The Birmingham age-herald., 1922-04-25
SMALL PRODUCERS CANNOT PAY FEES
 OF FARM BUREAU
Is Claim of w. D. NeSbitt, President of Cotton Crow
 CTS Marketing
 Association

Making the special plea that many farmers cannot afford to pay the higher costs involved in membership in the farm bureau, or in the $l0 membership fee charged by the Farm Bureau Cotton assoetation,' the Ala bama Cotton Growers association, through ". D. Nesbitt, president, has written a letter to every Alabama banker. explaining operations of the latter association and requesting the cooperation of the bankers
 It is alleged that the Georgia Co., operative Marketing association, which has signed up 200, GOO bales of cotton In a marketing pool, charges only s5 membership. The Alabama Cotton Growers Marketing association exaets still smaller membership fee. one of S3. The Alabama organi- zation has already secured advances from the war finance corporation and is in line to get more as occasion may arise from size of cotton pool which 1t shall succeed in organizing. 1t aims at 700,000-bale pool.
 MT Nesbitt eneloses copies of the charter and rules of the association, and his letter reads:
 Mir. Nesbftt's Letter
 "Because of the importance of se- curing better returns to our farmers for their products and because of the wide discussion throughout Alabama at this time of cooperative market ing, may I not ask your time to read the attached papers so as to familiar ize yourself with the following facts:
 "The Alabama Cotton Growers Co., operative association was organized January T. 1922. to economically pro vide an instrumentality that would promptly bring to it's cotton producer members in Alabama the benefits of cooperative action along marketing lines.
 "Its contract is in accord with the Alabama statute. accepted by tho war finance corporation, and approved by our Alabama counsel.
 Its method of organization differs In one important respect from other cooperative associations. It took ad- vantage of the opportunity afforded under the Alabama statue to organ ize at once and begin business with small number of producers and thus immediately bring to Alabama and to it's members government funds for loans against present unsold cotton and to serve its members in obtain ing needed fertilizers at the lowest cash carload prices and to help those without cash in securing credit.
 Small Membership Fee
 "The Georgia Cotton Growers Co., operative association. under the lead ership of Charles g. Barrett, president of the Farmers union, has Just com pleted it's signup for more than 200,- mn pF anffnp fof f@c1,f ffa charge to the members there was $5 Our association, after carefully esti- mating the cost and arranging to use cooperative rather than corpor. ate methods in building the oreani. zation. found that the work could be done for approximately sS per mem Der, and Is enlarglng the organiza- ton on this basis.
 "We know there are many small producers In the state who cannot afford to pay for the privilege of GO. operatively marking their cotton, the higher costs involved in membership in the farm bureau, or in the $10 membership fee charged by the Farm Bureau Cotton association. Neither do we think 1t necessary that pro- ducers in Alabama should be charged toll of SIC in order to avail them selves of cooperative selling oppor- tunities when in Georgia 1t costs only $5.
 The Farm Bureau
 ''The farm bureau, for reasons satis- factory to itself declined to aid this association, and has preferred to de velop a cotton association of it's own. 1t may be that both are needed. We do know that this association built from the ground up and operated on economical and sound business lines by Alabama producers for themselves is 8 great need.
 'I am asking for enough of your time to read the papers attached. that you may know of the arrangements we are making for constructive serv- ice in Alabama and that you may with this knowledge give us the ben eft of your help in our work.