The Ocala evening star., 1922-11-01
MARK KETING FARM PRODUCTS
*. c. Moore, County AGENT

cultural world has spread so rapidly |
as that of cooperative marketing
along commodity lines. This kind of |
organization was a long time COM
ing. But it has finally arrived; and,
tho it is not perfect as yet, it is ope-
rating successfully in hundreds of sec
tions of the United States and in the
handling of almost every farm COM
modify.
Whereas, farmers formerly were
strictly let alone in their organization
efforts and these organizations were
looked upon as foreordained to fail
ure, nowadays some of the keenest
legal and business men of the nation
are deeply interesting themselves in
the fundamentals, and in working out
the details of operation. Aaron Sapiro,
lawyer, has had more influence in this
line of work than any other one man.
His plans work. Bernard Baruch is
another internationally prominent at
torney and big business man and
statesman who has rendered valuable
assistance.
Judge Bingham, editor of the Louis
vile Courier Journal, is said to have
done more than any other man in
putting over the organization of the
growers of hurley tobacco in Ken
lucky. He aided in the organization,
campaign with an immense amount of
publicity, among which were constant
editorials. The Burley Tobacco Pool
| (this is the name of the organization)
needed to borrow five million dollars
this past summer, and had arranged
to get the money from ten of the
leading banks of the state. But a
learned attorney gave out a state
ment, based on some technicality,
that such loan would be dangerous.
Whereupon nine of these banks with
drew their support. In this crisis
Judge Bingham loaned the association
a million dollars from his own for
ltune. The balance was arranged thru
a large number of small banks thru
out the tobacco growing section.
The Mercantile Trust Company, a
lgreat banking institution of San
Francisco, has recently pointed out
through it's "Monthly Review some
of the principles on which successful
cooperative marketing associations
operate. These are summarized in an
article in the Literary Digest for
Oct. 2Sth in it's department of "In-
vestments and Finance" page 48.
These principles are not only worth
reading, but very really worth study
ling.
1t was in line with the thought of
such men as are named above, and
with these "principles," that the by
laws and contract of the proposed to-
|mato growers association were forrnu-
Hated. These principles, be it remem-
bered, were the ones on which the
successful associations succeeded.
ISuch associations "withstood all
strains in bad times as well as in good
times and definitely established their
lplace in the economic system"
1 The interest in a tomato growers
Iassociation is not dead by any means,
but rather seems to be growing in
Marion county. Some of our best
business farmers have expressed
keen regret that this organization
Twas not set up. And many of the
melon growers are planning for a
marketing organization to handle
their products. 1t is not too late yet
for these organizations to get going.
. This section needs a Moses OR several
; Mosseses to lead in such matters.
There have come to the writer
many questions, and many criticisms
of this proposed tomato growers as
sociation. Without exception these
. have originated with persons who
have not posted themselves, or with
persons who have financial interest
in seeing such movement fail.
For years and years and years we
farmers have asserted that what we
/ needed was selling organization to
market oura stuff And we have tried
a lot of loose-jointed, unbusiness-like
Iplans and failed. These modern, sue
. Icessful associations are tight -jointe6
. land business-like. An organization
, to be successful, must be "our asso-
/ lciation," not "that there association
And we will do something for our
. selves in our association, for it is
: bound to come, sooner or later.
i The millennium will have arrived
when some outsider makes an honest
, Ito goodness effort to give us all we
think our stuff is worth; unless one
, offers US big, juicy proposition with
/ 1.-THE ulterior aim of getting our iniu.