Perth Amboy evening news., 1923-05-14

they must turn their potatoes into
cash, II for no other reason than
that in ninety cases out Of a hundred
they have no storage facilities to take
care of the crop until more favorable
market conditions warrant shipping
1t. They must either take the price
that the dealer on the ground Of
fers them, or ship to commission
houses ION spec" In either case,
they say, they invariably get the
worst of it.
How Cooperation Works
Under the cooperative marketing
plan the growers send their entire
crop direct to the warehouses, and
they are able to realize Immediately
a sufficient amount of cash to take
care of their needs, although their
potatoes may not be actually sold for
months. Thus the market will not
be glutted by having the entire crop
dumped on it at once, the grower
will get a fairer share of what the
ultimate consumer pays, the undue
profits of spectators and other mid
dlemen will be eliminated and the
consumer will be the gamer by the
assurance of a steady supply, good
quality and a fair price.
Moreover, the Maine organization
purposes to expend 100000 per year
for the next five years N advertise
ing the potatoes of that State, a
thing that the growers could lever
hope to do except through coopera-
tive effort.
When the associations are formed
In ofhap Gfafog Il &c -1apnNI o. t,-I-
them all up in a central body, which
will direct the sales policy, the de-
tails of marketing, regulate the flow
of potatoes to the market and de-
signate the market which they are
to go, and generally control the dis
tribution so as to equaliZe prices and
conditions everywhere as a protec-
ton for both farmers and consul .usrs.
That the plan promises success Is
agreed by most farm papers a1d per-
iodicals, but there r a few dissent
ing voices. One such says that to
market the national potato crop is
too big a job foT a centralized CO.
operative association, and continues:
Cooperation is a protection
against speculation and monopoly.
Its purpose is an orderly system Of
marketing a constant supply, and re-
duction of the cost of distribution to
encourage consumption and .ncreas-
ed demand.
True cooperation IS possible only
in localized groups because it would
be impossible for farmers widely dis
tributed to direct a centralized husi-
ness, and without the personal direc-
ton of members an association a
not be cooperative. The large cer-
tralized organizations have not teen
permanently successful heretofore
The arrangement OF federated local
associations has been generally sue
cessful.
THE Federal Government should
furnish warehouses for potatoes as
it used to do for whiskey, and see
that the crop is regularly distributed
over the season. The local coopera-
tive associations could then move
the crop direct from the fields
through those warehouses to the con-
sumer in a steady supply"
On the other hand, another au-
thority says that it may be expected
that 1.-The Maine plan will nor in
crease the cost of potatoes 20 the
consumer, but will by more efficient
methods of merchandising increase
the growers returns while still an
other says that such methods work
for the elimination of useless middle
men and spectators and quicker and
more economic ways of supplying
the popular demand, and that the
consumer will not be made to suf-
fer under a potato famine one week
and an o~yersupply the next"