The Dolores star., 1924-11-14
Farmers Shipping
Association Grows
Cooperative Marketing Is
Gaming in Importance,
Statistics Show.
Prepared by II, United stat. p.p.t.,n.n.

'ioh ~ ginning In importance accord
ing TO II recent statistical study m,ds
by the United States Dcpartmen, -,
Agriculture. 1t appears that the nros.
eh' tendency as regards this institn.
uon is toward the weIl-organlzed ms.
sociation, With large enough NOM
bership md operating over a big ur.o
10 provide volume of business sufI-
cient To insure the economies which
come with large scale operations.
Furthermore. with the larger units
fhere appears to be a demand for
managers with training and experi-
ence in the marketing uf live stock.
The results of the recent study nv
the Department of Agriculture have
been released In preliminary rcpor.
prepared by X II. Ellsworth Of the dI-
vision Of agricultural cooperation
The study Is based upon reports re-
ceived from 1.5iT associations located
In the rural sections and 20 farmer
controlled sales agencies established
In 20 of the larger terminal markets.
Active Associations.
One Of the existing associations has
been operating since 1881. About one
half of the associations have been nc-
tive for five years. over 10 per cent
have been active for ten years. and
nearly per cent have been active for
fifteen years. Nlnety-four per cent
of all the associations are In the L.
North Central states The three states
OF Iowa. Minnesota and Illinois are
credited with over Onc-half Of nll the
live stock marketing organizations.
The associations in the same three
states contain 43 per cent Of the total
membership Of all the associations.
These three states with Ohio contain
over 80 per cent Of the total memner-
snip. Average membership per asso-
citation ranges from ii4 in Ohio where
most of the associations are Orga li2cd
on countrywide basis 10 90 in North
Dakota The averages for several of
the leading states are ms follows: In
diana, PSI; Michigan, 213; Illinois.
2O6; Wisconsin. 2O3 Minnesota, 1853:
Iowa. l3S. The average membership
for the United States as a whole is
given as 1al for 1923 compared with
lac in 1913.
Shipping Association Business.
IT is estimated that the l,ji7 asso-
cations in the producing sections mar
kcicd live stock to the value of SlG2,-
100000 in 1923. SiNty-two per cent Of
the total business was handled by the
shipping associations in Iowa, Min
nesota, Illinois and Ohio. The amount
credited to each state is rs follows:
Iowa, S42.ooOGOO; Minnesota, $2S.-
100000: Illinois. S16WOwO: ONO,
sl5Oo0,OOO. During the ten years.
1914 to 1929, the average amount OF
business handled by the shipping as
sociations increased from $I9.Wo to
slOS 900. The average amount of BUS
mess per association in 1923 creditc"
TO the lending states is rs follows:
Ohio. S231 900: Iowa, Sl21WO; Hi
noIs, $4,000. and Minnesota, S9i,WD.
There were increases In the average
amount of business per association Tor
the two years ending with 1923 for
most of the states. This Increase In
Ohio amounted to Al per cent; Mis-
souri. ~ per cent; Minnesota, is per
cent; Iowa, Z per cent; Illinois, per
cent. In Wisconsin and South Dakota
there was n decrease In the average
amount of business per association Tor
the two-ycnr period.
1t appears that 40 per cent OF al
the associations are Incorporated that
the incorporated associations have "a
ner cent of the total membership, and
transacted 81 per cent Of the t"'al
business in 1923. But u per cent "t
the associations are organized WIN
cnpital stock. However tins percent
ape has % per cent of the membership
and handled ~ per cent OF Tie i'-"
business. Fifty-three per cent "t the
associations. with ~ per cent OF the
membership and doing 81 per cent 9i
he business in 1923, paid patronage
dividends. Only per cent of all the
thinning nSSDtIhtlbllS hh'
Win their members In 1923.
Cooperative Selling.
Cooperative selling agencies CON
tro,led by farmers have been orerat-
Ing in the terminal live stock markets.
since 1917, when such marketing aseN.
c,es were established by the Farmers
mjon nj the Omaha and st. Joseph
narkcts The - agencies opefntihs
In 1929 handled nearly lOOOo'ooo heao
NJ live stock. which would fill about
I5(, 900 stock cars. The anlhais "e'e
sold for Sl92 100000. AT different
times during the calendar year 'here
were returned to the shipper sums
amounting to Ss2O.Oo0 as REFUNDS on
amounts paid AS commission Gnu -
In both the Kansas CITY ana o.
pouI markets there were three sa'es
agencies. In both Chicago ana haS'
81. Louis there We're two cooperative
commission associations.
4 y