The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1921-05-14
Concerning Co-ope-
rative Marketing
). The Crop Contract.

,
people regard cooperation as sort
OF charita Bile attitude that causes CO.
operators to work for the public in
terest at sacrifice to themselves. In
! the minds OF such people co-opera-
ton and business are not associated.
AS q matter OF fact, true co-opera-
ton ouch as takes place in cooper
ative marketing enterprise is thor
ough,y cold -blodded business affair
! Just as much SO as is successful!
stock company corporations. a CO.
operative marketing association OF
growers conducts business in a busi-
ness-lite way for the benefit Of its
members just as a corporation does
business for the benefit Of its stock
holders In this modern age, how
ever, neither must fail to take into
account the public good. as this would
! be short sighted business policy.
Some of the labor unions in this
country have apparently followed
such Il short-sighted policy to their
| own discontinue. AS Il guarantee
Of the good faith and Righteousness Of
the motive, nearly all crop contracts
used by growers provide that the gov
ernor of the state shall appoint one
! director who shall represent the pub
! lie generally. This is good thing
! both for the public and for the as
! soci;tiun.
The crrp contract L.; Mutuai
agreement on the part of growers TO
! market their commodity through one
! channel, that channel to be created
and managed by the growers them
selves. The growers elect directors
! from among themselves who man
age the associations affairs for the
growers. The directors employ such
experts in marketing the particular
commodity as are needed to serve
(, best the interests Of growers. Every
thing done by the directors in oper-
ating the association affects the pro-
duet Of all members alike. including
their own. They cannot, because OF
their position as directors, secure ad-
vantages for themselves which do not
apply in exactly the same degree to
tall other members.
How Directors are Elected.
When the campaign for signatures
to the crop contract is completed.
the state is divided into districts in
such way that the members in each
district produce approximately the
same number Of bales OF cotton
| (if it is a cotton marketing associa-
tom. One director is then non1i-
mated from each district and this
nominee becomes member of the
board Of directors Of the state asso-
citation. In nominating the directors
each member casts one vote regard
/ legs of the SIZE of the crop produced
by. him and marketed through the as
ISOLATION.
A cooperative association con-
tracts to receive and market all the
i crop OF it's members and to. pay to
members the proceeds. therefron less
j costs OF selling and Of maintaining
the association. The association
agrees to pool the crop by grade, va
riety, and kind and to pay each
grower exactly the same amount per
pound or other unit for the same
grade, variety, or. kind 2or product
delivered during the operation Of q
pool. With non-pcrishable commed-
titles, pools usually run for a year; but
the time varies with other commodl-
taes from one day upward,
Obligations of Members.
| Members of such an, association
contract to deliver at the direction
Of, the association their entire crop
produced or acquired by them as
growers or lessons and to accept IN
payment therefor the amounts PAID
| by the association under the plan
stated above. They also agree to the
pooling of the crop entaillng as IT
does some delay in making final pay
ments The grower further agrees
in case of violation Of the contract,
and agrees that the association is en-
! titled to an Injunction to prevent
further breach Of contract and to a
decree for specific performance Of the
terms OF the contract. A grower who
violates the contract pays all costs OF
making him comply.
Sources of Strength in Contract.
The crop contract is the means or
making a growers cooperative mar
keting association business con-
Germ instead Of a failure. The con-
|
| protect all members fromI the in
vasions that are sure to be made
against them by the enemies OF CO.
operation. Weakened members are
| held in line in spite Of temporarily
! high prices offered by the middle
men who do not wish to see farmers
succeed in bettcring their marketing
| conditions Members who so into
The association meaning business are
protected from the diSioyalt1' OF oth-
trs who would sacrifice everything
for a temporary personal advantage.
| This Is the essence Of true cooper
! alton.
The contract provides that unless
enough growers sign up TO insure
| that a certain stated minimum
amount Of the crop will be marketed
co-ooeratively the contract does not
bind anyone Thus in signing up the
first contracts growers are protected
from belonging TO a weak assocla-
ton. A satisfactory volume OF Dusl-
ness is assured before anybody is
bound.