it is their business to
produce and be content with their lot
allowing those who know how to SUD-
ply consumers with farm products.
furthermore, if the law of supply and
demand is fixing the price farmers re-
ceive, then there are only two WAYS by
which they can hope to realize more
from the scale of crops. These are (1)
by reducing their scale of living; (2)
by applying scientific methods to
products so that the unit cost of pro-
ductlon will be less. The first of these
the southern farmer is dismissinp with
the observation that his scale of liv-
ing is the lowest in the country
and cities as evidence our percentage
OF llllteracy, our expenditures for
schools, churches and all other public
institutions, our roads, our bank
clearings and every barometer of pros
perity to be found. AS to the second.
they make no argument against the
application of more scientific and eco
nomlcal methods of production, but
on the contrary they apply these
methods wherever possible and point
with pardonable pride to the rapid
strides that have been made in this di-
rection. They are not only PRODUCING
more per acre than ever before but
are producing more per man. They
are still anxious to use the most eco.
nomical methods of production wher-
ever possible and it is to their indi-
vldual interest to do so. They are
however, so Handicapped through lack
OF working capital that many of them
are forced to take shorttime view of
economical production rather than a
longtime view which would take into
consideration the problem of perm
anent soil fertility.
Farmer Wants Fair Share of Proceed.
There is a feeling among farmers
that, notwithstanding every effort is
being put forth to keep down costs.
they are not getting fair share of
the consumers dollar. 1t has been
stated on good authority that in Den
mark, country where cooperative
marketing is the rule and not the ex-
ception, 19 cents of the consumers
dollar goes to the grower, whereas. in
the United Safes only cents out of
the consumers dollar goes to the
grower. There seems to be plenty of
Justification for the view taken gen
orally by farmers that their scale Of
IVing Is low enough and that costs of
production are about as low as prac
tlcable until they receive a larger
snare of the consumers dollar. Farm
ers are also beginning to realize that
IN spite of the interest taken in their
problems by others, some of which
interest is genuine and some merely
assumed for Interior purposes, it il
after all their problem to get a fair
snare of the consumers dollar. and
that this can be done only through
concerted action. This means COOP
erative effort. 1t should be pointed out
that this desire for fair share of the
ultimate proceeds of their crop is an
absolutely righteous desire. and that
TO the extent they fail to get their
dues, the agriculture of the country
suffers, affecting adversely the whole
1t thus appears that the field which
t would pay farmers best to cultivate
now is the field Of cooperative mar
teting. This brings us to a considera-
ion of the different steps involved in
marketing. What happens to the crops
Produced by Mr.. Farmer from the
lme he relinquishes possession until
nr. Consumer takes them over, and
low can Mr.. Farmer take a hand in
hese happenings in such a wav as to