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Bell, Florence C. (Florence Colfax), 1899- / Farmer co-ops in Wisconsin
([1941])
Livestock continues on co-op route, pp. 26-27
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Many local co-ops strengthened by equity, pp. 27-28
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Page 27
handled by the Equity Cooperative Livestock Sales Association, Inc., on the Milwaukee terminal market. It is estimated that in 1939 there were 190- odd cooperative shipping associations or local groups located in Wisconsin, about 175 of which shipped to Equity. The cooperative shipping and trucking associations assemble the animals at country points in most counties of the State and ship them by rail or truck. The local associations use a number of sales outlets: cooperative sales agencies operating on the terminal markets at Milwaukee, South St. Paul, and Chi- cago; private commission firms on terminal markets; and packers located in Wisconsin or other States, to whom direct sales are made. In addition to handling livestock, some of the local associations sell for their patrons other commodities such as poultry, potatoes, and cabbage. Others furnish a supply service. The commodities handled include feeds, salt, fertilizer, seeds, grain, corn, coal, binder twine, sugar, coffee, flour, hard- ware, tile, cement, fence posts, roofing, and oyster shells. Equity Cooperative Livestock Sales Association, Inc.-The Equity Coop- erative Livestock Sales Association, Inc., operating on the Milwaukee ter- minal market has made an outstand- ing success. In 1939 it broke all form- er records by the sale of 7,912 carloads of livestock for over 8% million dollars. This was the seventh successive year of substantial increase in the volume of business handled. Net earnings ag- giegated nearly $27,000 in 1939, over $ 17,000 being distributed as dividends to affiliated local associations for their farmer-members. Since the overhead sales agency was organized in 1922, ap- proximately $235,000 has been re- turned as patronage dividends. Equity received livestock in 1939 from about 175 Wisconsin locals and also 10 associations located in Michi- gan, Iowa, and Minnesota. These co- operatives provide more than 85 per. cent of the Equity business, individual farmers supplying the balance. It is estimated that approximately 40 per- cent of the local co-ops affiliated with Equity continue to ship livestock by rail; 60 percent, however, have changed to the newer method of transporta- tion by truck. Many Local Co-ops Strengthened by Equity Equity has done a splendid job in rebuilding many of the old associa- tions on the new transportation basis, and has even organized new ones as truck cooperatives. This outstanding work at country points has enabled the overhead sales organization at Milwaukee not only to hold its own as a federated terminal market sales agency, but to expand the volume of its business. Although there has been some degree of decentralization in Wisconsin, the extent of this has been much less than in nearby States. Be- cause of the aggressive promotional and educational work of the Equity management and personnel, the asso- ciation has been able not only to main- tain, but actually to increase, its vol. ume of business on the terminal market. All of the voting stock of Equity is held by the local cooperatives. The 40,000 farmer-members through these locals elect the directors who formulate the policies of the central association. -27 -
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