The gazette-times. [volume] (Heppner, Or.) 1912-1925, 1922-12-07

ard than that required of many pri-
vate business institutions.
Human nature and sentiment have
played no part in financing the coop
erativeS as at present carried on.
The collateral has been of the best,
chiefly warehouse receipts and in the
case of one cooperative, U. S. licensed
warehouse receipts. The amount loan
ed against such certificates has been
extremely conservative, leaving a
very ample margin for protection
and this amount has also been pro-
portionately less than in the case of
private businesses.
The foundation of cooperative mar
keting in Oregon has been well laid.
The cooperatives now in existence
we're not formed until a very careful
and searching investigation of the
most successful of existing coopera-
tives had been made. In this connec-
ton, advantage was taken of the ex-
perince of the foremost marketing
experts both in and out of the U. S.
Bureau of Markets, the various agri-
cultural colleges, and the coopera-
tives now functioning. The Oregon
cooperatives adopted the famous
California contract plan with those
improvements which years of expert
ence in California had indicated
should be incorporated in new coop
erative associations. In bringing this
about, Aaron Sapiro, nationally rec
ognized legal expert on cooperative
marketing. the late Harris Weinstock,
formerly state marketing director of
California, as well as other authori-
ties were employed and gave largely
Of their time to inaugurating the
movement in Oregon.
Oregon cooperatives now in ex-
istence have developed themselves,
and have paid their own way. They
have not leaned on outside support,
nor have they received any consider
able amount of external aid. They
have made use of the educational as
s~istance offered by the Extension
Service of the Oregon Agricultural
College and the U. S. Bureau Of
Markets, in much the same manner
that private concerns can use. the
same agencies, and are using the
services extended by the Department
of Commerce. There has been no
special privilege extended to coop
eratives. The Oregon laws as we in
terpret them do not give cooperatives
special privileges or advantages over
private concerns. About all they pro-
vide is the right to organize and use
enforcible delivery contracts them
selves. This is a fundamental nesess-
ity of farmers non-proit organiza-
tions, and is not a special privilege.
Leading business men and states
men of the nation have seen fit to en-
dorse the Capper-Volstead Coopera-
tive Marketing Bill which was passed
by the Congress of the United States
and which provides substantially the
same features as are contained in
the Oregon Cooperative Law, Presi-
dent Harding saw fit to give the mat
ter personal attention, and express
ed his recommendation and approval
Of this form of marketing.
l note that you infer in your open
ing paragraph concerning the article
by Director Maris which follows your
Comment" that the chief encourage
ment desired is that which will make
it easier for them Comparatively to
obtain credit with banks. l must con-
TESS that | do not draw this conclu-
sion from Mr.. Maris' article, nor
have | conversed with a single reader
who arrived at such a conclusion. To
me his article is an appeal for the
sympathetic moral support Of bust
ness men to this important activity,
and the suggestion that cooperative
marketing be given a prominent place
in a state development program. Two
statewide marketing associations
have not used over fifty per cent Of
the lines Of credit extended to them,
and ole association has not been able
to fulfil requests for commercial pa
per made by banks in Western Oregon
who have found cooperative associa-
ton notes secured by warehouse ie-
a,u+. So o4;,foo+or, opagtp,aotg