Askov American., 1935-06-06
Danish packing industry, called Coop

ton, COOpman offered more than
either we or he could get out of our
hogs, and many members felt they
had made a mistake and sold their
hogs to CoOpman; for that reason
they were promptly taken into court
and compelled to stick. The same
procedure was applied in the opera
tiOn of the cooperative creamelies.
it was the forced control of the raw
material which saved the day and
success of the Danish cOOperatives.
Had similar principles been incor-
rOrated in the efforts to organize the
farmers packing plant in South st.
Paul years ago we would likely have
had successful farmers packing plant
today in Minnesota. l remember the
leaders in that movement sent IA dele
cation to AskOv; they wanted me to
go with them and sign up members.
refused because they had no EN-
forceable clause in their agreement to
deliver the raw material (the hOgs).
AS for Mr.. A. P. Jensen l am sorry
for him that he has so misunderstood
the fundamental principles of success
full cooperation, he should have been
good sport and paid a penalty for
breaking faith with his association
so much more as he up to this time
has appeared to be leader in agricul-
tural cooperation and for that reason
was elected member of the North
eastern Minnesota Agricultural Coun-
ell in Duluth as a special recognition
and his photo was then hung in the
agricultural hall of the Northeast Ex-
pertinent station.
Mr.. Jensen says he is willing to
spend his last cent to defend his point
of view in this case, although he ad-
mits that he signed the contract.
in that he continues, "is the AssOci-
alton authorized to exist as it was
fully understood that they would not
operate unless 9O% of the growers
signed up." Whether or not the assO-
citation was launched in good faith
with a board of directors which Mr..
Jensen helped to elect and was so
recognized by all members who did
not give notice to the contrary. Even
said last week, admits the assOcia-
tion status quo" in the middle OF
November when he says he ap-
preached the manager for dispOsing
of 4215 tons of bagas.
was in Denmark when the ruta-
baga association was organized and
therefore not familiar with details.
, l asked a member, who is not on the
board of directors, to give me his
view of the facts. Here they are:
Most of us, who have spent years
in studying and working with the ac-
tual problems of cooperation, realized
the fact that the association would
have hard sliding because of private
interests being able to point to for
mer failures, and badly handicapped
by lack of storage space. but these
problems were thoroughly discussed
at various meetings before the Or
ganization commenced operation. 1t
was fully understood that it was up to
. each member to provide protection for
his roots until the association could
take them off his hands.
LAS far as A. p. Jensen is con-
cerned there is no excuse for not com
plying with the association rules, as
a couple of days work could have pro-
vided pit for protection against frost
until they started moving to the mar
ket.
Anyone who knows anything about
marketing rutabagas knows that it,
a game that is alternatingly rushing
or at standstill. After the season
opened in earnest it was never a
question of lack of market, as the
association could have handled far
greater volume if the members would
have stored their roots and delivered
them as the market demanded
I'VE realize that the most sure way
: of handling roots would be ware
houses of it's own sufficient to store
the entire crop in the fall and then
hang paddock on the door until de-
manded. This would give the associ-
= alton full control of the entire crop
. and eliminate any doubt as to the
= loyalty of the individual members
. but it would be long way from true
voluntary cooperation.
There can be no finer example OF
voluntary cooperation than where the
individual grower pledges himself to
store his own roots until such time
as the product can be marketed-ant
lives up to such pledge. Such sys-
tenn will place the responsibility foI
the success of the association upon
the individual grower as well as upon
the directors.
. perhaps the board of the local
unit was vacillating at times at the
outset, and such could be expected in
/. new venture Of this kind, though
they seem to have discovered way
of solving the problem as far as the
selling is concerned. The loyalty OF the
producers naturally rests with them
selves. If enough members are will
1 ling to fall for outside propaganda
and let any old excuse be reason fol
breaking their contracts. then it is
l a very simple thing to ruin the asso
citation. It's always easier to teal
;, down than to build up.