Palmer, Alaska
Dorothy ¥.» Boll
Harriot Z. }3oll
Editor.....
advertising
Published ones a woe at Palmer* Alaska, for the Matanuska Valley Earn
ers’ Cooporating Association for the purpose of giving nows of tho
associations i;ork, problems and accomplishments.
SUBSCRIPTION R..TE 1.75
Cl.00 for six months lOd a cony
COOPERATIVES POPULAR
IN PHILIPPINES
Silliman University is located in
the heart of southland in the Phili
ppines fahere it comes in intimate
contact v:ith the rural communities.
It has been a natural center of in
terest for the improvement of rural
life there. Prior to 1939 the co
operative movement had taken root
on the campus of the University,but
added impetus camewhen Dr. ^rthur
L. Darson a sumed the presidency in
1939.
Dr. Carson received his doctorate
from the department of Rural Educa
tion in Cornell University, ana has j
spent 12 year in China in rural
construction work. Upon his arriv- j
al at the Silliman University, Dr.
Carson v/as able to add a course in
C operative org; nisation to the Col
lege of Business -administration. A
laboratory course was also added for
students mho wore looking forward to
service as organizers or managers.
cq d
»
'‘Thin is the one ay wife pot
' e was shooting at a tin can on
post.’’____
By 1941, there v/era at least throe types of active cooperative organiza
tions centered around the University campus. The largest was the Cooper
ative Store, -another cooperative effort at the University has boon the
Si1liman University Credit Union which functions with increasing effi
ciency. The third typo has been in the nature of cooperative industries
featuring soap-making by Chemistry students. These enterprises tend to
rise and fall depending upon the constituency of the current student
body, but enough experience has bean gained to demonstrate interesting
possibilities in this field.
Interest in cooperatives has also overflowed through the extension Ser~
vice and the University Relief Committee into the surrounding areas.
Vigorous local societies have sprung up. an interesting addition has
•boon the credit union on the campus among the employees and servants.A
few months ago the servants found’themselves in a position of loaning to
the faculty by a deposit in the faculty credit union from their surplus.
From the--Cooperative Tows, I'anila, Philippines.
The Cooperative Fews which is published in Manila seems to Just bubble
over 7’ith enthusiasm for the cooperative movement. Cooperatives are
organizing among students in the schools, among the sugar and coffee
planters, relief organizations and transportation facilities—in fact
almost every typo of business or service. Perhaps the following excerpt
from, an article written by Vic.M.Lstuar,Leyte Ceopcrative Organizer,ex
pla'ns its popularity to some extent.
uIn the Philippines the root cause of the general discontenmcnt is at
tributable to the existing socio-economic maladjustment. Here we have
a system of old practices and traditions which ar^ both uneconomic and
likewise questionable; here, the masses(common people) are being impov
erished by the high cost of living end victimized by obnoxious elements
either by means of usury, exploitation or racketeering; here we h v; no
credit facilities for the snail farmers or producers (so-called baekoone
of elm nation) to improve their lot; here we have inadequate production
cf prime necessities and inefficient distribution of goods of general
consumption; and here we have, generally speaking, ’poverty amidst plen
ty.’ YoS, we have all these socio-economic problems in a country co rich
_ ____ _C°nt. on j>ago_ 3_ _