St. Tammany farmer. [volume] (Covington, La.) 1874-current, 1922-04-01
FOR
OPPOSITION
TOCON1RAC1

Editor St. Tammany Farmer:
1t is undoubtedly true that every
cooperative undertaking must be
founded upon faith and mutual trust.
But it is perilous to force agree
ments, to obtain them by any other
means that full and clear understand
ing of the terms and conditions by
which the members bind themselves
together. 1t is of the very essence
Of a contract that it should be
mutually understood, and when
either side conceals any harsh or un-
fair term of the contract it is an
almost certain source of trouble.
Unless a Parish Farmers Co-opera-
tive Association can be established
upon a basis which will insure by
proper safeguards that every mem
ber and local association will not be
committed and bound to strangle-
hold agreements of which he or it is
not fully Informed in advance OF
making, this will constitute weak
ness in the organization which is al
To prevent that danger it was pro-
posed last Monday and probably had
the approval of every farmer dele
gate present that before any con-
tract made by the Parish Associa-
tion should be binding upon any local
association or its members it should
first have to be reported back fully
by the legate-director and be ex-
pressly accepted by proper proceed
ings on the part of the local assocla-
ton. Such a provision in the by
necessary to protect the farmers in
the local associations from being
bound and, held to contracts they
would not want to make and would
not make if fully infol med of the
meaning and obligations of same. II
such a provision is NOT in the bylaws
the Parish Association as now pro-
posed (without the suggested amend
ment) is empowered to make con-
tracts which will bind the members
without their knowledge and which
might be disadvantageous to the
growers. Not only is it necessary
to make this change for the protec-
tion of the local associations and
their members, but it will also
strengthen the Parish Association ii
by such a provision in it's bylaws il
creates confidence and trust in itself
on the part of the local mem bers and
farmers.
The need for the aforesaid amend
ment to the bylaws is probably
shown by the controversy concerning
the proposed contract with the Mis-
sissippi Growers Corporation and the
North American Fruit Exchange. II
there are any local associations or
members thereof which want to be
bound by that contract, they should
have the privilege and the proposed
amendment does not deny them that
privilege. But that contract should
not be forced upon any one who has
not the opportunity to read it and
understand it and expressly agree %
it. If the Parish Association is to
be made the agent of all the farmers
and truck growers who belong to
local associations and so be given
full power to make that contract
and bind every local member to il
without giving him in advance full
knowledge what it cOmpels him TO
do, that contract is not unlikely to
become a cause of dissatisfaction
with the Parish Association. The
only way to inform the local mem
bers is to give "a copy of that cor
tract to the delegate-director, to take
it back home and discuss it fully
with the local mem bers and obtain
their full approval and acceptance OF
It by express vote in a regular meet
ing. This is a right which should
be written into the bylaws of the
Parish Association. -S@
II that contract is to be used as a
means to coerce the members, If il
is to be made the test of membership,
attention should be called to some OF
it's provisions which do not invite
confidence, that very confidence
which it is agreed is the foundation
principle of cooperation. We do
mot believe that contract is a neces-
sary basis for the formation of q
Parish Association, but on the con-
trary that the Parish Association
should serve members who do not
want to be parties to that contract.
The main objection to that con-
tract is that, while it would require
our members to sell all their vege.
tables Cor such at least as are named
in the North American Fruit Ex.
change contract) through the Missis-
sippi Truck Growers Corporation, il
does not specify any definite service
to be rendered by the corporation
1t is a contract to be carried out
wholly according ITO the "judgmen!
and discretion" of the corporation
and if it's acts are detrimental to ouI
growers they have no recourse