The Semi-weekly leader., 1922-11-22
SAPIRO TELLS HOW
MARKETING WORKS
Interesting Speaker Informs Au-
dience cf Methods Of
Association.

Aaron Sapiro. father of co-opera-
tive ilarketingN in California, de-
livered an interesting and inspiring
address before gathering of the
farmers and business men of Kinds
county at the county court house
this morning at ten o'clock.
The meeting was opened by Chair
man B. Virgins. of the Farm Bureau
who presented G. L. Neil, president
Of the Mississippi State Farm Bu-
reau. Mr.. Neil spoke only a few
minutes outlining the purpose OF the
meeting and expressing his hopes in
regard to the cooperative marketing
association.
The feature Of the gathering
was the address from Mr.. Sapiro,. of
San Francisco. Mr. Sapiro who Is
an orator of more than usual ability
and a speaker who uses convincing
logic. spoke for forty minutes out
lining the work of the cooperative
association In California. He stated
that they got their idea from the
Danish system of marketing that had
been in use for many years.
At period along about 1890 the
farmers Of the west found that be-
cause Of the high freight rates and
the intervening bodies who took their
share Of the profit from the farmers
products, were unable to get any
thing for their crops, even though
there was great demand for their
products.
An investigation was held and
some method sought by which the
waste in their profit could be divert
ed to its proper place, the family that
produced the products. This was
found in the Danish system of CO.
operative marketing and the methods
of that country adopted to the laws
of California.
1t took period Of twelve years
for this association to really begin
to show net profits of any value, but
1t was finally accomplished so that
at the present time. the farmers of
California enjoy decent living in
comes from their work.
That is the prime motive of the
cooperative association" said Mr..
Sapiro. ito provide for the farm
ers and the families a decent living
wage. According to the last census
of the United States the farmers of
the country are forced to live on, an
average income Of $3.50, while the
statistics indicate that it requires
sum of $1,000 for a family to de-
Gently live and, educate their child
rem. That is what the people Of the
country are seeking, the decent
living income"
In speaking of the prominence
that the California counties are
taking in the production of the UNI
ted States. Mr.. Sapiro said, "for years
now the California counties have
been standing at the top of the coun-
ties of the United States in Agricul-
tural production. At the last compi-
lation, out of the first ten counties
in the United states fiye were in Cal
ifornia. Out of the first fifty, thir-
teen were in California. Only one
county in the entire south was any
way near the top of the list at all,
that county was Lefore county in
Mississippi"
The biggest crops in the United
States are cotton and tobacco, and
the south produces all of those two
commodities. The only reason that
the farmers of the south have failed
to receive their due share Of the pro-
fits Of the cotton production Of the
south is because they have followed
a system of marketing their product
that has been nothing short of suici-
deal.
''The aim of the cotton co-opera-
tive marketing association is to do
away with the old system of dump
ing the cotton on the market, and
substitute therefor, systematic
merchandising of the crop. The old
system was one under which the
farmer competed against the farm
er in selling his. product to the buy
er. That has been the reason that
the cotton prices have nearly always
been below the cost Of production. Il
The oil system under which the
buyer bought from dozen farmers
and forced them to compete against
each other in offering their products
to him, while under the new system
the farmers will have their products
represented by one salesman who will
force the buyers to compete against
each other for the privileges of pur-