Gunnison news-champion., 1923-02-02
NECESSITY Is DRIVING Us
To COOPERATIVE MARKETING

Agriculturd College s-Notes:-
Our land is too broad and our sources
OF food too widespread 10 make direct
iarn-to-oonsumer marketing possible
10 the majority. So We have the
tasks Of assembling, sorting, storing.
transportation and distributing goods
Many people work long and hard at
the job.
IL is dawning on Us, however, that
these people are taking a night smart
toll for the work that they do We
are paying them . large sum for get
ting our produts 10 market. We feel
this IN yanous ways. Either things
are exceedingly high priced when we
buy them TO eat, or use them in other
ways, or else We see fair pnces in
distant markets that we are unable TO
take advantage of because transporta-
tion costs subtracted from that priee
the effort leaves US too little pay for
the effort and expense Of putting the
crops on the cars.
Hence we are much in doubt about
Marketing being worth what We pay
for il" Marketing seems 10 be essen
tial. That We, as a people, pay for il
Is obvious How can We cut its pay
Competition has failed TO do it be-
cause marketing has developed in the
face Of constant and often vicious
competition, yet marketing today 10
more costly than ever. What other
remedy might we try.
How about cooperation? II has
been said that cooperation in agricul-
ture means the organized working to-
gether of farmers on a non-profit
basis for the transaction of business
II means that farmers will undertake
TO do for themselves some Of the work
of handling their products that up till
now has been done for them.
The work must be done. Appar-
emily it must be paid for. In the past
We have paid for il by money, either
by high prices to the public, or lower
prices to the farmer, or both, coupled
with a further payment of neglect.
Why not try new payment? Since
We are going 10 pay for marketing
anyway, why not have something to
say about il?
Let US substitute attention for
neglect" and make our payment for
the cost of marketing in the future be
money, plus attention. Let US make
Jul aNb<Hticfl tdhs lle tOTUl OF a spirit
of cooperation; toleration for the
other fellow; a willingness TO meet him
half way and TO work with him.
This means more trouble for the in
ividual at first. That is, the individual
must do some things that he never has
done befare. Many OF us will do al
most anything rather than deliberate
ly form new habits. But necessity is
slowly but surely driving us to take de-
fense in united attempt TO improve
matters. Should we wait tin neces-
sity has foTeclosed our farm mortg-
ages, till necessity has driven our
children to. the city, till necessity has
made the farmer peasant?
Why not 20 out to meet the situa-
ton? squareiy Bury our local diff
ferences of opinion, and get together
as neighbors faced by common need
Put the marketing of our entire poto-
to crop in the hands of one cooperative
organization, for example. Insist that
the highest standards of quality be
maintained; work together and pull
agriculture out of the slough of de-
spond up onto an equal footing with
industry. Permanent success in agri-
culture will never come till it is done.
The American farmer in the past has
proved himself equal to every task,
ready to face this one, once he sees
just what the need is, and the remedy.