The Nonpartisan Leader Newspaper, January 14, 1918, Page 12

S T B A S ing is- a- well established method of winning success in i production, but little is said about the . ¢ lines in which women may co-operate ‘1 4 for a like purpose. During recent § years a good many women’s associa- { ¢ tions have been formed for the purpose { of safeguarding consumers, but co- :‘ operation by women producers is d 0-OPERATION for men en- ‘ gaged in various lines of farm- e e T e .rather new. Women farmers, however, are as i numerous as men. Nearly every man {1 | who is a farmer has a wife who is as { much a farmer as he is himself, beside 4 { the independent women farmers, but i ' somehow the men’s problems are the 1 { ones that have attracted the attention S} i and been given-the relief. One line ‘. of farm co-operation is particularly i open to women, and in some sections ! of the country the women have begun i to co-operate for their own benefit. {1 This is in the production of eggs and ¢ poultrr. i In Canada there are 105 “egg cir- cles,” and every “egg circle” is noth- ing more nor less than a co-operative association of egg producers who have determined to get away from the - wasteful country-store method of sell- ing eggs. Women are active in the management of some of these, and the P farms who see that eggs are produced, makes the egg circle particularly a woman’s . co-operative opportunity. EGG CIRCLE DOES A BIG BUSINESS The most successful egg circle in Canada is located in Prince Edward Island, and consists of a federation of 52 smaller egg circles. These have been 80 well managed and have developed such a business that they have a cen- tral warehousing system, and grading and selling facilities. Last year this federation of egg circles did approxi- mately $250,000 worth of business in eggs alone, and marketed besides 25 tons of poultry. The central assccia- tion has 3000 members, their eggs are bought and paid for on a percentage basis, and at the end of the year all the profits are divided among the membership. Certain definite principles have been developed as.the best line along which to organize egg circles. The object is to increase the output of eggs and to get as great a return to the producer as possible. This means that a better egg shall be marketed than is usually marketed in the haphazard method common in most unorganized farm- ing sections. The members are re- § - quired to follow certain rules; they : ‘must gather their eggs regularly once or twice a day and keep them in a cool place; the eggs must be kept free from bad odors; they must be delivered i as a store, the roadway where the wagon is to pass on its collecting trips or in some other manner; poultry houses must be kept clean and sani- tary; and members are not allowed to market any other eggs through the association than those produced on. their own premises.. By following these rules the egg circle has a supply of fresh, properly ~ kept eggs, ready to market at stated intervals, so that the customers ac- quired know just when to expect their MRS s I S—————— w fact that it is the women on most’ - joke of its comedians. regularly to some central point, such’ supply. ' This uniformity is necessary - when dealing with large firms—uni- formity of product and regularity of delivery. With these two things made certain, the production of eggs on. the farms is raised at once from a mere farm woman’s drudgery to a business - enterprise, in which everyone can take a pride, and which will pay dividends in cash. SOME ORGANIZATIONS BRAND -THEIR EGGS In" addition to the regulations. just mentioned, many of the most success- ful egg circles requiré each member to stamp her eggs. Rubber stamps with soft rubber cushions to prevent crushing the shells are used. Thus the eggs of a particular circle and a partic- ‘ular member of the circle are identi- Co-operatlon f()r Women Producers fied. A well pleased customer knows what mark to ask for when giving a “repeat order.” . Also this method helps the manager " identify the eggs of any particular member who is not keeping up to the egg circle’s standard. When the eggs are graded, each member's share is identified and the premium for high quality, or discount for poor quality can be placed. There is no chance for anyone to suffer for the mistakes of another. This method is well known and practiced in livestock shipping as- sociations, where the calves, cows, and 'sheep are marked with a special ear punch or dab of paint to identify them at the terminal market. The question of a manager brings up an important point. Some of the most successful associations have such a manager, although it is not essential. The manager takes charge of the col- lection and marketing of the egg circle’s product, sees that the members deliver their quotas on time, that the regula- tions are adhered to, etc. Where the trade developed calls for a fancy prod- uct in small cartons (pasteboard boxes containing one dozen or two dozen) the manager -sees to the buying of these and inspection of the product that goes into them. In the United States the less from poorly handled eggs between the time the hen lays them and the time the consumer eats them .amounts to mil- lions of dollars a year. It is figured at 17 per cent of all the eggs laid. The egg circles are stopping this waste, and while stopping waste are return- ing more profits to the egg producers. What the Nonpartisan League Means td Me Dignity, Self Respect and Prosperity, Says Mrs. Sam Dean of North Dakota Here is printed the second prize letter in the Leader’s big con- test for, farm women. It is another answer. to the question “What does the Nonpartisan League mean to you?” Last week we printed the first prize letter by Mrs. Beckwith, of South Dakota. This second prize let- ter is by a North Dakota woman, and the reader will notice how the North Dakota woman’'s faith is strengthened by what the League has already accomplish- ed in that state. North Dakota is the only state in which the League has yet gained official power. BY MRS. SAM DEAN THA’I‘ does the Nonpartisan league mean to me? It W means the biggest and the best thing that has ever come into the lives of the farmers and their families. It means a new dignity, a greater degree of respect—also self respect that the farmer has Ilong needed. d It means that the farmer has at last come into his own, or is fast ‘coming in; for all too long has he borne the brunt of the hard work of feeding the world, only to be the “hey Rube,” the Did he attempt to raise a voice in the making of the laws he must obey he was only a farmer, let him go home and slop the hogs! What did HE know about law? The League has changed all that, and if it goes on with its glorious work as I know it will, it means justice and prosperity such as we have never enjoyed before. It means that we will throw from off our backs the para- sites we have long supported, and en- joy to the full, the benefits of our labor. To me the League promises big things. I work for it, boost for it at every opportunity, and if I were free to do so, I should like nothing better than to be a League organizer. It has given me a new interest in life, for I can now see before me a chance to improve, not only our own conditions, but to help raise the standard ot Ilvlng of all the farmers. A certain degree of prosperity is G ; L PAGE TWELV’E s 5 ¢ e B necessary to the full enjoyment of life, and under the old regime that was a mighty hard thing to attain. With the improvements in the educational system and the monetary benefits that the League program carried out will give, we and our children may enjoy the advantages and education that are their due, but which all too often the farm boy and girl have not received. We want to keep our family on the farm. We think it is the finest place on earth to raise children, but we want Mrs. Sam Dean, winner of the seco two of her six children. R ST S UL P as Y TSP e 2 o them to be cultured, traveled, and well educated. We want them to have a high .standard in life, and if we farmers can “stick,” if we can carry out the program the League has mapped out for us, we can do these things, we can receive our rightful share of this world's goods, we can take our place with the highest classes, we can make for ourselves a place in the sun! This is what the League means to me. nd prize letter Rub“phed In thi“n.,|uuo:,b~.=l_l3d il