New Britain herald., 1923-06-29
CUT LIVING COST
 BY COOPERATION
President. in Idaho Address, OuI'
 lines Partial Solution Ol H. c, |.
nr Th. A..eslaisa fEsss.

elsFins that the need Of the pTesent ls
 "a shertan the bridge between RFa'
 sueer and consumer. President Hard
 tns fin an address here proposed 2
 plan of cooperation among eensum'
 CTS financed in part at least ihfshsh
 a carefully organize and supervised
 sdaptattaR ef principles Of the saw
 inss hank or the building and loan
 society.
 'T believe the suggestion is worthy
 of careful examination and eansidr
 eration." the president asserted. "i
 am convinced that it's discussion wtll
 he fruitful af good results and re-
 hinder to some who are disposed ta take unreasonable tells from ho'h the
 consuming and the producing public that this public has the right, the
 power and the ability 10 devise means 10 protect itself"
 The president further said that as q result of studies and investigations he hoped to he able 'to recommend for the consideration of the congress measures which shall represent he- ginning along this line"
 "one of the most expressing nrnh- iems of our time. confronting all countries and all societies, is the "N- orbitant cost Of living" the president said.
 we realize that the real producer. under our elaborate and costly system of distribution. Is not permitted fair share of his product for his own use and enjoyment We have become
 a,a l..7 of distribution has grown too cum bersone, too complex, too indirect. to unrelated 10 the interests Of real producers and legitimate consumer, we must And methods to take ID as much as possible of tho slack In the long line between producer and con Humer: to give the producer better share in that which he furnishes fo the community. and to enable the consumer to meet his requirements at reasonable cost xxx
 '.eH er ;his lime is io shorten the bridge between producer and con sumner. and to reduce the toll that must be paid for passing over it. We al lknow a good deal ahut the vari- ous cooperative societies. associations and corporations which have under taken, in many cases with notable success, 10 improve the position of the agricultural producers. Such or ranizations have been successful in all parts of this country and in many parts of the old world. They have already done great work and taught us many valuable lessons.
 ,1Ia ,inlr ha a ~rf cultural community has been more alive to the promotion of it's inter ests along these lines than has the urban community. The farmers have been where their interest lay. and have been more prompt and energetic in adopting effective measures to promote them. than the people of the city. and town have been xxx.
 We have in recent years given much attention to developing system of agricultural finance, particularly sdapted to the needs of American farm producers Some critics have indeed protested that it was class leg islation. Perhaps it was. but as Il suggested in discussing the problems of agriculture in Kansas the other day, 1t was in the interest of a vitally important secton of the community which has heretofore had altogether too little consideration.
 Like Help for Consumers.
 Mot only have I no apology for what has been done in the interest of the agricultural community: not only do I regard 1t as one of the monumental achievements of the last generation in developing our coun- try's institutions-b I venture that we might with profit to the whole people consider the possibility of ef- fecting an analogous organization to promote and encourage. through | measures of credit and finance, a proper organization of the consuming community in both cities and coun- try.
 '.T have not attempted to work out even an outline. much less the details of such a system; but I believe it is possible, feasible and certain to com mand the sym mpathy of men and wom en who have the true interest of the country at heart. I hope to be able, as the result of studies and investiga
 
 eration Of the congress measures which shall represent beginning along this line. It Is a big and preg- nant subject to which no thinking man or woman can deny the fullest and most careful consideration. My thought Is that government should give the largest encouragement con yistent with sound economics and proper government functions, to every effort of the people to help them : selves In dealing with the high cost of living and the relationship of in- comes to our household budgets.
 Consumers Cooperation "I have wondered if it were not possible for example, that a scheme of cooperation among consumers, financed in part at least through a organized and supervised ada ptation of the principles of the savings bank or the building and loan society. might be made to serve q splendidly useful purpose in this de- partnlent of our economic life. I think this would he preferable to hav- { ng limited sections of the community !. to establish financial in- dependence and economic solidarity, 1 IS some of them have lately been do- ! ng. The development Of such a gen l sral program into a sound working 1: business scheme would doubtless be iound chiefly an affair of the state 1 but one in which the . ointure of state and national suthori- | les might prove practicable and even I lecessary.