The herald and news. [volume] (Newberry S.C.) 1903-1937, 1921-09-16
VALUE OF COOPERATION
FoRCEFULLY EXPLAINED

Columbia, Sept. 10.-Declaring CO.
operative marketing to be concrete
straight forward business plan for the
cure of evils surrounding the mar
keting of cotton-evils which cannot
be cured by political medicine-cafl
Williams of Oklahoma, president OF
the American Cotton Growers ex-
change, yesterday advised South Car
alma farmers to join the South Car
DINA Cotton Growers Cooperative
association. He told them that on
every sale already made by the: OK
lahoma association, which IS now
functioning, every farmer member has
gotten two and one-half cents pound
more for his cotton than ne couio
possibly have gotten individually.
Mr.. Williams spoke at a meeting
held in Craven hall at noon, which
was attended by representative farm
ers from nearly every county IN 1he
state. He had an interested audience
and spoke for one hour and a hail.
presenting clearly and forcefully the
principles of cooperative marketing
Yesterday afternoon he spoke at Sum-
ter This afternoon at 8 o'clock ne
speaks at Dillon.
Mr.. Williams declared in beginning
his speech that every one conceded
the need for some remedy to correct
the evils which exist in the marketing
of cotton. These evils, he said, in a
general way comprised undergrading
country damage, which ranges from
So to SIS a bale, the Getty crop" etc.
81 come to tell you Of a remedy
which other farmers are taking and to
offer it to you but not to force you to
take it," said Mr.. Williams. "Those
farmers who are taking it are tlndlng
that it actually cures the disease. l
refer to cooperate marketing. There
are already 10000 of them in cooper
ative marketing associations, which
this year. viii handle for the farmer
and by the farmer and with the proht
to the farmer II per cent of the cot
ton crop"
When it became noised on Aug.
23 and "a that these farmers had OBJ
tanned credit in excess of S6O.OOO'Ooo
and that they were in position to
market their crop gradually instead
of dumping it on the market, Mr..
Williams said cotton advanced three
cents a pound in two days.
The history of cooperative market
ing was briefly reviewed by the speak
er. who said that it dates back to one
hundred years in Europe. 1t mas
been tried on every conceivable plan
and commodity. He told of the ex-
peerience of the raisin growers in the
Fresno valley of California They
had been losing about cent pound
ON their crop for years; the specula-
tors were making money. They form
ed a cooperative marketing assoca-
ton and in 1913 sold raisins for the
first time at figure that was any
where around the cost OF production
Each wear thereafter the price ad-
vanced.
Mr.. Williams declared that cooper
ative marketing association should he
organized by commodity and not by
locality. They should be statewide
4 local association is necessarily a
weak one. 1t has poor management
as a rule and is subject to competi-
ton. The association must be the
dominant factor in its territory. The
contract should he legal and binding
for long term, not less than live
wears. The long time contract IS nee
essarv in order that the association
might make satisfactory business ar
rangements. He told, for example, on
a South Carolina mill which entered
into negotiations with the Oklahoma
association. He said the mill told
! him it didn't care to abandon estab,
ished channels just for one or two
wears. When he told them the con
tract was for seven years they begar
dealing with him. Nobody but cotton
growers are eligible for membership
1t is an organization, of and for tht
farmer and it's object is to get