A History of the Consumer’s Co-Operatives in Oregon Prior to 1900
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Date
1938-06
Authors
Masterson, Iver Willis
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
University of Oregon
Abstract
A History of the Consumer’s Co-Operatives in Oregon Prior to 1900
The pioneer farmer often spent the year "working long hours and enduring many hardships and deprivations, only to find himself just a little farther in debt than he had been the year before. Analyzing the cause of his
drifting farther into debt, he saw that if he had been able to sell farm
crops at the price prevailing in the larger markets; if he had been able to
buy the necessities of life and of the farm at or nearer the wholesale price,
he would not have slid down hill but would be accumulating a small surplus.
This was the problem that confronted the farmer during the period following the close of the Civil War. He was forced to pay exorbitant prices
for the articles that he must buy and to accept the minimum price for the
products that he sold. The wide difference between the price he received
and the market price abroad could be seen but what could be done about it?
Now if he could only eliminate the middleman and keep the difference in
price, the income from the farm would be greater. If the storekeeper could
also be eliminated and he could buy at wholesale prices the expenses of the
farm would be smaller, consequently the profit would be greater. The farmer then would not be doing the work and receiving only a meager living,
while the middleman who was doing no work as far as the farmer could see,
was becoming rich.
How were these economies to be effected? How were enough of the farmers to be brought together to be able to carry on the work of the middle
man without it becoming a burden to them? This problem was to be solved
by Mr. Oliver Hudson Kelley.
Description
55 pages
Keywords
founding of the Grange, Eastern Oregon, insurance