Brownsville herald. [volume] (Brownsville, Tex.) 1910-current, 1927-11-02
Would Teach Cooperation
In Schools

7he teaching Of the basic principles Of cooperat-
I've marketing in the rural schools Of the nation is ths
only feasible way to assure agricultural prosperity in
the future, is the theory OF z. 6. Burris, secretary o.
the Jasper, Texas, Chamber Of Commerce, who in
recent letter to the newspapers Of the state urged thai
they extend their support TO a movement designed Il
craze q wider knowledge Of cooperation and the faci
that it is fundamental to agricultural success.
Mr. Burris expressed the view that it will be i'm
possible to prevail upon the adult farmers to cooper
ate; that their training in this direction has been neg
lected, and that only through the rising generation can
the farming interests Of the nation be organized and
coordinated in a movement which will assure prosper
GUS conditions for the farmers
We have thus far met with nothing but dis
rouragement and failure" Mr.. Burris said in referring
to the repeated cooperative failures in Texas. I'VE
do not have a marketing organization that is efficient.
Progress Is ~hampered BY the ever u~nfaitkful attitude
Of the larger portion OF the Texas farmers. These
conditions are pitiful when we stop TO think that other
laborers pull together in an intelligent manner, and do,
therefore, keep the farmer continually laboring under
the disadvantage Of a 65 cent dollar.
IL believe that the only solution to this problem
- 10 begin with the child while In school, and teach
him the basic principles Of cooperative marketing;
teach him with the powers Of cooperation, and also
teach him that unless he does cooperate with his fell
low farmers he is working under the handicap Of com
peting with organized labor in other lines Of industry.
The basic principles Of all cooperative marketing is
the same and could be successfully taught in all pub
lie schools. / believe the teaching Of this subject in
III. public schools is the only method by which We
can hope to successfully meet the present-day problems
and in the end form profitable marketing organiza-
ptions."
The suggestion from Mr.. Burris is worthy Of con-
Alteration by the rural school boards Of Texas. Most
of the farmers Of the South are admittedly in favor
Of cooperation, but as a rule they are deferred from
organization by some trivial detail. which, while Il Is
insignificant in itself, appears to them an insurmount-
able obstacle. Very few Of them have ever attempted 20
make an intensive study Of cooperation or the OBJ
jectives 81 the numerous organizations which have
been formed al various times, and rs \ result they
are suspicious Of all such movements and give credence
70 unfortunate propaganda which may be disseminated
relative 10 any cooperative move.
There is nothing revolutionary in the suggestion
Our pablie schools offer business courses; our agrieul-
tural colleges offer courses designed TO increase farm
productions; but there is not a school or college IN
Texas, the greatest agricultural state in the Union,
that offers the student n course in scientific, cooperat-
i've marketing which would tend TO increase the profits
on those commodities he is taught to produce.
Experience Of recent years would indicate that Mr..
Burris is correct in his analysis Of the situation and
that the teaching Of cooperative marketing and the
fundamentol principals OF cooperation should begin with
the child Of school age, and that the proper place for
such teaching Is in the school room