Palmer, Alaska
ft D^othV1 tfc, Bell, Editor
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, .jRiprfeied! every j^Jc'\f**raimer,' Alaska,- for tie Matanuska Valley Farmers’ Cooperating
Association for xh]T purpose\of giving hewj$*<>f;t he Associations Work, Probleruj , and
"i A<acompl|.'s;CfferiTE arid dissemination ''of information of a public character., , ' . , .
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*, Single 'copy 10#
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Vallejo poultrymen this year have remarked upon the fine quality of chicks obtained 4
from the Washington Co-op Chick Association, a Producers cooperative. They are a ,
fine bird, but the chick association still knows a better bird is possible, so the
co-op continues to work to develop a better chick for the poultrymen.
Chick improvement is based upon crossing and selection as with any animal. The chick
association breeding schedule and production is so well organized in advance that
they have already announced what type of bird will be produced in 1949 and 1950.
The Co-op is now producing a bird designated in their breeding pl&n as type 0, On
their Master Breeder Farms they are breeding quantities of type A, B, and F birds.
Crosses have been made and proven and the Association is building up and purifying
these types.
In 1949 type F Cockrels will be distributed to hatching egg flocks and FC cross will
be hatched. This cross will be an improvement oil the present C chick, This will
bring ah F type cross a year earlier than the mord complex cross which will be made
in 1950.
Before 1950 the type F females will be shipped to‘hatching egg flocks as chicks. In
the Master Breeding Faim an AB cross will be made. Cockrels of the AE type will be
used on F females in‘hatching egg flocks and the AB/F chick will be hatched for dis
tribution to members.
The breeding program is conducted by Dr. S.S. Monroe, Geneticist and is a fine example
of Tiiat a group of'cooperating farmers can do for themselves if they work together*
Has it paid? Ask any manber of the Washington Co-op Chick Association. By cooper
ation the farmer is able to make experimental crosses, ehesk’them and when a better
chicken is developed,to supply him with it. i'u Allyn
DO THEY WIN OR LOSE?
A nost unusual decision lias been rendered in the Third Judicial District Court where
by part or? an Association suing itself has won against itself. The irony of the whole
thing is that this particular part of the Association at the preseiit time seems to be
the most paying part of the Association. Now who will pay the §27,800.00 awarded in
this decision and incidentally all the rest to which others who did not aie are en
titled? It stands to reason that the part of the Association that made the money will
haT*o to do that—and that will be the ones who sued.
In otho:. "Ords Bill'Jones will have to take money out of his left pocket and put it
in his ri ht pocket. Headlines appearing in newspapters reading--”Co-op loses Court
Decision to Dairymen” should be changed to read—”Co-op Members sue themselves and
Win.” The Dairymen do not happen to be'a separate entity from the Co-op. They are
all partners of a private'business firm. Had they sued the Board of Directors, that
would have been different, because after all—it was not the Association as a whole
who decided not to pay the pool, but the Board of Directors. In all fairness to the
Board we : net add that they acted upon the advice of the best Accountants available
at that time.
When an'association decides not to pay dividends, but to reAnvbst its funds or part
of then, it usually puts the question to a vote of the members. I recall a meeting
which I attended in the States several years ago at which the Co-oo Association re
ported net dividend earnings of 14$. They needed to expand their buildigg and Insi
ness. so they put the matter up to the members viio voted to use 8$ in expansion and
pay in dividends. These members realized that in order to keep making money for
themselves, thgy must invest Home of their earnings. They didn’t have a sock on the
side in which to delve for suoh purposes. They’also know that monpy borretrod has to’
be paid back with interest. The farmer himself, if he wants to keep on making money,
is continually replacing, rebuilding and investing part of his earnings in his own
plant (farm). This is true in any "business. '
Perhaps—had the Board at that timo presentod their problem to the manbers, the de
Continued on pp. &