The people's voice. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1939-1969, 1945-06-29
REVIEWING COOP HISTORY

(Radio address of Gordon Roth,
| director of public relations, Farmers
| Union Grain Terminal Association
| on the Food for Freedom Program)
| Sometimes it does US all good tC
Hook back over the past to see how
history repeats itself That makes II
possible sometimes TO avoid the same
mistakes The troubles and trials In
Europe today duplicate many of the
problems that Europe had after the
end of the first World War. The con
flicts that dog the San Francisco
conference are much the same as
those which faced President Wilson
just twenty-six years ago. Sometimes
people do not remember. The dangers
of initiation today are no different
from those of quarter of century
ago. Already postwar planning is
running into the same complications.
There is growing resistance to many
necessary changes-changes that are
essential if we are to escape another
economic and social catastrophe.
In the years that lie ahead the CO.
operative movement can continue to
make great strides and render great
service, but it cannot do it unless it
is prepared. Right now, co-operatives
are under attack. The attack (well
organized) is led by
those who place personal profit ahead
of public good. Service is subordi-
mated or ignored. How should coop
eratives meet this attack? There are
some who believe co-ops should turn
the other cheek. There are a few
who feel they must apologize and ex-
plain that co-operatives still are small
Others say results are what count
just keep building
One farmer told us that in his mind
it was not matter of returning good
for evil. 1t is a matter of returning
justice for evil, and good for good
That farmer has something. A CO.
operative must return good for good
1t must always consider what is best
for its members and the community
it serves. 1t must lead and build free
democratic enterprise. How can it
best do that? We can answer this
question by first asking another ques-
lion. Is history repeating itself? Are
certain private grain firms reviving
an old conspiracy against your CO.
operatives?
Let us begin with few facts. Every
'armer knows the history of the long
md bitter fight that certain members
If the private grain trade waged
against farmers co-operatives. We
want to refresh the memory of every
armer. We want to read the "order
o cease and desist'' which the United |
States issued against certain private
,rain firms of the Minneapolis Cham |
,er of Commerce on December %, |
1923. This federal order forbade
members of the private grain trade |
rom waging war on farmers coop
ratives. 1t should have stopped the
combining and conspiring" and the
instituting of vexations and unbound
d suits" against farmers grain CO.
peratives But, has it? Or, are GER
ain members of the private grain
rade in Minneapolis again engaged in
n organized campaign to cripple the
rowth of farmers co-operatives? Not
II of them, but just a certain number
them.
We can let the facts speak for them
elves. Then you can make up your
wn mind. Here are the facts. A
roup of grain commission merchants
ON Minneapolis appeared before the l
Minnesota Railroad and Warehouse {
commission in August and November J
1943. That is nearly two years ago.
hey wanted the Minnesota Railroad {