186 AGRICULTURAL RELIEF Mr. CLarkxe. Do you believe then that if the commodity in any darticular line comes under the workings of the equilization fee that that will encourage the cooperatives? Mr. KEHOE. That will not only encourage them, but it will make their operations certain and continuous. The different branches of the industry will have their own cooperatives, managed by their own people in whom they have confidence and will certainly function bidity and to the credit of the country and the benefit of their members. Mr. CLarke. Just what is your reason that would lead you to feel that those who are now out of the cooperatives would all come in, Mr. Kenok. They need not come in under the equilization fee. The equilization fee does not require anybody to join anything, as we understand it. Mr. CLarkE. That is my understanding. That is just what I want to get. Mr. KenoE. It does not require anybody to join any kind of cooperative. oo Mr. CLARKE. Your point is that by the elimination of the equiliza- tion fee it would have a tendency to increase the cooperatives or decrease this cooperative movement that is going on over the country? Mr. Keno. The cooperative movement will, in a sense, become perfected by the equalization fee, because it will be a continuing operation. We lived upon the enthusiasm, born of necessity, for five years. But we stopped against the wall of unfairness and injustice of the men on the outside that we were carrying. : M r. Orange. I am a director of a cooperative, and a very success- u one, that has been going on for years, and I feel like you that t % is undoubtedly a lot of unfair prejudice that goes with organ- i tions, that are not m the cooperatives, which enables them to put 3 o ' ¢ arger price on, because we bear the burden of the thing. But ’ 2 EW to get clear in my mind is this point, not in generalities ut specifically, how you feel the equalization fee is going to encourage or induce producers to join the cooperatives when they can get the i Hong hems members of any organization. a ol th do not take the position, nor will it be necessary that a | e cooperatives. I think sufficient men will join the peratives to keep the business in safe, s hands. I thi farmers of thi ess , sane hands. think the i ers of this country have within the various groups of the nation sufficient intellect and sufficient integrity and sufficient business acumen to manage their own affairs. We proved that lusivel | There was not a man connected with proved that 00m A z. district. They were all local 0 2 gained outside of our plovees. The directory continued cet throu, Oihoers or And 1 Tepont that we handled 0h ough our operations. small business—in five years and a bill a scandal or criticism was tLe De ielnad: and no therefore, we could i © ug during that five years Ed th hat the membership We had emberthly win oh Lontie. oi e equalization fee, so that our ors Yenebing, g all the burden of the man whom he Mr. Crarke. It is v . . rou make the Tos > ne sonition that with the equalization fee hci Tees? outside pay his part of the upkeep of this