The people's voice. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1939-1969, 1945-11-23

fear the clamoring of alien and spur
Gus patterns of democracy if she vii
J but give uninhibited encouragement
and opportunity to such development
as the cooperative movement whicl
is born of her own free spirit. 1t
only when these better satisfaction
are denied, withheld or unprovide
that we need fear the spurious free
doms that promise much but give lii
tie.
When, with this thought in view, W,
focus our attention on the Farm Cred
it administration we discover that |
occupies position of peculiar signif;
canoe in the galaxy of our American
co-operatives. 1t Is our one really
nationwide cooperative. 1t is nation
wide in the very substantial sense
that as | have expressed it before, i
is a government-built-in cooperative
credit facility, thus making it part ant
parcel of our government, nationa
institution having status, a function
and dignity unexcelled by any fl
nancial structure in the nation. NJ
more impressive recognition and en-
dorsement of the cooperative and Its
place beneath our flag would be pos
sible, but to be worthy of this dignity
the cooperative should lack no per
| lection.
The Farm Credit Administration is
also nationwide in the sense that its
operating facilities blanket every state
and county of the Union, extending
to the very gateway of every farm in
America This is a statement which
can be made of no other cooperative
and it makes the Farm Credit system
factor in the business life of every
community in the nation. This rami-
fication makes its manifold exten.
sions the natural point of contact al
which to visualize and personalize the
satisfying relationships of the cooper
ative movement before the eyes of
all our citizens. We should not be
so dumb as not to realize that we
have here vast and superb show
window in which to display and dem.
onstrate the appealing excellencies of
a fully cooperative, just as the latest
shining models of. Americas newest
cars are displayed and demonstrated.
But alasi Our Farm Credit Co-opera-
tive model which we are displaying
in our magnificent show window, ex.
cept for a few improved attachments.
is the model of the scrawny faith of
the lawmakers of 1916. | submit that
it is time to build and show and sell
a perfected model of American cooper
alive enterprise.
But our Federal Farm Credit COOP
erative has another unique distinction
which sets it apart yet relates it to all
other co-operatives, for, by legislative
determination, it is, through its banks
for co-operatives, ordained to be the
mother of cooperative enterprises re-
CARELESS of their sponsorship. origin
or affiliation. This maternal function
is an added reason why the parent or
ganization should be perfect in its
embodiment of cooperative principles
and structure, and why 1t should be
manned by true co-operators who have
the determination that there shall be
no resorting to contraceptive birth
control to Illustrate her intended moth
ering functions.
The American farm co-operatives
have quite naturally come into being
under the sponsorship or parentage
of our major national farm organiza-
tons, the Grange, the Farm Bureau
and the Farmers Union all of which
are fully committed to farmer cooper
ative development, and whose cooper
atiyes, indeed, are the most vital grow
ing points of these organizations. We
have, also, highly important group or
CARNATIONS functioning as aids and
council and service agencies to the
co-operatives and their sponsoring
farm organizations, most prominent of
which is the National Council of Farm
Co-operatives. These are the organiza-
tons and influences that have built
the American cooperative system: all
have done well, and have splendid in
situations to accredit the fact. Yet in
the nature of things, despite all good
desires and intentions, our co-opera-
tives show pattern of augmentation
and sectionalism and a deplorable in
ability to unity their efforts when
need arises to render broad service
to our national economy. They will
gain in impact as they gain in unity.
Now obviously the one point most
favorable for effecting greater unfit
cation of action for all families of CO.
operatives is the Farm Credit admin
istration with its mothering banks for
co-operatives. 1t belongs alike to all,
it serves all, its solidity, strength and
supplies like qualities for
all co-operatives. It's weakness or
downfall would seriously affect every
in the land.
But the very fact that the Farm
Credit administration is of prime i'm
portance to all our co-operatives is an
added strong argument for perfecting
this vital, central, national co-opera-
tive so that no part or feature of it
shall lack the fullness of power in
herent in cooperative principles
1t would be transcendent service
to our country if cooperative America
would resolutely determine to unite in
making this great farmer cooperative
institution a veritable temple of per-
lection among American institutions
in its embodiment and exemplifica-
ton of the fruitful principles for which
they stand.
This would be the best way in which