Atlanta tri-weekly journal. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1920-19??, 1922-04-01
COOPERATIVE ENTERPRISES
FOR FARMERS

O1e
Cooperation is the idea uppermost
IN the minds of our farmers just at
this time. BY many it is thought to
be a panacea for all the ills which
now affiict US. There is an impress
sion abroad that if we decide to band
ourselves together for the sale of
our agricultural products the chief
OF our difficulties will disappear, we
will be able to find ready markets at
profitable prices, and in many re-
spects we can dictate to the pur-
chasers what he shall pay for the
producers of our soils. 1t is,
therefore, worth while to look into
this cooperative proposition and see
just what has been accomplished by
groups of producers who have as
ISOLATED themselves together in other
states. In this way we can judge
of the merits of undertakings of
this character and determine
whether plans such as have been in
stituted and followed elsewhere are
thoroughly applicable to our own
conditions.
Distance from markets probably
gave cooperation its greatest i'm
petus in this country. Nowhere
were the proucers of crops in the
United States more unfavorably To-
Gated than the California growers,
who were undertaking to raise per-
ishable fruits and vegetables which
they must of necessity dispose of
three or four thousand miles away
from the point of production. The
early efforts of the growers in ques-
ton were a sad disappointment and
the industry was Laundering in the
sea of dependency until someone
hit upon the plan of co-ordinatinS
the shipments of the growers unto
carload lots and undertook the sale
of products of the groups thus CO.
ordinated in commercial way.
Since that date steady progress has
been made by the California fruit
growers, and today they have an or
ganization of which they have every
reason to be proud, and from which
our eastern producers can learn
much<of service and value.
Under existing circumstances it
seems quite appropriate to review
for the information of our readers
some of the results secured in Cali
: fornia last year, and to emphasize
points upon which special stress
should be laid wherever the attempt
is made to organize and promote CO.
operative production and distribution
for the benefit of our landowners.
In the first place, it is important to
remember that the California Fruit
Growers exchange is not a new en-
terprise, but has been in existence
in one form or. another for good
long period Of time. 1t thus has a
firm background of experience and
has learned through costly expert.
ment where many of the dangerous
Shoals in cooperative shipping or
CARNATIONS lie and how to avoid
these. The point 1 wish to make in
this connection is that-it takes time
for an enterprise of this character
to grow up and come ITO a desirable
stage of fruition. In the first place,
the success of such undertakings de-
ponds upon the intelligence, the in
tegrity, the skill, and the steadfast'
ness of the individual growers.
1t is a huge undertaking to cor.
relate the effort and energy say of
10000 producers. This has been
successfully accomplished by the
California Fruit Growers exchange,
but it has taken Is years or more
to accomplish this very desirable
end. This is a long period through
which to extend service to win a de-
, sirable reward. y, It has taken a lot
of cohesive effortNand is an example,
fication or wonderful degree of
faith on the part of the individuals
who constitute the members of this
organization. tits important to re-
member in this connection also that
the California Fruit Growers Elk
change is in reality landowners
enterprise. It is conducted, if I I'M
derstand the situation correctly, on
the basis of a stock company. Some
thing like $4000,000 has been sinvest-
ed in the work of the exchange by
it's members. The amount of stock
has recently been increased-to $6,-
100000 for the purpose of erecting
and operating a lumber plant for the
manufacture of the containers need
ed by the members of the exchange.
NV understanding is that this stock
is expected to pay 6 per cent in
terest.
This is quite a formidable enter
prise, therefore, to be owned by
something like 10000 individuals,
and represents large monetary in
yestment on their part. 1 emphasize
this point to let it be seen that I'M
dertakings of this character appar-
emily call for large investment on
the part, of the membership, and
that without liberal financial sup
port such undertakings could not
hope to maintain themselves for any
long period Of ct iaae.
Now that the sreat enterprise
we are discussing has grown up
through nearly quarter of CEN
fury let us see what its accomplish
ments were in 1921. 1t appears, for
instance, that the exchange ham
died 6O,147 carload shipments, which
represented about 72.5 per cent Of
the citrus fruit shipments from the
state of California. In all approxi-
mately 100000 boxes were han
died. The returns for these ex-
change shipments f. o. b. the cars
were SCI, 080, 003.77./ The delivered
value to the wholesale trade was
s93,3S4,958.44. The exchange is of
the opinion, from an investigation
Of the jobbers and retail margins,
that the retailers paid $145,S55, 046.
for the crop, and the consumers
s203 ,642 100. In other words, for
each dollar the shipper received for
7:slI75 sYsS5Y5