PALMER ALASKA. CARL RASMUSSEN, EDITOR,
Published every Friday, at Palmer, Alaska, by the Matanuska Valley' „
Farmers Cooperating Association, forthe purpose of giving news of
' the Associations' work, problems and‘accomplishments, Local New s _
' ubscrlpti on by. Mall >1.75, yearly._Box •$ 1.00, Single Copy lOj/._
CAN CO-OP'S TAK£ IT?
Co-op. papers and Liberal magazines, announced recently,that a large,
group of powerful company's, with immense financial backing, have
orga ized an association to combat the growth of Co-opg, and also try
to eliminate the successful Co-ops, now In business. The Anti- Co-op*.
Association admits that the Co-ops, are able to undersell the old line
business and give better service to their customers, and admit that the
savings to Co-on. members amountb/^O-and that when the Co-opr, have
their own factories and wholesale facilities, that it will be -even
greater and that it will eventualy replace the old line business firms.
The Association proposes to carry on a prop- aganda against the Co-ops,
but we doubt if it will contain any reference to the fact that Co-ops,
can and do save the amount mentioned above, to their members. They rlso
plan to intimidate and boycott factories, wholesale houses, banks'and
other businesses.-* that, do business with the Co-ops. Hoping the t the
Co-ops, will find it so difficult to do business that they will fold up
and allow the old private business agencicsto regain their monoply.
One thing that they might run into is the Anti-trust ,lav/s arm1 fair
trade practices, laws,that we novy have on our statutes, and then it may
be that their effort has come.toolate and that the Co-on. like the
Rail-Road and Steamship,5n their time, ousted the Stage Coach -nd the
Sailing Vessel,because of their greater economic worth.
Cr*n Co-ops, weather the storm? Well,we think so, but it will mean that
Co-ops, will have to clean house in a great many instances, anr5 that the
well known successful practices of Co-op. management will have fob
ollowed. The only thing that can break the average Co-on. is the actions
f the members and their re present ives, themselves, if the memb'rrs snend
their time and effort to .hurt one another and to get special f; vors for
themselves and the management caters to special groups or persons in the
organization, and try to build up dies that will insure that the
inefficient managers will be able to regain and hold control, then very
frequently the majority of the better merrbers of the Co-op. either with
drew their support rnd patronage or tear the organization down to set
revenge on the special interests.
•bo fev
Usually
the enpl
at rbgul
interest
of oqr.1t
who are
Co-op. a
end memb
business
ortism can be shown to any members, one price and service that is
required by any business or^anizn-tion-must be maintain'd, and
oy es must be honest and efficient, members must be k‘.;pt ini ormed
ar intervals of the progress of the business and their shar< rnd
must bo indicated by issuance of cash payments or certificates
y. A Co-op. unlike- a rrivate business, is owned by its patrons
also its shareholders, this is the main source of str n-th in a
nd ns long as tne members are treatedfairly by the man?ment
ers know that they are building up a a profitable equit^ in the
, then no outside interest can ^ear the organization do.,n.
Member
as long
the1 r-mr 1 oye e s
Directors
s and members alone can build a Co-op. and keep it goin: , and
as this fret is recognized by the Directors, the Mrna'rer and
th- organization will remain intact against all storms«
managers and employees come and go but members still remain.