Fubllshed once a week in Palmer, Alaska, for the Met
anuska Valley Farmers’ Co-operatinp Association, for
the purpose of "ivinr* news of the Association’s work,
problems and accomplishments.
HILLSBORO mflflfl&ER GIVES ADVISE
(The f©llowlng excerpts are from the annual report of Mancger R.M. Smith to the
membership of Tualatin Valley Co-operative at Hillsboro, Oregon)
"Any of you members who have surplus capital and want a safe Investment for It
should talk to some of the employees of your own business before looking elsewhere
for a place to Invest."
'■‘Your cooperative Is Just as essential and Just as Important to your farm opera
tion as your tractor and gasoline. Through your association you, as Individual
farmers operating your own family farm units, obtain the same benefits big business
gains by the Integration of their manufacturing plant and selling agencies.”
"Members who purchase their supplies or take their grains and seeds to others to
process, are sabotaging their own organization Just as surely and as certainly as
the so-called communists In our government are doing. These members are working di
rectly against the Interests of those who are supporting and oullding this associa
tion. "
''A® I one of those members who Is still living in the past—carrying a grudge a
galr.st the cooperative for a misunderstanding or grievance that happened in the far
pacti1 Do I feel that the Co-op is a fine thing for everyone else to patronize, and
hold an umbrella over me and other members, while I am free to shop around and per
ha's gain an advantage in price because of the co-operative's being in this area and
forcing competition to pay a better price for my products?"
"Do I expect to receive interest on my patronage earned capital Investment in the
co-operative and still refuse or fall to give it the support I can and should give
it to assure me and my fellow co-operator a return on our Investment?"
"How about it?"
"Let us ask ourselves, are we being honest with each other? Do I expect the other
fellow to do all the co-operating so that later I can step in and reap the benefits
from the Co-operative that my neighbor has worked to support and build by his patron
age?"
"Wiat kind of a Co-operative would this be, if every member was Just like me?"
"This question only you can answer."