Palmer, Alaska
Dorothy M. Bell, Editor
Published every Friday at Palmer, Alaska, for the Matanuska Valley
Farmers' Cooperating Association for the Purpose of giving news of the .
Associations Work, ’..froblems, and Accomplish^ents. . 1
SUBSCRIPTION BY MAIL. $^%75_BOX $1.00_SINGLE COPY 10g?
., • * • r * •
- . SUMMARIZING THE CO-OPERATIVE WAY.
In a recent issu^ .of the Montana farmers Union News Is an advertise
ment for the Farmers Union ^rain Terminal Association which summarizes
the main points in favor of a Cooperative oet-up in a few words*
HAT IS A CO-OPERATIVE?
A eo-operntive is people who have joined* together to use the power
of the group to savq money when they buy or sell things. It may he just
a few neighbors or it may be thousands of people. They are banded to
gether to share in ttje savings they make by buying and selling together.
A co-operative differs from a private-profit business in that a co—
operative returns the^savings to its customers. A private profit busi
ness calls the surplus profit and keeps it for the few owners,
WHO CAN JOIN A CO-OPERATIVE?
. Anybody who wishes „to can make, a saving by buying or selling through
a co-onerative,.&pme cooperatives require member s to buy a share'of
voting r t o ck , but most co-operotlves deduct the price of this share
from the savings. That means that in most instances no money need be
raid out-, *
WHAT ARE THE BENEFITS OF CO-OPERATIVES?
There are the savings made on sales and purchases. These are dis
tributed hack in c.&sh or in stock. Co-operatives also are a powerful
Influence for lowering the unnecessary charges from prodtucer to con
sumer, Co-operatives were started to fill a need. They were not started
to dr*vo other firms out of business; they were started to give better
*••• service, ‘-ongr ss has recognized the great value of co-operatives to ;
the f-nr.er by laws designed to encourage their growth.
WHY ARE Q Op OPERATIVES OPPOSED? ,
Th. Qo-o.p * leave S; more money in the pockets of its patrons because
it buys ancj sells at actual cost. That means more, money .for the y brohfg
to-spend -in their home communities. It is good for the patron and good,
for his corjjinunity, but it makes some old-style competitors pretty sore
to face’the .loss of the old fat profits, "
*0W DO THEY K OPE TO DESTROY CO-OPERATIVES?
One scheme is to confiscate the savings that people get from their
uD-pp^ratives through ta* legislation. That is not an isolated instance,
rhe National Tn* Equality Association is made tip of many private-profit
organizations. They are using the tr^ issue as a smoke screen to hide-?
the re?il intent. If they succeed they will weaken, cripple or even
destroy co-bperjitives. •
WHAT. ARE CO-OPERATIVES DOING? • ’ • ‘
Co-operatives are going on and building. They know that the best way
to cb their w.ork is to become stronger. That, is w£y' Co-operatives are
telling their story to you. Facts cahnot be whipped.
The Co-Operative ’ V/ov has offered and has* given* Trni'C'h"to the masses
of tht>1 peopl'd*, Within the last-25 years it has become so strong that
private capital cannrot compete against it-. Following the last war the
farmer got the short end of things while the rest of the country nros
pered. Thousands of farmers flocked to the cities to find work, Life
on a farm could not possible attract the young people returning from
the war. The formers have realised their weakness as individuals in:
a complex society. The Co-op has offered them Unity' and strength', To
day they are to be' recogned with as a powerful force in :the' nation,.
Farmers need no 'Longer be at the mercy -of the'middleman. -They are b\ -
ginning to realise that they must 'be organized so that' they may bargain
collectively over what they have to sell. The quicker all farmers
realise this, tha■'•quicker their 'economic, status will improve’. It has
been said that one of the things that caused ;the crash at the end Of
the twenties was depressed agriculture. Organized labor has done much
for the workin-5 man in industry. Organized farmers will do much to
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iAg-rove u.ie