PALMER, AL8SCA
Dorothy M. Bell, Editor
Published every week for the Matanuska Valley Earners*~ Cooperating Association'
for the purpose of giving news of the Valley and Cooperating Associations Work,
Problems and Accomplishments, ‘ ..
SUBSCRIPTION $1,7.5. BOX $1.00 ^ ... SINGLE COPY 10<f
TROM A STABLE TO MILLIONS -
sometimes it does us good to hear how the other fellow made the- grade. We read about
well known Co-ops that have world wide known trade names. ’Many of these now prosper
ous Co-ops are barely more than a quarter of a century old. ^id they always find the
climb easy? or did they have years of hard luck as well as good? Sometime back we
reprinted an article from the Progressive Digest which gave the story of the growth
of the Moose Lake Cooperative. Recalling part of that story--this Cooperative went
too heavily in debt at one time and then after nicely recovering from that—they lost
their property in the-Moose Lako Forest Fire, tut in spite of those set-backs it has
succeeded. Generally speaking wc shall find that the hill up- is not a straight grad
ual clim—it has some pretty steep and rugged places to conquer, •
The Merrimack Co-op celebrated its 25th anniversary About a year ago and tooSa look *
backward over the rough places as well as the smooth.
"Uncle" C-corge Putnam and a small group of New Hampshire farm leaders organized tho
"Merrimack Farmers Exchange" with a good idea for a blueprint and an option on a “
stable for their headquarters; At that time, there were no laws governing Coopera
tives. These Yankoc pioneers, however, incorporated into their by-laws tho principles
of cooperatives. According to the story recounted 25 years later, they had their
turbulent yours as well as their good. In 1921 they suffered a $4000. operating loss,
but by 1945 their salon volume almost reached $11,000,000,
President Putnam in reviewing his first annual report for the’Co-op said,
"In June, 1921, wo had pledges fbr practically all of our 825,000. capitalization .i
with $18,000. paid in. Due to tho rapidly declining grain market during the first
nine months of operations, wc had an operating loss of approximately $4000. This
left us with a not worth of less than $20-,000. and to provide working capital it was
necessary for tho directors to pledge thoir personal credit on a note at the bank
an obligation they cheerfully assumed...**
Merrimack has since grown in capital assets to nearly a million dollars. Prom its
hone Office at Concord, whore its original store tras located, it has spread its in
fluence through seven counties in a radius of 50 miles of the New Hampshire capital
and now operates 20 retail stores in that area. It started as a purchasing'organiza-'
tion and in 1938 expanded its activities to include marketing of oggs, hay, potatoes,
squash .and somo other fain products. Last year the association built and equipped
two froczar locker plants through which it plans'to afford at least’ 2000 farmers the
means both for setting a better table for’ thcmsclvcs and frees in'g and storing for
market somo of their poultry, fruit, and vegetables.
During a scarcity of hay one winter, the Merrimack Market’ing Division brought into
that area 7,'772 tons of hny. Other food problems were .3olvpd by Cooperative action.
As a result, not a single Merrimack member’s livestock or poultry went hungry.
This in brief is a common story of Cooperative development throughout tho nation dur
ing the last 25 years. Seine Cooperatives havo failed—that is true—but more have
succeeded, and in many cases the success is outstanding. The Land O’ Ldkes for
.oxamplo has a similar success story. It started with an idee, no money,no membership,
and a borrowed desk. ' ' '
Cooperatives s.ro relatively now in Alaska, because farming is also in its early stages
here. As tho Territory grows and farming increases, Cooperatives arc bound to grow
and increase also—Who knows vdiat our Success Story will bo in 20 or 25 years?
w I an interested in Cooperatives becauso of thoir offorts to rcduco waste, promote
efficiency in tho uso of natural resources and improve machinery for bettor distri
bution of goods to- tho people.” '
Louis Bromfiold, Author and Journalist-.
A candidate for political office askod d farmer how ho liked the spcoch ho raado on
the agricultural situation and probloms.
"Wasn’t bad,” answered tho farmor. "But a good day’s rain would do a lot moro good.
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