PALMER ALASKA._•,_L_CARL-RASMUSSEN. EDITOR.
Published every Friday at Palmer, Alaska, by the Matanuska Valley .
Farmers Cooperating Association, for the purpose of giving news of the
Association's work, accomplishments, problems end general and local news
Subscription by mail $ 1.75 yearly. Box $ 1.00 • Single Copy 10^.
CO-OPS. MUST' LOOK AHPAD FOR POST-WAR, PROBLEMS.
The average Co-op. will have to make some re-adjustments in the Post
War peroid, no doubt, and now is the time’to begain to study how we are
going to face some of the difficulties that may present themselves.
The first and most important problem will be to combat effort on the
part of the selfish, ruthless business firms who are so determined to
destry the Cooperative movement as soon as the opportunity presents
itself after the War. As long as. Co-ops, are able to produce supplies
for the war at high prices, it will be impractiable to start any campaign
to destry them, but as soon as the redajustment peroid comes after the
war is ov°r then no doubt, a strong effort will be made.
Co-ops, are more secure than private business in times of distress,
if well ’mown business principles are followed. By combining the consumer
and th.e rroducers in a solid erginization, it will be possiable to hold
the business in line, where private firms haye tc depend on the good wilJ
of the consumeing public for their business, and may loose it if some
unscrupulous competitor starts an underhanded campaign.to get additional
business. But owing t*o the fact that any additional,, prof it made in a we l1
managed Co-op. returns to the participant in the form of profit shareing
dividends of capital gains, it is difficult to get him to stray away
from the orginization that he owns a part interest in, if he has ordinrr
intellegcnce and is interested in'the long range profit gains as well as
the immediate returns.
So if the average Co-op. wants to go through the readjustment peroid.
in good shape it will have to follow good business practices, and still
provide _ ood service and goods ‘to* the member and assist him in learning
what he \ as accumilated and how much he has gained by being a member of
a profitable well managed Cooperative.
in orcer to do tms tne management win nave to oe imanciaxy success
ful, therefore men with expierence and stability will have to have the
management in hand, members will have to be kept informed by frequent
meetings, by which the financial condition can be explained and the
officers and employees can give reports on their business done for the
members of the'Association. Careful buying must be the rule in consumer
units and the employees must be careful and honest, otherwise the assets
may be. lost and the members participation unprofitable. Members must all
be- treated alike by the Management and the employees, special favors to
certain members will break a Co-op. faster than anything else. Employees
must alw! ys have a- feeling that they are acting as trustees for the
membership as a whole, and gauard the business with great care.
When small group's start to work for special Interests for their grou}
and the officers elected by the members to promote and conserve the.
business interests of the.Cooperative as a whole, forget this,then -the
whole or^iniza.tion is in danger, because when the members find out what
is goinu on then a spirit of revenge prevails and the whole orginization
is often destroyed, so that a few members who have been gyped, can get
revenge on the small- group who shared in the spoi.ld, as result of their
plotting. No ine heed fear that outside interests can’break your Co-op.