Editor.*.Dorothy lit Bell,
Palmer, Alaska Advertising.Harriet Z. Bell
Published once a week at Palmer, Alaska, for the Matanuska Valley Farm
ers’ Cooperating association for the purpose of giving news of the
Associations work, problems and accomplishments.
vl.00 for six months
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THE POSITIVE APPROACH IS BE I TER
The other' day a cooperative leader asked whether we thought cooperatives
should make a ‘direct answer to an attack by a group of enemies that ap
parren'tly were deliberately misrepresenting the facts. There may be
times when a direct misstatement of fact should be corrected. However,
every time you answer a critic directly you are calling other peoples’
attention to him and his ideas. By answering him directly you dignify
him and also give him a chance to continue the argument.
Cooperative leaders, of course, should not feel that all criticism is
unjustified. Our job is to look at any criticism cafefuily and analyze
it to see if the critic has found something wrong in the set-up or in
the way it operates. If he has found something wwong it-is our job to
correct the wrong.
But if after consideration and objective analysis we are convinced the
critics are wrong we should have the courage to keep going straight
ahead. Vie shouldn't be cowed by destructive criticism. £ cooperative’s
job is to serve farmers and not to be .scared into submission or into,
making.compromises just because people, even though they may be in high
places, begin to criticize. . .
Then instead of answering our critics let us adopt the positive approach
and explain our operations to all who will listen without regard to the
criticism that has gone before. Any fair-minded critic or bystanding
general public will appreciate careful, truthful explanations of Qur
operations. They will appreciate our action b-« standing.b- our guns
when the-going gets tough. If we give ground by compromise to aur ene
mies they will only shout "we have them on the.run" and attract more
recruits for their attempt to make the kill.
( I.’-:.Duggan, Governor, Farm Credit Administration in "News For Farmer
Cooperatives," published by the Farm Credit Admir.istration,U3DA.)
WHY SOME COOPERATIVE'S FAIL. •
One great English cooperator has answered the question why some success
ful cooperatives disappear and go out of business. He said, 'Some have
not known how to turn their property to progressive account and have
grown tired of a monotonous success." His second suggestion was the :the
credit system had ruined some.
This proposition of monotonous success is worthy of consideration. The
writer has known very successful cooperative concerns to get into diffi
culty because' of Lack of interest upon the ;art of the membership. 'The
organization would come through year after year with a substantial profit
and the local member would neglect to attend the annual stockholders’
meeting, saying "everything is O.H., so why take the time to attend the
meeting."
There is such a thing as monotonous success and 1 tting the other .fellow
do it all, and by staying at home and taking no interest in meetings co
operation has rapidly died out in’ son*, localities.
(From the "Equity Union Exchange,"published by the Farmers Equity Union,
Greenville, 111.)
The farmers 0H3 billion invested in land, buildings, livestock and
equipment represents .the -largest single investment -in the nation. The
farmers are the largest year in and year out market for American indue •
try. Farm ing is a modern business institution, and is a major segment
in our competitive, capitalistic;, national economy. The individual farm
unit is the most independent form of free private" enterprise in our
national business structure.
Dana Reynolds in the "Arkansas Farm Ng*vs."J