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Farmer
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CO-OPERAXIOIV
CHi^RI. ES
'T'HE OTHER DAY I read an editorial on “Co-
operation,” written by one of the best known
editors in America. I do not always agree with
Brisbane’s views or ideas, but he certainly did ram
home some effective truths on this subject. Lis
ten to this:
“Co-operation! There is the great word, the
key to progress, the real “tool” with which man
builds civilization, happiness and order out of sav
agery, misery and chaos.
“To c 0-0 p e r a t e is to
work together. The descend
ants of the primitive man
have built the cities that you
see, and w'ill build palaces
and a civilization above our
wildest imaginings, because
in his brain, half developed,
under the thicky thatched skull of the primitive
man, there was already the idea of working to
gether.”
That is all co-operation is working together.
John Jones’ barn burns. Working alone and un
aided John Jones would be weeks, maybe months,
with his other duties, getting any sort of barn
back to house his horse or mule, his cow, and his
corn and fodder. But the neighbors round about
all come together on a certain day. and in a
twinkle John Jones’ barn is up, sound and ready
for use.
Neighborliness is just another word for co-oper
ation helping your friends over the rough places
or joining in with him in something of mutual
benefit and good.
I am risking becoming a bore on this subject,
but knowing that no other one thing is as vital
and as necessary today as co-operation, pulling to
gether of the farmers of America, I am driven to
say it over and over and over endlesslj’. For in
that way alone can I drive the idea and the im
pulse deep into your mind.
Did you know that the co-operation of the far
mers of the United States brought the parcel post,
now in its formative or experimental stage, but de
stined to do wonders for not only the farmer but
every person who engages in trade; barter or hu
man intercourse? For years, the efforts of a few
to get parcel post was choked down by the great
express interests. Their representatives swarmed
S. BARRETT
in Washington and even had seats in the legisla
tive hall of the nation.
Your lawmaker was about as Indifferent to par
cel post as he was to a bill to pave the Atlantic
ocean. It seemed just an idle dream, so’ far off,
so impossible of accomplishment that only a few
dreamers believed it would ever come about.
That a movement started among the farmers of
the country for parcel post. State organization
after State organization indorsed it. But that
was only the beginning. Congressmen and Sena
tors began to get an avalanche of insistent letters
from their rural constituency. Then your Con
gressman and my Congressman woke up. He saw
that this country needed the parcel post and need
ed It now. And we got parcel post, and the united
demand of the tillers of the soil got it.
I cite this as only a little instance of what can
be accomplished by the co-operation, for the
united voice of the farmer raised in co-operation
got what they wanted in this case. You can get
It in thousands of other ways by sticking together,
working in harmony, putting aside your own
, prejudices, obstinate ideas or notions, and joining
in the general welfare of the whole, directed by
sensible, honest and fearless leaders.
More harm has been done every earnest and
.purposeful movement for the farmer by pig-head
edness, the selfishness, the sheer obstinacy of a
few farmers than all the outside opposition ever
; started.
You know without the telling that for uncount
ed years the fruits of your hard toil have been
reaped by others. Why? Because co-operative
forces have worked to get it and get It at their
own prices. They have fixed their own price for
everything you produced and ^ou had to take it.
Then they sold it to the consumer at incredible
advances over what was paid you.
. Do you suppose you can deal with that sort of
thing by isolated, futile protests? You had about
as soon shoot straws at the moon. But you can
get your just share of the value of your products
by united, solid unity and purpose of action by
co-op6r3,tion. And m no otlior wny.
I don’t care a snap if you do get bored and im
patient over my constant harping on this theme. I
know it is the fundamental principle of success,
and I expect to keep hammering away at it so
long as I have strength and breath to do so.
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