Newspapers / The Carolina Union Farmer … / Aug. 15, 1912, edition 1 / Page 2
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Page Two TH£ CAROLINA UNION PARMER [Thursday, August 15, 1912. Agricultural Co-operation By CLARENCE POE In Ireland III,—The Tzvofold Problem of Business ^Organization. Ill Castlecomer also is located the “Valley of the Deeii Co-operative Ag ricultural Society,” an organization of farmers effected for the purpose of saving money on the purchase of “seeds and manure”—everybody over here says “manures,” when referring to commercial fertilizers. It started several years ago with one hundred members. It now has two hundred and eighty, and does an annual busi ness of about $2,500 in fertilizers and implements (mainly fertilizers, for the farms over here are too small to make profitable use of extensive farm machinery); $1,250 in seeds, and $1,600 in feed stuff. The Society charges 5 per cent profit on purchases—the profits, less $50 a year salary to the secretary, becoming the property of the mem bers; and of the entrance fee of $5, only fifty cents has been called for. The society owns two manure spread ers and two spraying machines for the joint use of all the members an illustration of the idea of co-opera tive ownership of expensive farm ma chines which is becoming quite popu lar over here. Sixteen thousand Irish farmers are members of such agri cultural societies as this, and the members not only save much money on their purchases, but they have be come interested in fertilizer subjects and have come to insist upon purer seeds and upon fertilizer brands more suited to special crops and soils. A few years ago, Mr. Ward, the secretary, told me, the farmers took any fertilizer that was put up in bags and smelled strong enough, but they have now grown far “keener,” as the British phrase has it, and in conse quence their fertilizer money is much more wisely spent. In the case of the Valley of the Deen Society—and I suppose the same thing is true ot the other agricultural societies—evety member takes one $1.20 share in the general “Irish Agricultural Whole sale Society” of Dublin, to which ref erence ha salready been made, and through which all orders are placed. I have referred briefly to the work of the Co-operative Creamery near Ballyragget, and the Poultry Society there; the Co-operative Agricultural Bank there, and its fellow at Castle- comer;' and the Agricultural Society for the purchase of goods at Castle comer. This list, however, does not exhaust the forms of co-operative en deavor in the county of Kilkenny and other parts of Ireland. For the first time the farmers’ wives and daugh ters are being organized, and there is a branch of the “United Irish women” at Ballyragget which has al ready done some notable work. What the “United Irishwomen Are Doing.” Through arrangements made with the I. A. O. S. and the Department of Agriculture, experts are sent to these women’s societies to give instructions in domestic science, cooking, nursing, dressmaking, sanitation, poultry work, gardening, and to help the wo men as members of the poultry and dairy societies, as well as in organ izing country amusements, local fairs, flower shows, concerts, dances, rural libraries, etc. In some cases prizes are given for the best kept gardens and the most attractive homes. The annual membership fee in the “Unit ed Irishwomen” is sixty cents,* and one of the most striking features in it, as in the men’s societies, is that Catholics and Protestants — even Catholic priests and Protestant min isters—forget their religious differ ences in a united effort for commun ity betterment. Organizations That Pay. It will be seen from all this that the agricultural societies in Ireland are very business-like. Each society works for a definite purpose, yet all are clubbed together through a com mon membership in the I. A. O. S., to whose support all local branches con tribute. When I asked Secretary Anderson how they managed to kepe the farm- how they managed to keep, the farm- ply by showing them that it pays.” If farmers and farmers’ wives get 30 per cent more for their eggs by work ing together through poultry socie ties; and six cents a pound more for their butter by forming co-operative creameries; and are able frequently to double a year’s profits by being able to borrow needed sums from co operative banks; or save $2 or $3 a ton on fertilizers by ordering in a body, one is not likely to hear much of the old, old story: “Farmers won’t stick together.” In Ireland they do stick and they do succeed. Be cause of this fact, they feel a new dignity for themselves, and the State and the Nation feel a new respect for them. As a result of Sir Horace Plunkett’s movement and the power of the agricultural organizations, a Department of Agricultural and Tech nical Instruction was created for Ire land with an anual income of nearly $12,000,000—an instance of their new-found political power. As Sir Horace says: “I do not know how it is in America, but at home I have ob served that, when legislation affect ing any particular interest is under discussion in Parliament or else where, those who speak on behalf of that interest are listened to with an attention strictly proportionate to the organization of those they speak for —not political organization, but busi ness organization.” Organized Selling—the Most Import ant Form of Ck)-operation. This other distinctive feature of agricultural co-operation in Ireland should also be noted: that success has been achieved not simply in buy ing supplies at reduced rates, but in selling the farmer’s products on prof itable terms. This is the point at which most of the agricultural or ganizations in America have failed. “The organized purchase of goods,” said Secretary Anderson quite cor rectly, to me, “is only the A B C of co-operation. It is when you come to the organized sale of your products that you are up against a serious proposition.” It is, indeed, the most difficult form of co-operative endeav or, but It is what we must undertake if our farmers in the South, and in America as a whole are to gain the prosperity to which they are entitled. Ireland as an Example for the South. And all that I have written in this and my other Irish articles, it goes without saying, has been set down simply for the purpose of suggesting examples for our own people to fol low. Why should we not have just such co-operative agricultural banks? Just such capably managed poultry societies? Just such a system of co operative creameries, producing half the export butter of our Southern States as they produced half the ex port of butter in Ireland? Why not siich farmers’ societies owning ex pensive farm machinery like thresh ers, steam tractors, corn shredders, pea threshers, etc., etc., in common for the joint use of all the members? Why not special organizations of farm women for taking courses in cooking, sanitation, dress-making, poultry work, and for working to gether for better schools, prettier homes and a richer social life? Making American Farmei*s’ Societies More Business-Iiike. Here is one criticism the Irish leaders make of our farmers’ organi zations in America—that they are too general, and indefinite in their pur poses; they are not sufficiently busi ness-like and practical. And, on the whole, does not the criticism appear to be just? We need and must have general organizations like the Na tional Farmers’ Union, and I think the Irish farmers lose by not having something more nearly equivalent to it; but each local Union ought to hav^'some definite business purpose. Perhaps the best plan would be to have the farmers in each township organize for meeting once or twice a month to organize independent co operative banks, creameries, poultry societies and other co-operative clubs, except in cases where all the mem bers wish to join in one line of en deavor, in which case the enterprise can be conducted in the name of the Union as a whole. How Profits Are Divided. I shall be glad to answer, so far as I am able from my observations, and interviews, and the literature I have accumulated, any question about this Irish movement that our Progressive Farmer readers may ask. It has in terested me so greatly, and is so full of suggestions for our own people, that, while this article has already grown long, I cannot refrain from mentioning a few other features be fore concluding. For one thing. Sir Horace Plunkett has insisted from the beginning that agricultui-al busi ness combinations must be conducted along somewhat different lines from commercial business combinations. On this point he says: “We recognize that where farmers combine it is not a combination of money only, but a combination of the elements of the entire business and of personal effort. The share-holders in the co-operative society participate in control equally, irrespective of the number of shares held. But the profits are divided in this way: The first 5 per cent is paid on the capital stock, the balance being divided among participants in the project in proportion as they contribute to the profits. In a creamery, for instance, the suppliers and the workei's each get out of this balance so many cents in the dollar’s worth of milk supplied or of work done. Here the first es sential of stability and success is as sured. The interests of all the par ticipants in the venture are harmon ized, and it becomes the aim and ob ject of all CO contribute their utmost to its success.” Sir Horace also points out that get ting together for business purposes has also led the farmers to join hands in many movements for “mu tual, intellectual and social improve ment”; and that the stimulus of or ganization often leads a dormant, backward and unprogressive com munity to show a progressivenes and enterprise in its organized capacity which is nothing less than amazing. Better Living tli« Goal of All ElTort. “Better farming; better business; better living”-—Sir Horace Plunkett and his associates have gone far to ward the realization of their three fold program. They brought into ex istence the Department of Agricultu ral and Technical Instruction which has taken over their main work in helping the farmer to do better farm ing; they have established the vari ous co-operative societies which have made the farmer a business man—a wise manager of values as well as a wise producer of them; and their lat est organization of United Irish Wo men is an emblem of that era of bet ter living—more beautiful homes, better schools, a richer social life and the production of an environihent in which human beings may be happier and more helpful—which is the prop er goal of all our striving. Dublin, Ireland. What He Considered the Best Part. “Walter, did you give your brother the best part of the apple, as I told you to?” asked the mother. “Yes, mother,’ said Walter, “I gave him the seed. He can plant ’em and have a whole orchard.”—Selected. What He Didn’t Like. A horse dealer was trying to sell a horse afflicted with heaves, and said to the prospective buyer: “Hasn’t he a fine coat? Isn’t it a dandy?” “His coat’s all right, but I don’t like his pants.”—Selected. Our subscribers who raise sheep will be interested in the offer of Chat ham Manufacturing Company, of El kin, N. C. (See page five) to ex change their fine blankets for wool. A^R’ccSuil W rite—rlirht nnv—foi Write—riclit ntnv—for our wonderful offer, y V It hus startled the world! Get a nobby and a pocketful of money free! TakiniJ -orders for our grand tailoring from your (ulfriends Is as e.-tsy ns rolling off n log. J yA cun make $i0 a day—many make more ^ The Easy Way to Riches sweat and grind your lifo away for a bar* 'living—get this free suit and easy money. Our soil* ^ soil likohot cakes for$:l to $10 less than other T Better tailoring, better proposition, better giiaran* ftltee. A letter or postal briuj^s everything—sanipl^:' fifishion plates, tapenicasure, instructions, etc. Th** ^'is a gold liltuafur you. And, rcmoinber, it's allfr^^' Dress Like a Prince for NothZnET* One of our swell suits on your back will sell score* of others. Backed by our experience and money, you are bound to succeed. Our maJe-to-onier 9^*^^ and pants sell like wildfire. You don't have to 1^* a salesman. You don’t need to bo a judge of clotli' ing. No experience necessary—wo teach you. ^ ACT NOWI If you want to succeed, wear clothes and hearth ojinsle of the coi n in y*ur poe^' ei^vcrilc for our big free offer. Your ONE big chance! Slurtyoi** letter off NOW—this very minute. We Prepay Express Chars'^®' tvciy garment a union*made garmentand bearsthe union HEGAL TAILORING CO.. 740 Regal Bldg., CHICAGO, UL “OCULUM"' A Scientific Cure for Cholera. Roup, White Diarrhea, Sore Head & Capes Recommended by the leading Pouliry Journals and Poultry Fanciers of the country. Extract from write-up in Reliable Poultry Jounial after watching the “Wonderful Work” of OCULUM for two yeai-s: At the Madison Square Garden Show this year the Hancock Inocu- latum Co., of Salem, Va., had a dis play booth and demonstrated the wojth of “OCULUM.” The pres ident of the company took the writer up on one of the balconies and showed him a game hen in coop No. 2340 W'hich Had won sec ond. At the Palace show two weeks before, this hen w^s nearly dead. Three doses of OCULUM were ad ministrated to her. At the Garden, OCULUM also cured a fine Dorking cockerel that had been imported from England and that “went off” in the show. Already, in fact over a year ago, snd’ good men as Messrs. Hawkins, Latham, Smith, Bradley, Fishel, tc., had «‘i' qualified ly endoised OCULUM and this year the Hancock Inoculatum Co. came into the biggest show in America anJ began at once actually to cure the birds- Price per bottle $1.00 and 50c at you/* dealers or by mail. Sample 10c by mai* only. Money back if not satisfactorv- HANCOCK INOCUIATUM CO.. Incorporated Dept. 24 Salem, Va., U. S.
The Carolina Union Farmer (Charlotte, N.C.)
Standardized title groups preceding, succeeding, and alternate titles together.
Aug. 15, 1912, edition 1
2
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