Maryland independent. [volume] (Port Tobacco, Md.) 1874-current, 1924-02-29
MILLION FARMERS NOW ARE
UNITED IN BUSINESS

more during 1928, according to
latest figures at the Department
Of Agriculture, where a survey
of the cooperative associations
is being made.
This exact statement, coupled
with B. f. Yoakum's project for
an intertate farm marketing as
sociation, heading up at Wash
ington, as described to President
Coolidge last week, and the plans
Of the National Council of Coo
erative Marketing Associations
for their new headquarters to
transfer from Chicago to Wash
ington, gives promise that the
farm coop" will soon become as
well known about the Capitol as
the farm bloc"
The coop" is a slang phrase
which has been used for many
years to designate the loosely
knit associations of farmers who
make butter and cheese co-opera-
lively, or bargain comparatively
for the sale of farm products.
But in in the last three years the
introduction of the California.
contract plan, which guarantees
the delivery of the farmers entire
crop to the association selling
agents, has worked a remarka-
BILE evolution in the marketing
of most farm products and the
1000, 600 co-operatives have near
ly ali been signed up within the
last three years.
Erstwbile farmers, recently
turned business men, attended
in large numbers the second an
nual convention of the National
Council of Farmers Co operative
Marketing Associations, recent
ly held in Washington.
And almost every cooperative
who spoke described business
operations running well up into
the millions and showed how
thousands of producing farmers
are joining the movement each
month, in the expectation that
cooperation" will stabilize mar
ket prices, and eliminate most of
the waste and losses that come
from individual shipments to a
strange market, where the far
mer has little or no representa-
ton in the dealing.
Former Gov. Lowden, former
ly a republican presidential can
didate, was asked if the net re-
suit of the cooperative move.
ment would not be an increased
price to the consumer. He re-
piled
mo, indeed. There's been too
much talk of that from our OPP
ponents, the commission agents.
Cooperative marketing will bring
down food prices because it will
systematic the marketing OF
farm products so that there will
be steadier stream of supply to
every market, without the loss in
perishables and the stealing that
is often found. Thus the farmer
will get fair profit on what he
sells and he will produce more
and market prices can be lower
ed as the system becomes more
and more efficient.
cooperative marketing, con-
tinued Gov. Lowden, is our new
national business policy. Thirty
states and the federal govern
ment have passed laws establish
ing it. The Supreme Court has
approved these as constitutional.
The Department of Agriculture,
the War Trade Board and the
Farm Loan Board and the FEEDER
al Reserve Board are all behind
the movement, which was so
badly needed to prevent farmers
generally from going to the
WALL"
DO the farmers really mean
business ?" said one representa-
tive who was just discovering the
fact that not only cotton, tobacco,
apples, wheat, butter and cheese
were being marketed co-opera-
lively, but also cabbage, celery,
and other crops.
The answer lies in the fact that
about 1900 co operative asso-
Citations have been formed and
that they are doubling their bus
mess annually, and in 1923 did a
combined business which out
strips the automobile industry
itself for value and range.
The headquarters of the Ma
tional Councils of Cooperative
Marketing Associations, now To-
Gated in Chicago, will soon be re-
moved to Washington and
monthly magazine devoted to
the subject will be published for
distribution of the agricultural
data and information which al
ways centers at Washington.
the National Capital, long ac-
customed to the conventions of
organized capital and org lnized
labor, will soon find itself the
scene of innumerable eonyen-
yentions and less formal gather
ings of farmers. organizing or
already organized. The list of
new legislation which has al
ready been passed in the inter
est OF agriculture is considerable
and there are now between 400
and 500 new bills introduced to
effect farmer relief. " Only
about ten Of these" states SEN
ator Capper, of Kansas, viii
pass the test of practicaiity,