Palmer,*?Xlaskaj \ Dorothy M, Bell, Editor
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Published ev-ei*y Friday at Palmer, Alaska, for the Matanuskn Valley
Farmers' Cooperating Association for the. purpose of giving' news of the
Associations Work, Problems, and Accomplishments.
SUBSCRIPTION BY MAIL-foL.IZS_Box &1.00_Single Copy 10^
POLICIES IN A CO-OPERATIVE SET-UP
People who have not lived in and around Co-operatives often confuse
.them with Corporations. In their outward appearance they appear t* be
similar, but they are very different in Operation.
A cooperative has a manager—so has a Corporation. & Co-operative
has a Board of Lirectors--so has a Corporation. But, there is a dif
f er.encc--The Co-operative ^oard is elected by the people—nil the mem
bers and is responsible to them. How many of the people of the Valley
have ever voted for one, member on the AR£C Board? It is true thftt
hb people are not stockholders in the Corporation—therefore^ they would
ot have, a vote, but even if you did hold one little' share your vote
.oul'd be' too small to count. Capital stock in both ’a Cooperative and
Corporfetlon consist in shares, but in a Corporation the largest share
no-Lners control tne company* in the “ochdale plan of Co-operatives,
each member'has one vote regardless of the number of shares of stock he
may own. The only advantage gained in holding more than ohe share in
a Cp-operative of this type is the amount of interest drawn. The divi
dends drawn by the member are usually based, on either the'amount of
prpduce sold, through the marketing association or on* the amount of goods
•purchased in the' consumers type of organization.. Corporations generally
were formed for the purpose°fhandling business’ j>n a large scale rather
;than 'ej ch individual competing against the •the.r ’fellow. The large
industrial plants of the United States ha»e been developed in that way.
•The Co-operatives are more .of a pooling of interests of either consumers
or producers in order to eliminate the high cost of handling charges in
small lots, and to maintain better prices for the small producers. There
are co-operatives where a greater voting privilege is granted to those
holding the largest shares of stock or in the amount of business done,
but generally speaking these .'types have not beep as successful os the
ones bused’ on the more democratice t.ype--the Rochdale, plan.
A true Co-operative is-one of the most democrat’ic organisations that
we have in America. ;i * .
First: the people assemble arid express trheJ;r opinions on matters of
importance. In a final vote <jn any issue, the majority rule.
Second: If matters are not run to the satisfaction of a majority of
the members, they can assemble and express their grievenees and make
correfiions by voting in .new Board members. The
Board may change managers if they feol it advis
able, V/e find that—the manager is responsible to
the Board and the Board* is responsible^-?-^
to the people. Therefore, ttie
people are responsible for,
rT the-policies of a
00-op.