URGES U. S. CO-OPS ASSURE SURVIVAL OF MOVEMENT IN VIEW OF CRISIS IN EUROPE
Urges U. S. Co-ops Assure Survival of Movement In View of Crisis In Europe Nixon Doubts Co-ops To Survive Nazis In Scandinavia THE co-operative movement must be firmly established in America «o...
...A statement by Arnold Gilberts, New Auburn, brought enthusiastic response from the delegates...
...No single enterprise has contributed more to Improving comforts of farm life than electricity," Dean Christensen said...
...When the possibility of "Statewide" engaging in engineering services came up Friday, Frank Skabroud...
...A telegram to the conference from Harry Slattery, Washington, REA administrator, was read to the banquet...
...The WDA, of which John A. Becker is general manager, helped organize and promote some of the coops present, and is consulting engineer for more than 20 co-ops...
...C. A. Winder, director of the division of engineering and operations of the federal REA, participated in the two-day session...
...Dane county district attorney, was toastmasier at the banquet...
...of Agriculture Henry A. Wallace, Washington...
...Madison, general manager of the Wisconsin Development, authority...
...E. W. Morehouse, Madison, chief of the rates and research division of the state public service commision: C. A. Winder, Washington, director of the division of engineering and operations of the federal rural electrification administration: Law, Christensen Mayor James Law...
...The greatest obstacle is farm income...
...Urges U. S. Co-ops Assure Survival of Movement In View of Crisis In Europe Nixon Doubts Co-ops To Survive Nazis In Scandinavia THE co-operative movement must be firmly established in America «o that it may survive in the event it is wiped out by Nazi conquest in the Scandinavian countries, Robert A. Nixon, state public service commissioner, declared last week before 150 delegates attending the banquet of the Wisconsin Rural Electric Co-operative association in the Park hotel here...
...Winder said he hoped a better understanding of rural electrification would come from meetings such as that being held here by the association...
...Asked if the Wisconsin Statewide could reach out into states, he cautioned, "If you are going to operate successfully, I believe you should keep within the natural political boundaries of the state...
...The co-op also has assisted dairy workers obtaining better working conditions...
...Winder declared he would relay Gilbert's statement to U. S. Sec...
...Ji the farmer could get 75 per cent parity, that would be the greatest thing that could be done for him...
...I learned a lot of things —or rather how not to do a lot of things...
...Guests of honor included John A. Becker...
...cited successful results of his co-operative in obtaining new members through local township meetings...
...The co-operative dairy has acted as a stabilizing agency in the Madison milk market," he said...
...Winder said that the REA knows of 200 uses of electricity on the farm and that the use of electricity in the future Is limited only by man's imagination...
...Winder stated that there are certain legislative and taxation problems which co-operatives can best solve through strong organization...
...You've merely borrowed public credit, and you're paying it back," Winder stated...
...Other officers re-elected are John Olson, Chetek, secretary and treasurer, and E. R. Finner, Dodge, vice-president...
...Owen said, "The Utilities have not given up the fight against the REA any more than they have against co-operatives here in Wisconsin...
...There is no question about the farmer wanting electricity...
...They are different because the majority of Wisconsin farmers understand the principles of operating co-opcratlves successfully...
...Norris E. Maloney...
...Wisconsin co-operatives are different," he said...
...Clarence Jerrett, Livingston, president of the Grant Electric co-op...
...Winder cave his support to WDA and suggested that "any other plan at the moment might be a duplication of services...
...Owen is president of the Dunn county electric cooperative...
...The wise Wisconsin farmer on REA lines, said Winder, Is using a good deal of electricity contrary to the expectations of the private utilities...
...the telegram said...
...Downing, president of the Wisconsin Rural Electric Co-operative association, declared at the association's meeting...
...Lauding the Statewide co-op, the only one of its kind in the country, Winder said, "I have every reason to believe that your successful organization here may lead to those in other states...
...He urged that proposed legislation be studied before the next legislature is actually in session so as to obtain early action...
...Previous proper name was "Wisconsin rural electric cooperative assn...
...So far as I know all its services are satisfactory, and it seems to me that any other plan at the moment might be a duplication of services...
...Winder pointed out that "even one mile of poorly engineered line may upset economical operation of a cooperative system...
...he said...
...Praising the REA co-ops, Maloney declared they axe "a good American way of doing business" and pointed out that Wisconsin's electric co-operatives "are outstanding among those repaying their federal loans...
...C. A. Winder, director of the division of operations and engineering of the REA, praised the work of the as-'Tlation...
...although he did say that REA is currently studying ways to reduce engineering costs without sacrificing good engineering...
...The officers with Roy Kunzcl-man, Alma Center, and E. J. Stone-man, Platteville, constitute the executive committee...
...We have operated our plant on a basis that is favorable to labor...
...WDA chief engineer, told the group that "WDA will be glad to work with members of "Statewide" to find some feasible system of cheaper construction" that did not reduce good engineering...
...Downing Man Is Named Co-op Head W. E. Owen...
...Merrill declared he had not ben "contaminated" by his private utility experience...
...Owen declared that Wisconsin farmers understand the principles of the co-operative, lending strength to the success of electric co-ops in Wisconsin...
...Floyd Wheeler, Madison attorney, told the group in stressing cooperative education and "educational publicity...
...I know he would like nothing better than what you suggest," Winder said...
...Urge Strong Co-op Central Organization Wisconsin electric co-operatives need a strong centrol organization to protect themselves from private utilities in the event the Rural Electrification administration should be, abolished, W. E. Owen...
...Need 'Evangelists' "Rural electrification, this movement, requires men with evangelical hearts...
...Of the WDA Winder said, "There's a group that know your job better than anyone else...
...The co-operatives must be formed together here In the state to combat the Joined forces of the utilities...
...Their personnel has been through fire and is qualified...
...Our job to be done in the country is to bring power to 5.000.000 farms...
...Thousands Saved, For Co-op Patrons The Madison Consumers Co-operative dairy has saved Madison consumers of dairy products thousands of dollars each year by lowering its prices on the product.s and causing its competitors to lower their prices accordingly, C. A. Mohr, manager of the co-op, said at the sixth anniversary meeting of the co-op In the Unitarian church last week...
...Doubting that the co-operative movement "can survive the terrible ordeal it is going through" in Finland, Sweden, and Norway, where the co-operative idea originated, Nixon said: Prepare to Survive "It Is up to us to establish the cooperative tradition here in Wisconsin and the country so that the co-operative movement can survive in any crisis...
...Name of the "Statewide" cooperative was changed to "Wisconsin electric cooperative" Friday as several changes in the by-laws were adopted...
...Nearly 150 delegates from Wisconsin's 27 electric co-ops participated in discussions Thursday and Friday of operating problems, cooperative education, financing, auditing, maintenance, legislative action, load building and other problems relating to rural electric co-ops...
...Chris L. Christensen, dean of the university college of agriculture: R. M. Orchard, Madison, attorney for the state department of agriculture: W. E. Owen, Downing, association president: John E. Olson, association secretary and treasurer...
...Need State Group "I am more strongly convinced than ever that we need a state organization of co-operatives, for if the REA should be knocked out by the politicians then we should be in a position to protect ourselves...
...W. V. Thomas, association manager: and Merrill...
...After stressing the avoidance of having bills pending "at the rush for adjournment," he added, laughingly, "Of course, there wasn't a hell of a big rush for adjournment in the last session," drawing hearty laughter from the crowd...
...Robert A. Merrill, chief of the rural electrification division of the state department of agriculture, declared that in'two years time the co-operatives have gone more than half the way that the utilities have gone in 30 years " Formerly associated with the North-em States Power Co...
...Kent Wooldridge...
...None however was adopted at the annual meeting, but the delegates did give the Statewide directors authority to extend auditing services to its member coops and authorized the borrowing of funds up to $100,000 for operating capital...
...Wheeler briefly reviewed the legislative problems affecting rural electric cooperatives and said, "In Statewide you have a very effective instrument for guiding legislation...
...Our competition and our prices have influenced the prices of other milk companies d have brought about a uniform and non-fluctuating rale...
...They are proving to the world that they are capable of operating a big business successfully...
...WDA also knows our job...
...Fortunately there are not as many skeptics as formerly...
...Mo||r declared...
...Downing, was re-elected president of the rural electric coopera-' tives "Statewide" organization at their annual meeting in Madison last week...
...Madison...
...Our workers know that they always have an opportunity to advance In position as well as advance along the ivacc scale...
...Winder agreed that the "Statewide" organization "would be losing a great opportunity if it didn't adopt some educational program...
...We have one of the most sanitary and one of the safest dairies...
...Jump River, said: "Let's not forget the WD A. If it weren't for the Wisconsin Development Authority, a lot of the cooperatives wouldn't be here today...
...We can't meet utility propaganda by just sitting back...
...We have, through our organization, assisted labor in obtaining better working conditions...
...Present source of revenue for the association comes from its sale of line material to local co-ops...
...All that we pray for is that collectively we will do a job that will speak for itself...
...Winder declared that the electric co-operatives are not spending money foolishly...
...We have to tell people about our program," he said, urging mimeographed .pamphlets, statistical data regarding co-op operation, and newspaper publicity...
...I could not have been a good employe if I had not learned something," Merrill said...
Vol. 10 • May 1940 • No. 18
