Belt Valley times. [volume] (Armington, Mont.) 1894-1977, 1922-08-17
ORGANIZED SELLING
OFFERS ADVANTAGES
COMBINATION or BUYERS is MET
BY COOPERATION OF
GROWERS
GOOD MANAGER NECESSARY
6uccess OF COOPERATIVE Marketing
Enterprises Depends Upon Effi4
cheney OF Management; Com
pleteness OF Organization

The fact that buying can be done
more advantageously through large
organizations has caused buyers to
form into large bodies for this purpose
and experience has shown that the
small individual seller cannot deal to
advantage with II large organization of
this sort. The big idea in cooperation
is that it will be of equal advantage
for the farmers 10 organize in selling
their produce. according TO the State
extension service bulletin No. 40, on
Cooperative Marketing.
The success of Il cooperative enter
prise depends to a very large degree
on the competence of the manager.
Many farmers cooperative companies
in Montana have failed. Those which
have succeeded have had efficient
managers. Such an enterprise with an
efficient manager may fail because Of
other circumstances, but a cooperative
organization rarely. if ever, succeeds if
the is not efficient and com
petent to handle the job. The man for
this position should be one who is ex-
perieneed IN buying and selling the
particular commodity TO be handled.
rather than one who has had eXpe-
rience only in growing that commodity.
A good manager is worth a good salary.
He should be given authority and his
work should be supported by the mem
bers of The organization.
In order 10 get the fullest benefit
from a cooperative enterprise II should
be sufficiently large 10 market the pro-
luce us nearly directly as desired from
the producer to the consumer. For
instance, IL Ii Is cooperative potato
marketing organization in question,
II should he sufficiently large to con
troll the sale Of n large quantity of wen
graded and well prepared product and
To obtain the top price for ii In the
biggest market centers. Other enter
prlses may eliminate middle men"
still further and serve as well the sole
connecting link between the producer
and consumer. An isolated cooper
alive organization, however. no matter.
how well organized is at a great disad-
vantage competing with large com
panies. Where the bigger organiza-
lions can employ expert salesman,
establish offices In consuming eenters,
get market Information first hand, pre-
vent Cutting of markets, buy supplies
70 advantage and. consequently, place
the producer and consumer as closely
together MS possible. the small concern
is to a large extent forced TO use the
very marketing organization II is trying
TO eliminate.
There are two forms of cooperative
marketing associations, those formed
with capital stock and those formed
under the non-profit. non-stock plan
without capital stock as this plan is
better known and has been found more
suitahle-far some marketing activities
such as elevators and w~arehousing.
One of the most popular forms of the
non-profit. non stock plan is that of
MISUNDERSTANDING associations. This
method of marketing livestock is meet
ing with increasing favor until it is
estimated that 40 per cent of the
stock received at the South ST. Paul
market are shipped comparatively.