well. They had expected cooperative commodity marketing to bring prosperity to farmers despite unfavorable economic conditions. Even cooperation was unable to accomplish the impossible, however, and financial support for the Council program

dwindled.

At a meeting of the Council's executive committee held in Chicago on October 21, 1926, the chairman reported suspension of the National Council as of July 20. The financial statement indicated a deficit. The secretary tendered his resignation and the Washington office was closed.

ABOUT the time this first National

Council suspended operations, two dynamic new national associations appeared on the cooperative scene. Both have headquarters in the Nation's Capital and devote their efforts to improving the situation of the Nation's farmers.

American Institute
of Cooperation

The American Institute of Cooperation was incorporated on January 22, 1925, under the laws of the District of Columbia. On March 13, 1945, it was reincorporated under the laws of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. The purpose of the present organization is "to promote research and disseminate information relating to the science of cooperation with particular reference to the economic, sociological and legal phases." 41

The Institute began with 16 participating organizations as members. The 21 trustees who were responsible for the general management and control of affairs of the corporation could designate additional organizations for membership. Each participating organization had the right to designate not more than five persons to act as members of the General Assembly. No organization, however, was entitled

"For more detailed information see American Cooperation, published following each annual session of the American Institute of Cooperation. Copies of these volumes can be found in many university and college libraries.

to more than one vote.

Under present

bylaws membership consists of both individuals and organizations and the principle of one vote per member is still in effect. The number on the board of trustees is now set at 50.

The first bylaws provided that the Institute should consist of the Departments of (1) Economics, (2) Sociology, (3) Law, and such other departments as might be established. The period, as well as time and place of the course of instruction in each of the departments, was determined by the trustees. Furthermore, the trustees had the authority to confer degrees, including honorary degrees.

The first session of the Institute was held in Philadelphia in cooperation with the University of Pennsylvania. It opened July 20, 1925, and continued for 4 weeks with courses in cooperation as a special feature. These courses with outstanding teachers as instructors continued to be a special feature of the early institutes. Those who completed the courses were given credits acceptable toward college or university degrees.

Succeeding summer sessions have been held on land-grant college campuses throughout the country. The most recent sessions have been held at the University of Massachusetts (1948), the University of Wisconsin. (1949), Oklahoma A. & M. College (1950), Utah State Agricultural College (1951), Michigan State College (1952), University of Missouri (1953), Cornell University (1954), and Purdue University (1955).

J. K. Stern, president of the American Institute

of Cooperation, welcomes David Boyne, president of National Association of Future Farmers of America, to 1954 session of Institute, while R. C. S. Sutliff of the New York State Department of Education looks on.

Each of the first 4 sessions of the Institute continued 27 days. The fifth year the Institute was in session 11 days and the sixth, 8 days. The seventh session held at Kansas State College,

Manhattan, Kans., in 1931, continued for 4 weeks. Each of the sessions for the years 1932-34, inclusive, lasted 6 days.

During the period 1935-49, the annual sessions were usually for a period of 5 days. Beginning with 1950, the annual sessions were shortened to 4 days each. Generally these shorter sessions have been preceded or followed by workshop meetings for extension leaders, State Council secretaries, and educational directors from farmer cooperatives.

The 17th meeting at Atlanta in January 1942 was officially the 1941 session. No sessions were held for 194245. Shortly after V-J Day a collection. of papers summarizing the wartime. problems of farm cooperatives, explaining how these were met, and appraising the postwar situation were published in one volume. Proceedings of the various annual sessions have been published as yearbooks under the title, "American Cooperation."

The Institute, with headquarters in Washington, serves as a clearinghouse

for information and as a means of contact among cooperators, educators, business and professional groups, labor leaders, and State and Federal officials. It is also striving to develop closer working relationships between cooperatives and general farm organizations. It is working with educational leaders of elementary schools, high schools, and vocational agriculture to provide better opportunities for students to learn about cooperation-its advantages, its possibilities, and its limitations. It promotes research in these areas and in the field of cooperative law. Much of this research is being carried on by leading universities with assistance from advice and Institute.

the

In response to a definite demand, the Institute established a speaker service. It assembles and makes available materials for talks and lectures. The Institute places emphasis on small meetings with outstanding leaders in agriculture, education, labor, business, and religion participating in roundtable discussions. It holds meetings of this kind in cooperation with various groups in many parts of the country.

The Institute is one of the primary sources for disseminating cooperative information. One of its most important functions is the stimulation of research and educational work on agricultural cooperation in the United States. It has a particularly active program among farm youth.

The Institute advises with cooperative officials regarding their operating problems in an effort to help them improve their services to their members.

National Council of Farmer
Cooperatives

In 1929, at the midsummer meeting of the American Institute of Cooperation held at the University of Louisiana, Baton Rouge, cooperative leaders created a new organization known as the National Chamber of Agricultural Cooperatives. In December 1929, at

a meeting of the organizing board of directors in Chicago, the name was changed to National Cooperative Council. This name was retained until the annual meeting in 1940. Then in order to indicate clearly the association's identity with agricultural cooperatives, its name was changed to National Council of Farmer Cooperatives.12

The organization meeting held in Chicago in 1929 decided to establish a Washington office. In its first year the Council listed as members 18 wellknown cooperatives.

By mutual understanding, the National Council and the Institute do not duplicate activities. This policy is logical as there is a strong duplication in membership and directors. Thus, it is possible for each to work in the field in which it can be most effective.

Objectives of the National Council of Farmer Cooperatives have been stated as follows:

1. To promote actively and persistently the interests of farmer cooperatives.

2. To impress on various Government and other agencies the importance, value and potentialities of the cooperatives in agriculture. 3. To provide an avenue through which cooperatives may be quickly advised of current developments significant to them.

4. To serve as a forum or conference body through which better understanding and bonds of friendship may develop.

Since the present Council was organized in 1929, the number of members has increased from fewer than 20 to 122 direct and associate members in 1955. Most of these member organizations are federated associations which serve as central agencies for smaller local cooperatives. Thus through its affiliates the National

"Blue Book, National Council of Farmer Cooperatives. Washington, D. C. February 1940. p. 11-12.

Council represents some 5,000 cooperatives which serve about 3 million farm families throughout the Nation.

Member associations of the National Council are organized into 17 commodity or functional divisions as follows: Cotton, Dairy, Citrus and Subtropical Fruits, Deciduous Fruits, Processed Fruits and Vegetables, Miscellaneous Fruits and Vegetables, General Service, Grain and Seed, Livestock, Nut, Potato, Poultry, Purchasing, State Councils, Tobacco, Wool, and Miscellaneous.

The State Councils Division is the connecting link between the National Council and State councils.

At the annual meeting each year, the voting members of the Council review the economic situation, modify existing policies, and formulate new policies. The program for the new year is usually presented in the form of resolutions. These definitely indicate the Council's position on subjects uppermost in the minds of farmers.

The National Council issues several publications. Among these is the Blue Book, issued early in the year and carrying current information about the Council, its officers, members, and program for the ensuing months. This official yearbook has appeared regularly since 1935.

The National Council also issues a mimeographed weekly letter entitled Washington Situation. This provides a general information service to members. From time to time the Council issues special publications and special news releases. On suitable occasions the Council participates in radio programs.

During World War II the National Committee for Farm Production Supplies issued weekly bulletins from the Council's office.

The Cooperative League of the U. S. A.

The Cooperative League of the U. S. A. is a national federation of

consumer-purchasing cooperatives of all types, including farm supply cooperatives. Established in 1916, the League has offices in Chicago, Ill., and Washington, D. C.

It provides a news service for regional cooperative newspapers; publishes and distributes literature, and carries on a public relations program for better understanding of cooperatives. It also conducts regular conferences and institutes for training cooperative leaders and personnel.

Others

In addition to these national organizations representing all types of

cooperatives, many of the associations handling one particular product have joined together into national organizations.

Among these are: National Milk Producers Federation, Washington, D. C.; National Federation of Grain Cooperatives, Washington, D. C.; National Live Stock Producers Association, Chicago, Ill.; National Poultry Producers Association, Kansas City, Mo.; and National Rural Electric Cooperative Association, Washington, D. C.

Most of these associations are discussed in more detail in this publication in the sections discussing the cooperatives handling the specific product or performing the service.

FARMER cooperatives gain certain advantages from coordinating their efforts and setting up overall organizations. In this way they are able to solve mutual problems and increase the benefits of agricultural cooperation. These organizations also provide a point of contact for official, public and private agencies which deal with agriculture.

The first steps toward organizing State councils of farmer cooperatives were taken a little more than a third of a century ago. By 1955 the cooperatives of 29 States were operating some type of statewide organization. One State, Wisconsin, has two organizations which function simultaneously. The cooperatives in six New England States have formed a New England Cooperative Council. This council sponsors an annual institute for the cooperatives of that region.

Most of these organizations bear the term "council," "association," or "federation" in their titles. Notable exceptions are the lowa Institute of Cooperation and the Agricultural Conterence Board of Virginia.

Among the earliest councils set up

were those in California, Oregon, and Wisconsin. The Agricultural Legislative Committee of California was formed in 1919, and in 1933 became the Agricultural Council of California. The Agricultural Cooperative Council of Oregon was organized in 1921. The Wisconsin Council of Agriculture Co-operative began operating in 1926.

These State cooperative councils sponsor programs of varying intensity. The State councils in California, Colorado, Iowa, Kansas, Michigan, Minnesota, Nebraska, North Carolina, Ohio, Texas, South Dakota, Vermont. Washington, and Wisconsin have one or more full-time employees.

In the remaining States which have active statewide councils, most of the service work is done by a parttime secretary. This officer is most frequently one of the marketing specialists connected with the State Agricultural Extension Service.

In four States, the secretaryship of

For a more detailed discussion of the work of these State councils, see General Report, State Councils and Associations of Farmer Cooperatives, 1956, Farmer Cooperative Service.

the council is held by an officer of one of the farmer cooperatives or farm organizations of that area.

Early State cooperative councils were concerned largely with legislative problems. But as cooperatives increased in number and importance, leaders saw the need for developing smooth working relationships among themselves and with other organizations. Thus, the State councils are enlarging their memberships, providing more adequate budgets, and expanding their programs. Today the objectives of State councils and associations of farmer cooperatives may be summarized briefly as follows:

1. To promote and foster the welfare of farmer cooperative associations by bringing their leaders together for study, discussion, and solution of their mutual problems. 2. To assist and encourage the organization of farmer cooperatives in every field.

3. To gather and disseminate information pertaining to development of farmer cooperatives, their functions, their obligations and

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their contribution to the welfare of the American people. 4. To sponsor and support constructive legislation which will be helpful to farmers and to farmer cooperatives and to oppose measures which might be unfavorable. 5. To assist farmer cooperatives, Federal and State agencies, extension and vocational groups, colleges, and other agencies in promoting appropriate educational programs.

State councils or associations of cooperatives have similar objectives, and differ only in methods of functioning. Some limit their membership to farmer cooperative business associations while others include general farm organizations. Several limit their membership to statewide or federated cooperatives. A few have direct members only. A majority have provisions for associate or advisory members.

State councils differ considerably in their methods of financing their activities. Some carry on broad programs, have rather large budgets, and maintain year-round staffs. Others have

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