Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1924-08-07

&. NJ. White. chief of the division
of markets OF the Department of
Agriculture, in his report for the
period July /. 1922, to June 30. 1924
Just presented. asserts that the CO.
operative purchasing concerns doing
business all over the state In
regularly established stores have
practically all recovered from the
bad slump OF 1920 and 1921.
AS in all lines of business some
have fallen by the wayside," he
continues. The number of those to
close business, however. is no
higher. If as high, as other lines of
business. The lamentable feature
of this Ia not so much that they
have gone out of business as 1t is
that in many instances 1t was un-
necessary, because so many eX-
amples were available to show the
reasons for failure. Inadequate
finances in the beginning usually
proved n handicap which they
never oVCrcame.
THE lesson to be drawn from this
Is plain; that no organization work
should he attempted until careful
survey shows that present means of
obtaining supplies are insufficient
or too costly. This survey should
Dc INIIONtl ny II III tHhiliifLNC
to determine IL the new organization
can be properly financed and suf-
fcIent volume assured to keep the
overhead down and the business
management efficient. Until these
things are definately determined no
organization work should be at
tempted. 1t is particularly difficult
Mt the present time for farmers to
attempt organization work as the
last three years of hard times have
so reduced their surplus earnings
that 1t is next to impossible for
them to furnish finances for new
undertakings.
Keen Interest in Cooperative Market
ing
Interest in cooperative market
Ing at the present time is keen and
tho organization of such work is
more simple than that of purchas-
ing organization because a market
ing organization is easily financed.
The greatest difficulty to be en-
countered Is that while the MEM
bers' products may he used as col
lateral during the process of market
ing, in many instances II Is a real
hardship for the producer to wait
the necessary time for the produce
to be turned into cash and the re-
turns made on the various pools.
However. It Is believed that with n
better understanding of the pool
system of selling the members
products that this difficulty will dis
appear and the members will he
able to reap financial benefits
from cooperative marketing. Tho
Maine Potato Growers Exchange is
the largest marketing organization
ever undertaken in the State and
has been organized and continued
through the efforts of producers as
sisted by Aaron Sapiro without as
sistance from the Department OF
Agriculture. Its first year of actual
operation has not yet closed and the
results will be watched with much
interest.
The cooperative canning factories.
both corn and BURBERRY. are render
ing n large service to their members
and are becoming more firmly estab-
lished each year. They have invari-
ably adopted a conservative fin
ancial policy. making each year
improvements in the factories and
equipment to keep them modern and
up to- date, then laying aside a rea-
sonahle reserve, after which the
members have received all the
proceeds of the sales. In one in
stance. the sweet corn growers re-
ceived four and three quarters
cents per pound, which was very
satisfactory when the going price