Askov American. [volume] (Askov, Pine County, Minn.) 1914-current, 1932-12-22
CO.OPS FORM
FEDERATION
Alva Gay, Bert Cole, and
Erwin Nelson Picked
as Officers.
Pine County Cooperative
Federation is Name
Chosen.

The meeting of the directors of the
various cooperative organizations OF
Pine county. for the purpose OF form
ing a county federation of the CO
operatives now in existence within
the county, and scheduled to be held
at two O'Clock Saturday afternoon in
the town hall at Hinckley, was called
at that time in the Legion hall with
a good crowd attending. Several able
speakers appeared on the program
and gave interesting and inspiring
talks, all advocating the unification
of farmers and their organizations
as a means of pulling themselves out
of the present depressed agricultural
conditions and establishing a more
solid foundation for future permanent
prosperity.
j. H. Hay Speaks.
The first speaker on the program
was ]. H. Hay, state deputy commits
siOner of agriculture. He stated that
he had become convinced that the
only way to remedy the present low
price levels on farm commodities was
through more intensive organization
among farmers themselves, and to
this end a statewide movement was
on foot to organize farmers co-opera-
tives, and to organize these local
units into county, state, and national
declarations, the speaker having al
ready been instrumental in helping
the co-operatives in the counties Of
Carlton, Becker, and Kanabec form
county declarations. The speaker
pointed out that such county fedora
lions would be wonderful aids in
ironing out differences and avoiding
unnecessary destructive competition
among the farmers of the state, men
tioning those who patronize cream
stations where local cooperative
creameries already exist as driving
nails into their own cOffins." Other
advantages pointed out by Mr.. Hay
would be making special studies OF
such subjects as marketing, trans
pOrtation, taxation, finance, ETC., citing
the fact that Italy pays only one per
cent and other European countries
the United States, while the Amer
lean farmer is obliged to pay six or
seven per cent. He then submitted
for discussion a proposed constitution
and bylaws for forming a county fed
Grafton. The idea, said the speaker,
is not to start something new, simply
the Tightening up of the already exist
IN he
county
Cooperation Explained.
Mr. Hay then introduced Joseph
Gilbert, assistant secretary of North
ern States Cooperative League, who
dwelled principally on the educa-
tional aspects of cooperation. Organ
izing producers co-operatives among
farmers, he said, is going only half
way-it takes consumers to create a
market. and hence the producers and
consumers cO-OperativeS must work
i'm harmony. The laborer. said the
speaker, has nothing to sell except his
power to work, be it either through
brain or Drawn; the farmer, formerly
apt to consider himself capitalist,
or at least partly so. is now realizing
that he is i'm the same boat as the
laborer, the only difference being that
he sells his labor indirectly through
his prOducts-and often at a price
far below cost of production. In ad-
vOcating federation of local co-Opera-
tives Mr.. Gilbert momentarily delved
into the cOuntry's early history, re-
calling the fact that when the thir-
teen colonies broke away from Eng
land they did not set up federated
government, but thirteen sovereign
states, and not until a dozen years
later did they call the constitutional
convention and form the federated
government-they had realized the
danger and weakness of standing sep
arately, and the same applies to Co
operatives. He admOnished the farm
ers to study their problems, not only
economic but also political, and to
support men who are friendly toward
cooperation for places in the legis-
lative halls, both state and national.
Carlton Agent Speaks.
The next speaker was County Agent
George w. Chambers of Carlton coun-
ty. He gave a good report on the
activities of the cooperative fedora
tion in that county. Nineteen local
units are represented on the govern
ing board of the federa tion-one board
member from each unit. They have
appointed program committee, held
Large county picnic several meet
ings with good speakers, boosting the
income tax amendment, and are now
undertaking the organization of a
countrywide burial association. Mr..
Chambers considers the Carlton coun-
D federation big step in the right