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Consumers’ Cooperatives:
Operations in 1948
A Report on Membership,
Business, and Operating Results

Bulletin No. 971
UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF LABOR
Maurice J. Tobin, Secretary
BUREAU OF LABOR STATISTICS
Ewan Clague, Commissioner

For sale by the Superintendent of Documents, U. S. Government Printing Office, Washington 25, D. C.




Price 15 cents

Letter of Transmittal

U nited S tates D epartment of L abor,
B ureau of L abor S tatistics,

Washington, D. (7., December 7, 1949.
The S ecretary of L abor:
I have the honor to transmit herewith the Bureau's annual report on the opera­
tions of consumers' cooperatives in 1948. The report contains general estimates of
membership and business of the various types of associations, local and federated,
and detailed data on the operations of the central organizations which provide goods
and services to the local cooperatives and carry on manufactures of numerous kinds.
A feature of this report is the analysis of the nonfarm cooperatives in compari­
son with the whole group of associations (farm and nonfarm) on which the Bureau's
estimates are based.
The bulletin was prepared by Florence E. Parker, of the Bureau of Labor
Statistics staff.
E wan C lague, Commissioner.
Hon. M aurice J. T obin,
Secretary oj Labor#
n




Contents
Pago

Progress in 1948._________________________________________________________________
Operations of local associations_____________________________________________________
Leading consumers’ cooperatives_______________________________________________
Trend of development, 1941-48________________________________________________
Nonfarm associations in 1948__________________________________________________
Central organizations______________________________________________________________
Wholesale associations.,_______________________________________________________
Membership______________________________________________________________
Distributive facilities______________________________________________________
Distributive operations____________________________________________________
Capital and resources_____________________________________________________
Services of central cooperatives_________________________________________________
Expansion of services by wholesales________________________________________
Expansion of services by federations________________________________________
Service business__________________________________________________________
Resources of service federations____________________________________________
Production by central cooperatives_____________________________________________
Expansion of facilities by wholesales_____________________:__________________
Expansion of facilities by federations_______________________________________
Petroleum production capacity in 1 948 .____________________________________
Goods produced__________________________________________________________
Resources of productive federations________________________________________
Employment and earnings in central cooperatives________________________________




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2
3
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6
8
8
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12
12
13
13
13
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Operations of Consumers’ Cooperatives in 1948
Progress in 1948
Consumers’ cooperatives handling consumer
goods or providing consumer services reached new
peaks in 1948, both as to membership and volume
of business, in spite of an unusually large number
of dissolutions. For the first time, however, there
was a reduction in the total number of associa­
tions. The business of the retail associations
approached 1% billion dollars and that of the
local service cooperatives exceeded 29 millions.
Among the store associations the large increase
in business occurred notwithstanding the fact
that a larger proportion of the associations than
in the previous year (27.0 percent as compared
with 19.2 percent) had a decline in volume of goods
handled. Operating results were not entirely
satisfactory, but showed an improvement over
1947 (the worst year for a long time), with
only 20.8 percent of those reporting in 1948
operating at a loss compared with 28.5 percent in
1947. Further, a greater proportion of the asso­
ciations with earnings had larger earnings in 1948
than in 1947.
Cooperative petroleum associations, as a group,
have been expanding at a consistently lower rate
than the stores; this continued to hold true in
1948 as regards membership, but their business in
that year grew much faster than that of the stores.
Operating results for 1948 were somewhat less
satisfactory than for the year before; 3.2 percent
had losses on the year’s operations, the highest
proportion since 1941. Well over half of the
petroleum associations reporting earnings for both
1947 and 1948, however, had larger earnings in
the latter than in the former year.
For the stores, average earnings (for those with
earnings) were slightly higher than in 1947,
whereas for the oil associations they were lower;
losses for both types (for those with losses) were
somewhat lower than in 1947.
Over 4,800 retail cooperatives were affiliated
858935—49




with the regional wholesales at the end of 1948,1
a gain of over 600. In turn, 24 of the regionals
were members of the Nation-wide buying agency,
National Cooperatives, Inc.
The regional and district wholesales had a com­
bined distributive and service business of nearly
328 million dollars—an increase of more than 25
percent over 1947. Of 25 regionals reporting,
only 2 sustained losses on the year’s operations
and both of these were associations dealing mainly
in food. Among the others, all but 6 had larger
earnings than in 1947.
Patronage refunds to member associations by
the regional wholesales rose from less than 12%
million dollars in 1947 to over 17% million dol­
lars in 1948.
Value of goods produced by central organiza­
tions set another record in 1948, reaching a total
of nearly 173 million dollars, nearly 35 percent
above that of 1947. Relatively more was pro­
duced by the productive federations in 1948 than
in 1947 (over two-fifths, as compared with slightly
over one-third) and relatively less by the regional
wholesales (about 56 and over 60 percent, re­
spectively) . Refined petroleum products held first
place among the goods produced, accounting for
two-fifths of the total and reflecting the increas­
ing preoccupation of the cooperative movement
with the problem of obtaining adequate supplies
in a tightening market. Although food products
exceeding 3% million dollars in value were manu­
factured by central cooperatives in 1948, this
group of goods is still insignificant in the total.
Services exceeding 3% million dollars were per­
formed for local associations by the service feder­
ations in 1948, as compared with 1% millions in
1947. The reporting associations returned over
$17,000 in patronage refunds on the year’s
business.
1 It should be pointed out that this figure includes some duplication (where
local associations are members of more than one regional wholesale). Also,
many of these affiliated retail associations are purely farm-supply associations
handling producer goods only, and hence not covered in this Bureau’s figures.

1

2

CONSUMERS* COOPERATIVES: OPERATIONS IN 1948

Estimates of membership and business of con­
sumers’ cooperatives for 1948 are shown in table
1. It should be pointed out that this table shows
the number of associations, not the number of
establishments operated. As a great many coop­
eratives have one or more branches or depart­
ments, the number of stores or service stations
operated would be considerably greater than the
number of associations of either type shown in the
table. Also, the table does not show the volume
of business done in any particular line, as the
associations are there classified according to their
main line of business; they may also operate in
one or more other lines.
The figures in table 1 include not only conti­
nental United States but also Alaska and, for the
first time, Puerto Rico. No data were available
for Hawaii. The data for Alaska were obtained
directly from the cooperatives there. The infor­
mation for Puerto Rico was furnished by the
Office of the Inspector of Cooperatives of Puerto
Rico. According to his report, there was as of
June 30, 1948, a total of 50 distributive associa­
tions there (48 groceries, 1 farm-supply coopera­
tive, and 1 gasoline cooperative) with a combined
membership of 6,774 and an annual business of
$3,147,000. In addition, there were 2 housing
associations and 29 credit unions. No operational
figures were available for the credit unions, for
the credit union law was passed only July 1, 1947,
and no association had had a full year’s operation.

Operations of Local Associations
Membership of reporting associations averaged
850 for the store associations and 714 for the
petroleum associations; average volume of business
done was $434,569 and $298,073, respectively.
Net earnings for the store associations with
earnings averaged 4.2 percent on total business
done; losses for those which ended the year “in
the red” averaged 2.7 percent of sales. (The
corresponding figures for 1947 were 4.1 and 3.2
percent.) For the petroleum associations, earn­
ings averaged 6.7 percent and losses 2.2 percent
(7.9 and 2.5 percent, respectively, in 1947).
The amounts paid in patronage refunds by
local associations (available for 363 associations)
totaled $4,264,164. Based on the total business
of these associations, refunds were at the rate of
2.6 percent for the stores, 5.0 percent for the



1.— Estimated membership and business of con­
sumers’ cooperatives in 1948, by type of association

T able

Type of association

Total
num ­
ber of
asso­
ciations

Number
of
members

Amount of
business

Local associations
Retail distributive..................................... 3,880
2,354,000 $1, 229,500,000
828,000,000
Stores and buying clubs................ .
1,356,000
2,400
Petroleum associations................ ....... 1,350
385,000,000
960,000
16,500, 000
80
Other 1................. - ...............................
38,000
395, 290
29, 223,900
Service........ .............. ............. ......................
786
Rooms and/or meals............. ..............
180
22,000
6,000, 000
* 3,000,000
Housing------------------------------------125
13, 000
Medical and/or hospital care:
2, 225, 000
60
120,000
On contract............ ........................
8, 600, 000
70
78,000
Own facilities.................................
B urial:9
435, 000
25, 500
Complete funeral.-----------------29
3, 900
590
2
Caskets only..................................
60,000
4,200
10
Burial on contract-.......................
7,100, 000
107, 000
185
Cold storage4............ ...........................
1, 800, 000
25, 000
Other 6...................................................
125
137,016, 260
Electric light and power •.................. .......
865 7 2,403,676
10, 000, 000
675, 000
Telephone (mutual & cooperative)____ 33, 000
633, 783, 555
3, 748, 628
9, 329
Credit unions 8-------------------------- -----207, 500,000
Insurance associations...... ................ ......... 2,000 9 11,300,000
Federations 11
Wholesales:
Interregional......................... ...............
Regional............................. ....................
D istrict.................................................
Service............................ - ................ - ...........
Productive................ ...................................
Electric light and power 1S_.......................

2
26
20
19
16
10

77
4,846
298
1,685
302
77

12,265,635
12 320,340,390
12 7,337,960
3, 276,500
83,739, 000
7,399,287

i Such as consumers’ dairies, creameries, bakeries, fuel yards, lumber
yards, etc.
1 Gross income.
* Local associations only; excludes federations (which are included with
federations) and funeral departments of store associations.
4 Excludes cold-storage departments of other types of associations.
* Such as water supply, cleaning & dyeing, recreation, printing and pub­
lishing, nursery schools, etc.
« Data furnished by Rural Electrification Administration. B y error, the
figures given last year, for 1947, included all REA borrowers, cooperative
and noncooperative. The correct figures were 830 associations, 1,953,425
patrons, and $105,454,020 business.
i Number of patrons.
s Actual figures, not estimates; not including 29 credit unions in Puerto
Rico, none of which had yet had a full year’s operation.
9 Number of policy holders.
19 Premium income.
Figures include an allowance for nonreporting associations.
i* Includes wholesale distributive, retail distributive, and service business.
iJ Data furnished by Rural Electrification Administration. Corresponding
figures for 1947 were 9 federations, 64 member associations, and $4,355,379
business.

gasoline cooperatives, 1.8 percent for the “other
distributive,” and 3.7 percent for the service coop­
eratives. It should be noted that these refunds
include not only the earnings made in the opera­
tions of the local cooperatives, but also refunds
received by them on their purchases from the
wholesales. The latter are becoming an increas­
ingly important factor, and in many cases amount
to as much as or more than the local association
makes on its distributive business.
A total of 22 local cooperatives reported carry­
ing on productive activities and, of these, 14 re­
ported the dollar value of the goods produced.
Over three-fourths of this was the output of a
single, large dairy association. The value, by
product, is shown on the following page:

3

CONSUMERS’ COOPERATIVES: OPERATIONS IN 1948
Number of
associations

All products________
Bakery products.
Meat products._
Dairy products..
Ice cream______

14
7
7
5
2

T able 2. —Leading consumers’ cooperative associations, 1948

Value of
product

$8, 290, 881
403,
105,
7, 104,
677,

M em ­ Amount
ber­
of
ship, business,
1948
1948

Type and name of association

145
708
936
092

Distributive associations
1,697 $1,189, 828
680, 566
3,630
6, 509 2, 746,000
2,506 1,881, 510
26,380 3, 400, 425
3,000 1,097, 220
2, 644 1, 445, 973
4,134 1, 857, 461

Consumers Cooperative Society of Palo Alto, Calif------Eochdale Cooperative, Washington, D . C ........................ .
Cooperative Trading, Inc., Waukegan, E l____________
Greenbelt Consumers Services, Greenbelt, M d________
Harvard Cooperative Society, Cambridge, M ass______
United Cooperative Society, Fitchburg, M a s s -...............
United Cooperative Society, Maynard, M ass.............—
Cloquet Cooperative Society, Cloquet, M in n .------------Franklin Cooperative Creamery Association, Minneap­
olis, M inn----------------- -----------------------------------------Princeton University Store, Princeton, N . J___________
Consumer-Farmer Milk Cooperative, Long Island City,
N . Y ------------------------------------------------------------ -----The N ew Cooperative Co., Dillon vale, Ohio.................
University of Oregon, Cooperative Association, Eugene,
Oreg-------------------------------------------------------------------University Cooperative Society, Austin, Tex__________
Shipbuilders Cooperative, Newport News, Va_________

Reports from the housing associations, espe­
cially the older ones operating apartment buildings,
indicate that monthly “rentals” (supposed to
cover amortization, maintenance, and other ex­
penses) need to be reexamined in the light of
present-day costs. Some of these associations
appear to be sustaining losses year after year,
endangering the members’ equity and the asso­
ciations’ financial stability.
Dissolutions of consumers’ cooperatives con­
tinued to be so numerous in 1948 as to more than
offset the number of newly formed associations,
resulting in a net decline in total number.2

3,409
10,000

6,337,686
1, 092,074

6,679
2,151

2, 340,040
2,117,304

3,200
16,500
3, 718

489,648
807, 235
702,903

8,616
6, 542
5,498
(2)

1,157,002
615,409

Service associations
La Soci6t6 Frangalsede Bienfaisanee Mutuelle, San Fran­
cisco, Calif------- --------------------------- -----------------------Group Health Association, Washington, D . C ............. .
Beneficencia Asturiana, Tampa, F la.......... . . ....................
Consumers Cooperative Services, N ew York, N . Y ........-

0)

2,049,839

1 No data.
* No data; members in 1947 totaled 8,291.

Trend of Development, 1941-48
Leading Consumers’ Cooperatives

Improved operating results in 1948 as compared
with 1947 are indicated in table 3. To some
extent this may have been due to the disappear­
ance of the failing associations which, having
been in dire straits for some time, finally went out
of business and therefore had no influence on the
year’s operating averages. A real improvement,
however, is indicated by the rise from 71.5 to
79.2 percent of the proportion having earnings—
which was considerably more than could be
accounted for by the absence of the failures.

Among the nonfarm consumers’ cooperatives
reporting to the Bureau for 1948 were 15 associa­
tions having 3,000 or more members and 13 whose
business exceeded a million dollars. These are
listed in table 2.
* This situation is, of course, not peculiar to cooperatives. In all businesses,
a steadily increasing number of failures have occurred since the end of
the war.

T able 3.— Trend of operations of retail store and petroleum associations, 1942-48, and of local service associations, 1948
P e tr o le u m a sso c ia tio n s

S to r e a sso c ia tio n s
Item
1948
M e m b e r sh ip :
P e r c e n t o f in cr ea se o v e r p r e c e d in g y e a r .............................
8 .4
P e r c e n t re p o r tin g —
I n c rea se o v e r p r e c e d in g y e a r ........................................... 77 .5
D e c r e a se from p r e c e d in g y e a r ......................................... 22 .5
A m o u n t o f b u sin e ss:
P e r c e n t o f in cr ease o v e r p r e c e d in g y e a r ............................. 1 1 .3
Percent r e p o r tin g in c r e a s e o v e r p r e c e d in g y e a r ........................................... 7 3 .0
D e c r e a se from p r e c e d in g y e a r ......................................... 2 7 .0
N e t earnings:
P e r c e n t g oin g from —
G a in to lo s s ...............................................................................
9 0
L o ss to g a in ........... ...................................................... ...........
3 .3
P e r o e n t re p o r tin g —
L o ss in c u rr en t a n d p r e c e d in g y e a r s ........................... 1 1 .8
I n c rea se in g a in o v e r p r e c e d in g y e a r ........................... 3 7 .0
D e c r e a se in g a in from p r e c e d in g y e a r ........................ 3 8 .9




1944

1943

1942

1947

1946

13 .4

1 1 .6

1 5 .9

2 5 .6

1 3 .6

8 .3

6 .5

9 .6

1 0 .8

1 1 .4

1 4 .4

2 3 .9

9 .5

1 .9

8 0 .9
19.1

7 2 .8
2 7 .2

8 2 .9
17.1

9 8 .8
1 .2

7 7 .4
2 2 .7

7 5 .5
2 4 .5

7 6 .9
23.1

8 0 .2
1 9 .8

7 7 .5
2 2 .5

7 8 .2
2 1 .8

7 9 .9
20.1

7 4 .5
2 5 .5

7 3 .8
2 6 .2

7 6 .0
2 4 .0

3 9 .9

3 0 .8

1 1 .5

19 .6

2 8 .8

3 0 .8

2 3 .2

2 6 .3

2 7 .9

1 0 .7

2 2 .6

19.1

1 3 .6

1 0 .9

8 0 .8
1 9 .2

9 0 .5
9 .5

72 .9
27.1

8 0 .3
1 9 .7

8 4 .7
1 5 .3

9 0 .8
9 .2

9 3 .2
6 .8

8 9 .7
1 0 .3

94.1
5 .9

8 6 .3
1 3 .7

8 9 .4
1 0 .6

7 1 .5
2 8 .5

7 8 .9
21.1

7 8 .8
2 1 .2

19 4
3 .7

5 .8
9 .1

4 .2
10.'7

6 .4
L 2

aO. aO
5 .3

5. 4
4! 9

2 9
1 .8

2 .4
L0

.9

9 .1
3 0 .8
3 7 .0

3 .3
6 2 .5
1 9 .2

8 .4
49! 4
2 7 .2

2 .0
6 2 .3
2 5 .1

1 .9
5L 7
3 4 .3

2 .2
69! 5
1 7 .9

5 4 .8
4 0 .2

1945

1944

1943

1942

1948

3

1947

a
55.3

4 0 .8

1946

1945

S e r v ic e
a sso c ia ­
tio n s ,
1948

.8

8 8 .0
11 .1

7 8 .9
2 0 .3

.7

.4

.9

1 .8

2 .0
1 .2

1 2 .6
1 5 .8

.5
7 4 .5
2 3 .3

6 0 .3
3 7 .5

.4
6 4 .7
3 1 .7

1 3 .7
2 7 .4
3 0 .5

CONSUMERS9 COOPERATIVES: OPERATIONS IN 1948

4

Nonfarm Associations in 1948
Comparison of the nonfarm cooperatives with
the whole group of associations (farm and non­
farm) on which the Bureau’s annual estimates
are based indicates (table 4) that, as in 1947, the
associations of predominantly nonfarm member­
ship fell slightly behind those in which farmers
predominated. Earnings of the former group
were somewhat less and losses somewhat greater.

the wholesales to which they were affiliated.
This was of especial importance in the case of asso­
ciations of farmer membership. The urban
associations, on the other hand (a very large
proportion of which handle groceries only or
mainly), did not have this advantage to the same
extent, for the grocery wholesales were the very
ones which themselves were in difficulty and
either unable to return refunds at all or able to
pay only small amounts.

T able 4.— Operating results of nonfarm cooperatives, 1948,

T able 5.— Comparison of operations of nonfarm store and

compared with all consumers1 cooperatives (farm and
nonfarm)
Item
Average membership:
Store associations.. ..................... ...........
Petroleum associations______________
Average amount of business:
Store associations. ________ _______
Petroleum associations............................

All farm and
nonfarm

Store
associations

Nonfarm only
Item

All
850
714

843
756

$434,569
298,073

$238, 383
400,939

N et earnings, of those with earnings:
Percent of sales Percent of sales
Store associations. _____ ___________
4.2
3.1
Petroleum associations______________
6.5
6.7
N et losses, of those with losses:
Store associations._ _________ ______
2.8
2.7
Petroleum a s s o c i a t i o n s . __________
4.2
2.2
Patronage refunds of those returning such:
Store associations. _______________
2.6
2.4
Petroleum associations______________
6.1
5.0

The same was true as regards operating results
for 1948, shown in table 5. Among the stores,
increases in both membership and business were
substantially less for the urban than for the whole
group of associations, and the proportions reporting
increases were smaller. Also, a considerably
greater proportion of the urban associations
(34.5 percent as compared with 20.8 percent)
sustained losses on the year’s operations. Operat­
ing results of the nonfarm associations showed
some deterioration from 1947, the proportion
with losses having risen from 28.3 percent in
that year to 34.5 percent in 1948, and twice as
many of the nonfarm associations as of all associa­
tions (22.6 percent as compared with 11.8 per­
cent) had losses in both years.
Among the petroleum associations, losses were
much more common among the nonfarm organi­
zations than among farm and nonfarm combined.
Among those which had gains, however, a larger
proportion had increases in earnings.
In connection with this point it should be noted
that the showing of many local associations was
improved, or was even shifted from red to black
figures, by the patronage refunds received from



petroleum associations with all associations, 1948

N on­
farm
only

Petroleum
associations

All

N on­
farm
only

1948 compared with 1947
Membership:
Percent of increase________ ________
Percent reportingincrease_______________________
Decrease______________________
Amount of business:
Percent of increase_________________
Percent reporting—
Increase______________________
Decrease___________ ____ ____
N et earnings:
Percent going from—
Gain to loss----------- ----------------Loss to gain___________________
Percent reporting—
Loss in both years_____________
Increased gain_________________
Decreased gain________________

8.4

4.9

6.5

0.6

77.5
22.5

70.9
29.1

76.9
23.1

81.2
18.8

11.3

8.2

23.2

24.3

73.0
27.0

65.8
34.2

93.2
6.8

85.7
14.3

9.0
3.3

11.9
4.0

2.9
1.8

23.1
15.4

11.8
37.0
38.9

22.6
30.0
31.6

.3
54.8
40.2

7.7
30.8
23.0

Central Organizations
In the 1948 data, several central organizations
are covered for the first time. These include
Cuna Supply Cooperative, a national organization
serving 53 member State Credit Union Leagues
with office supplies, forms, etc., used by local
credit unions; Cooperative Wholesale Association,
formed in 1948 to supply affiliates of the Ohio
Farm Bureau Cooperative Association with gro­
ceries and other purely consumer goods; and
several district wholesales dealing in propane or
butane gas and appliances for utilizing such gas.
Summary data on membership, business, earn­
ings, patronage refunds, and own production are
given in table 6. All represent substantial in­
creases over 1947.
The 75 federations reported a total of 6,508
affiliated local cooperatives. These should not be
assumed to be 6,508 different associations, as this
figure includes a great deal of duplication. This

CONSUMERS9 COOPERATIVES: OPERATIONS IN 1948

5

wholesale which serves the territory in which they
are situated. Likewise, the members of the serv­
ice and productive federations (especially the
latter) may belong not only to several federations
but also to the regional wholesale.

duplication is not so great among the regional
wholesales (although in a few cases retail asso­
ciations are members of more than one regional),
but probably the majority of the affiliates of the
district wholesales are also members of the regional

T a ble 6. —Summary of operations of cooperative wholesales and service and productive federations, 1948
Wholesales
Item

Interregional
Number of federations reporting------ -------------- ------------Number of member associations__________________ ____ Total business___________ _______ ________ ____________
Wholesale distributive _
_ _ _ _ ___________
Retail distributive
__
________ ________
Service
_ ____ _
Value of own production___________ _____ _________ ____
N et earnings, all departments_______________ _________
Patronage refunds, all departments____________________

Service
federations

All federations

75
6,508
$421,461,447
323,029,149
7,795,063
6,948,241
172,823,405
30,827, 949
24, 837,681

2
77
$12,265,635
12,265,635
3,389,446
i 378,817

Regional
25
4,841
$316,840,388
304, 586,242
7, 795,063
4,459,083
96,449,001
23,314,076
17,657, 946

Productive
federations

D istrict
18
285
$6,717,960
6,177,272

15
1,015
$1,948,470

540,688
1,065,475
308,764
260,472

1,948,470
27,064
17,167

15
290
$83,688,994

71,919,483
7, 556,862
6,902,096

i Loss.

Wholesale Associations
Membership

The membership of N ational Cooperatives
remained unchanged during the year, with 24 re­
gional wholesales, but that of Cuna Supply Coop­
erative increased slightly over 1947, i. e., from 51
to 53.
Of the 25 regional wholesales in the United
States reporting to the Bureau of Labor Statistics,
19 estimated that their 4,036 local member associ­
ations had 1,490,200 individual members in 1948;
12 of these regionals (with 3,529 affiliated associ­
ations having an estimated membership of 1,199,500) were members of National Cooperatives.
Altogether, as indicated in table 7, 4,841 retail
associations were members of the 25 regional
wholesales, representing (for those reporting for
both 1947 and 1948) an increase of 14.0 percent.
Distributive Facilities3

In California, Associated Cooperatives added,
as new lines, fertilizer (produced by one of its
affiliates) and insecticides. It decided to sell the
land in Maywood (Los Angeles), purchased as the
site for a branch warehouse, and to rent space
instead; local building restrictions and high costs
of construction were given as the reasons therefor.*
* For information on expansion of service and productive facilities of whole
sales; see pp. 8 and 10.

858935-49-

-2




By vote of its member associations, Indiana
Farm Bureau Cooperative Association took over
the Indiana Grain Cooperative (a marketing asso­
ciation); the marketing of eggs has been carried
on by the wholesale since the end of World War II.
Farm Bureau Services (Michigan) completed
the construction of a garage for servicing transport
trucks and started the building of a new ware­
house.
The Minnesota Farm Bureau Service Co. ac­
quired a new storage warehouse. Farmers Union
Central Exchange (Minnesota) built a new branch
warehouse at Billings, Mont., and started the con­
struction of a machinery warehouse in South St.
Paul, Minn.
Consumers Cooperative Association (Missouri)
leased additional office space in Kansas City and
let the contracts for the construction of a branch
warehouse in Denver.
Oregon Grange Wholesale announced in May
1948 the opening of a retail branch store at
Klamath Falls, raising to 7 the number of its
retail branches.
Central Cooperative Wholesale (Wisconsin)
opened a branch warehouse in Wadena, Minn., as
well as one (for building supplies and machinery) in
Superior, Wis.
Among the district wholesales, C-A-P Cooper­
ative Oil Association disposed of its repair garage
in 1948; it was explained that, as it was a local
facility only, it did not work out well with the
petroleum distribution which is on an area basis.
Cooperative Services (Maple, Wis.) erected a new

CONSUMERS1 COOPERATIVES: OPERATIONS IN 1948

6

building containing office, showroom, and repair
garage. The facilities of Trico Cooperative Oil
Association were expanded by the addition of four
17,000-gallon storage tanks.

crease. In the latter group, Range Cooperative
Federation reported that, although the tonnage
increased, it had a $40,000 decrease in sales caused
by declines in prices of goods it handles (butter,
cheese, petroleum products, and forest products).
For the whole group of regional associations,
earnings were 53 percent above those of 1947. In
several associations, however, earnings were lower
than in 1947; smaller gross margins and increased
operating expense ratios were frequently the cause.
Only two associations suffered losses.
The business of all kinds done by the reporting
regional and district wholesales in 1948 exceeded
323K million dollars, as compared with 264
millions in 1947 (table 7). Net earnings totaled
over 23K million dollars and, of this amount, nearly
18 millions were returned in patronage refunds.

Distributive Operations

With the exception of two grocery wholesales
which have been experiencing difficult times, all of
the regional wholesales reporting showed increased
business in 1948 as compared with 1947. For the
whole group reporting for both years, the increase
in the distributive business amounted to 21.4
percent, in service business to 16.8 percent, and in
retail business to 74.1 percent. Among the dis­
trict wholesales as a whole, business increased 11.2
percent, although three associations had a de­

T able 7.— Distributive business, net earnings, and patronage refunds of cooperative wholesales, 1947 and 1948 1
(Associations marked (*) are members of National Cooperatives, Inc.*]
Affiliated
associations

Amount of business

1948

1948

N et earnings

Patronage refunds

Association

All associations:
Interregional....................
Regional:
Wholesale business.
Retail business____
Service business___
District:
Wholesale business.
Service business___

1947

77
| 4,841
}

285

$12,265,635

75

f 304,586,242
7,795,063
4,127 \
l 4,459,083
/
215 l

6,177, 272
540,688

1947

1948

$10, 747,217

* $378,817

249, 504,326
5,058, 651 | 23,314,076
3,816,879
5,366,602 }
353,078

1947

1948

1947

3 $5,159

$6,147

14,987,688 $17,657,946

308,764

268,460

3 401,259
22,442

3 16,632
11,473

8 30,606

9 17,343

82,654

67,006

3 29,971

3 33,614
92,627,947

260,472

11,892,769
192,664

Interregional
Illinois—National Cooperatives4 (Chicago)_______
Wisconsin—Cuna Supply Cooperative« (M adison).

12,028,576
237,059

24
51

24
53

4 10,581,140
166,077

6,147

0

Regional
California—Associated Cooperatives 8 (Oakland)*________
Distributive business, wholesale.........................................
Service business...... .............................. ...............................
Idaho—Idaho Grange Wholesale 10 (Shoshone)___________
Illinois—Central States Cooperatives 11 (Chicago)*.......... .
Distributive business, wholesale.-........ ........................... .
Service business____________ ____ _____ ____________
Indiana—Indiana Farm Bureau Cooperative Association
(Indianapolis)*_____________________________________
Distributive business, wholesale____________________
Service business..................................................... ..................
Iowa—
Iowa Farm Service Co.18 (Des M oines)____ _________
Cooperative Service Co.8 (Waterloo)------------------------Michigan—Farm Bureau Services 18 (Lansing)*....................
Distributive business, w h o le s a le ._________________
Distributive business, retail____________ ___________
Service business_________ ______ _______ ___________
M in n eso ta Midland Cooperative Wholesale (Minneapolis)*_____
Distributive business, wholesale________________
Service business.............................................................
Minnesota Farm Bureau Service Co.15 (St. Paul)____
Farmers Union Central Exchange (St. Paul)*................
Missouri—
Farm Bureau Service Co. of M issouri13 (Jefferson City)
Consumers Cooperative Association 13 (Kansas City)*.
Distributive business, wholesale_________ _______
D istributive business, retail____________________
Service business........ .......................................................
Nebraska—Farmers Union State Exchange (Omaha)*........
Distributive business, wholesale____________________
Distributive business, retail................................................
Service business................................... ...................................

See footnotes at end of table.




|

46
13
•

250

-

86
40
35

|

159

|

600
78
425

(
42 <
l
13
'(
112

12 29,801,106
12 29,205, 529
595,577

•9 2,916,151

6,052,955
“ 161, 776
f 18,544,424
I 12,600, 548
153 1 5, 785,797
l
158,079

4,192,461
14 132, 677
15,875,335
11, 214,919
4, 539,203
121,213

146,907
29, 792
243,148
225,025
60,188
3 38, 213

( 29,816,678
509 \ 29,549.972
l
266,706
4, 325, 616
74
36, 410,143
425

23,084,288
22,896,889 | 9 2,276,928
187,399
279,218
3, 309,979
9 4, 747,595
28, 517,326

(0

34

22

[ 1,411
1

1,195

350

1,038,894
928,371 |
110,523
756, 229
1,633,392
1,615, 418
17,974

13 37,058,827
86 ' 1* 36,230, 550
828,277

22

J

1,473,238
1,335,400
137,838
1,148, 243
1,594,489
1, 538, 468
56,021

1,664,259
[ 55,441,018
1 54,174,404

l
f
1
300 1
l

1,266,614
8,107,391
6,212,270
1,810,121
85,000

480,611
39, 202, 613
38, 367,736
580,126
834,877
6, 563, 502
4, 784, 457
1,678,947
100,098

9 13,636

9 2,053
67,006

0

9 2,916,151

0
73,659
277, 727
240, 478 |
69,380
3 32,131

135,922
54,064

9 2,627,947

0

51,896

9 206,616

277,728

9 1,178,847

9 1, 712,933

9 822,526

266,521
9 2,428,513

250,276
9 2,998,597

266,521
9 1,891,668

27,347

1,916

12,963

•9 8,320,206

9 3,806,837

9 6,172,606

9 2,546,329

381,878

is 540,000

289,398

■

638,919

CONSUMERS1 COOPERATIVES: OPERATIONS IN 1948

7

T able 7.—Distributive business, net earnings, and patronage refunds of cooperative wholesales, 1947 and 1948 1— Continued
[Associations marked (*) are members of National Cooperatives, Inc.2]
Affiliated
associations

Association

1948
N ew York—Eastern Cooperatives, Inc. (N ew York)*........
Distributive business, wholesale.......... ............. .............
Service business.......... ............................. .............................
Ohio—
Cooperative Wholesale Association (Columbus)_____
Farm Bureau Cooperative Association (Columbus)*—.
Distributive business, wholesale................... —.........
Service business..............................................................
Ohio Farmers Grain & Supply Association (Fostoria).
Distributive business, w holesale................................
Distributive business, retail.........................................
Oregon—Oregon Grange Wholesale (Portland).....................
Pennsylvania—Pennsylvania Farm Bureau Cooperative
Association (Harrisburg) *_ ............... .....................................
Distributive business, wholesale................................. —
Service business_____________________________ ____ _
Texas—Consumers Cooperatives Associated 8 (Amarillo)* .
Utah—Utah Cooperative Association (Salt Lake City)*__
Washington—
Grange Cooperative Wholesale 8 (Seattle)....................
Distributive business, wholesale...............................
Service business._____________________ ________
Pacific Supply Cooperative 4*(Walla Walla)*.............. .
Distributive business, wholesale___________ ____
Service business.............................................................
Wisconsin—
Wisconsin Cooperative Farm Supply Co.40 (Madison)
Central Cooperative Wholesale (Superior)*...................
Distributive business, wholesale................................
Service business............................. ............... ..............

)
Y

172

J
77
89
225
20

1

Y

30

J
269
15

]
Y ' 57
1
]
Y 124
f

1948

1947

f $6,180,543
175 { 6,151,512
l
29,031
719,329
f 45,124,056
89 ( 44,617,136
1
506,920
[ 2,614,053
215 < 2,414,908
l
199,145
1,701,122
(7)
f 18,086,759
28 \ 17,843,220
t
243,539
252 42 10,320,243
14
1,357, 504
f
57 l

6,915,317
6, 592,808

l

49 259,827

[
322,509
( 49 6,312,171
119 ( 49 6,052,344

59

]
Y 189
I

Amount of business

40

[

173 \
l

5, 999,502
9,710,732
9,412,010
298,722

N et earnings

1947

1948

$6,327,260 ]
6,317,818 j9,442
37,177,490
36,375, 996
801,494
2, 544,964
2,284, 589
260,375
(7)
14,569,072
14,402,019
167,053
47 8,444,997
1,014,527
5, 544,920
5,302,221
242,699
17,525,274
17, 111, 538
413, 736

8 $84,939

Patronage refunds

1947

1948

1947

8 $91,176

14,545
)
M l, 442,908
91,855,203
j
93,688 1
9 93, 579 Y 9 *114,703
109 1
(7)
(7)
1
Y 9 280,950
9 394,852
1
9 615,691
48 368,226
9 59, 812
10,898

$4,604
9 1,183,962

9 $1,104,176

9 71,029

9 94,218

(7)

(7)

9 88, 908

9 272,191

9 473, 940
21,953

48 368,226
10,898

374, 983

284,120

374,983

284,120

■ 20 435,696

9 915,868

29 424,803

9 915,868

51, 540
4,381, 546
7,687,265 1
7,472,473 Y 9 319,702
214,792 1

91,063

33,815

75,068

9 309,351

9 211,182

9 309,351

District
Colorado—Co-op Services, Inc. (Haxtun)................... ...........
Iowa—Propane Gas Cooperative 12 (Eagle Grove)...............
M ic h ig a n Cooperative Services (Bruce Crossing)............................ .
Distributive business.....................................................
Service business____________ ________ __________
Northern Cooperatives® (Hancock)__________ ______
Distributive business___________ ________ _____ _
Service business................ ..................................... ........
M in n e so ta Federated Co-ops, Inc.4 (Cambridge)24— ------- --------- ]
Distributive business___________ _______________ Y
Service business............................................................. )
Trico Cooperative Oil Association 4 (Cloquet)_______
C-A-P Cooperative Oil A ssociation22 (Kettle River) ...
Distributive business------------ ------------------- ------Service business........ ......................................................
Range Cooperative Federation (Virginia).......................
Distributive business---------------------------------------Service business_______________________________
Nebraska—Consumers Cooperative Propane Co.8 (Sutton).
Oklahoma—Farmers Cooperative Gas A ssociation48
I (E nid )__________________ _____ ____________________
South D a k o ta Consolidated Propane Gas Cooperative 28 (Aberdeen).
Propane Service Cooperative 48 (A lp en a)........... ............
Farmers Propane Gas Cooperative A ssociation48
(A rlington)...------ ------------------------------ ------- -------Farm Gas Co-op Association 48 (Lennox)— ...................
Wisconsin—
Fox River Valley Cooperative Wholesale 24 (Appleton).
A & B Cooperative Association 28 (Ashland)...................
Range Cooperative Services (Hurley)...............................
Distributive business............... ......................................
Service business________________ _____ __________
Cooperative Services40 (M aple)--------- ------ --------------Distributive business................... ........................- .........
Service business...................................... .........................

9
24

(7)

21

8

7

8

6

17

f
22 \
l
18

19

19

24

26

10

10

23

15
10
4
42
7
48
4

6
7

134,712
126, 571
8,141
42 403,807 1
42 349, 958 Y
53,849 1

(7)

87, 393
99, 592

7

51,459
68,439

47
4

f

6 (

[
f
7 {
l

10, 703
8 3, 953

70,270

115,500 I
115, 500 Y
326,000

1,630,125
289,884
394,769
393,393
1,376
336,056
330,750
5,306

(7)
24,796
33,006

(7)

44,477

1,200,258
220,059
431,440
424,957
6,483
262,302
261, 553
749

(7)

9,698

1,010

(7)

4,060

9,463

2,287

7,289

3,373

13,300

3,373

13,300

1

171,259 |
89,149
98,256 Y
73,003 f
375,679
510, 980
253,887
232,347
192,404
171,655
39, 943
82,232
2,097,811 1
1, 737, 924
1,923,346 Y
1,378, 854
174,465 1
359,070
85,897
140,502

5

10

4 Data are for calendar year, unless otherwise indicated.
2 National Cooperatives at the end of 1948 also had 7 affiliates in Canada:
Alberta Cooperative Wholesale, British Columbia Cooperative Wholesale,
Manitoba Cooperative Wholesale, United Cooperatives of Ontario, Saskatchewan
Federated Cooperatives, Cooperative Federee (Quebec), and Maritime Co­
operative Services (N ew Brunswick). Other affiliates in the United States,
not shown in this table either because not federations of local cooperatives
or because not handling consumer goods, are Farmers' Cooperative Exchange
(North Carolina) and Tennessee Farmers Cooperative.
8 Loss.
4 Fiscal years ending June 30.
®6 months.
®Fiscal years ending February 28, 1948 and 1949.
7 N o data.
8 Fiscal years ending October 31.
• Including productive business.
48 Fiscal years ending September 30.




(7)

211,252

(7)

(7)

94,473
122,987

4,954

9,936

28,830

26,827

24,915

23,630

21,163

9 40,366

9 56,227

9 29,459

9 34,030

12,134

8,972

10,862

11,704
32,798
27,132 1
22,267 Y
4,865 1

9,699

4,025
(7)

8,972

(7)

8,711

9,421
14,044

671
8 3,149

9,696

(7)

(7)

(7)

86, 598
13,098

66,811
18,213

85, 516
4,755

64,206
4,840

3,361

11,138

,609

12,642

25,743

24,332

25,743

22,197

7,583

2,773

6,370

(7)

(7)

11 Fiscal years ending March 31, 1948 and 1949.
12 Including marketing business.
43 Fiscal years ending August 31.
44 Not including merchandise sold on commission.
45 Fiscal years ending November 30.
46 Approximate.
4710-month period resulting from change in fiscal year; includes marketing
business.
4810-month period: includes productive business.
49 Q-month period resulting from change in fiscal year.
20 6-month period; includes productive business.
24 The classification of this association was changed from that of service
federation, because its wholesale distributive business now exceeds its
service business.
22 Fiscal years ending April 30, 1948 and 1949.
23 Fiscal years ending M ay 31,1948 and 1949.
24 Fiscal years ending July 31.

8

CONSUMERS' COOPERATIVES: OPERATIONS IN 1948

Capital and Resources

Of the 23 regional wholesales furnishing in­
formation on their capital structure, 2 were
nonstock associations. Among the other 21,
both common and preferred stock were used by 19
organizations, to a total of $17,689,725 in com­
mon and $29,559,952 in preferred. The two asso­
ciations which had no shares of the latter type 4
had common stock amounting to $13,275; in
each, most of the operations and expansion had
been financed from the association's earnings
rather than from investment by the member
associations.
Only 2 of the 16 reporting district wholesales
had preferred stock; this totaled $34,910 and the
common $12,090. The common stock of the
other 14 associations totaled $824,844.
Assets, reported by 22 regional and 16 district
organizations, amounted to $149,476,531 and
$2,211,704 respectively. Among the regionals
the ratio of current assets to total assets ranged
from 36.9 to 97.4 percent (in 1947 the range was
from 38.9 to 94.4 percent), with an average of
56.5 percent (53.0 percent in 1947). In 6 of the
22 associations, 70 percent or more of the assets
were current, but in 3, less than 45 percent were
current. In general, the associations which have
gone most heavily into production, with conse­
quent “freezing” of capital in buildings and equip­
ment, were the least liquid.
Among the 12 reporting district wholesales
current assets ranged from 34.4 to 91.4 percent
of total assets (36.4 to 93.9 percent in 1947) and
the average was 52.6 percent (56.4 in 1947).
The ratio of current assets to current liabilities
ranged, among the regionals, from 0.9:1 to 15.7:1,
with an average of 2.0 :1. In five associations,
current assets were three or more times as large as
the current liabilities. Among the district asso­
ciations the range was from 0.5:1 to 19.0:1, and
the average was 2.5:1.
Member equities (i. e., ratio of net worth to
total liabilities) ranged, for the 22 regionals report­
ing, from 13.3 to 93.8 percent and averaged 58.4
percent; in 1947 the range was from 10.5 to 96.0
percent, with an average of 59.2 percent. In 10
4 B ut the 1948 membership meeting of one of these—Pacific Supply Coop­
erative-voted to authorize the issuance of preferred stock to finance expan­
sion into new lines and into production.




of the organizations, the member ownership in
1948 was 60 percent or more, and in 2 of these was
over 80 percent. Among the district wholesales
the range was from 27.6 to 97.0 percent and the
average 62.0 percent.

Services of Central Cooperatives
Expansion of Services by Wholesales

Associated Cooperatives (California) put its
new management service, announced in 1947, into
operation. Consumers Cooperative Association
(Missouri) reported that the Cooperative Finance
Association, a wholly owned subsidiary of the
wholesale, which was formed in 1943 but did not
get into operation until February 1948, had in the
6-month period ending August 31, 1948, made
loans to 10 local associations amounting to $69,750.
Northland Cooperative Federation (Rock, Mich.),
which in addition to its distributive business op­
erates a cooperative summer camp at Marquette,
built six new cabins there.
Expansion of Services by Federations

Late in 1948 the Cooperative Finance Corporation was started in California to assist in the
financing of cooperative enterprises; two associa­
tions had already joined when the year ended. A
similar organization, Central Agricultural Credit
Corporation, for the specialized purpose of financ­
ing purchases of farm machinery by local coopera­
tives, was started in Wisconsin late in 1948 as an
auxiliary to Central Cooperative Wholesale.
There is also a general finance organization,
Central Finance, Inc., in this region.
Service Business

The substantial increase in service business of
wholesales and service federations which occurred
in 1948 was to a considerable extent due to the
very large expansion in the business of one large
federation doing financing. In a number of
others, the volume declined. Funeral service
decreased in amount in 1947 and 1948. Store
services (merchandising, management service, etc.)
in 1948 fell to less than half of the 1947 figure
(table 8).

CONSUMERS’ COOPERATIVES: OPERATIONS IN 1948

9

T able 8.— Value of services performed by cooperative wholesales and federations, 1948-48
1948
T ype of service

Total
Amount

All services............................... - ................................... $6,948,241
Repairs (autos, machinery, appliances, etc.)___
Funeral service...........................................................
Recreation_______ ______ - ............ . ........................
Insurance, bonds, etc.............. ......................... .........
Auditing, accounting, tax s e r v i c e . .....................
Financing and credit................................... ...............
Store services (store lay-out, management, plan­
ning, advertising, etc.)------- --------- .................. Business analysis and advice------- ------ -----------Transport (truck, pipe-line, tank car, etc.)_____
Millwright service........ ..............................................
Printing (purchase only)____________ _________
House insulation..................... .....................................
Cold storage...... ........................- .................................
Other.......................... ....................................................

Percent

Departments or
Service
subsidi­ federations
aries of
wholesales

100.0

$4,999,771

2.8

193,373
65,511
8,505
210,725
144,233
124,984

193,373
102,614
10, 548
210,725
311,104
1,701, 216

1.4
.2
3.0
4.5
24.5

173,076
8,144
3,781,022
4,821
68,177
25,523
282, 747
75,151

2.5
.1
54.4
.1
1.0
.3
4.1
1.1

155,115
3,712,563
4,821

$1,948,470
37,103
2,043
166,871
1,576,232
17,961
8,144
68,459
68,177

25,523
282,747
71,671

Some of the service federations set their charges
at levels not expected to yield earnings; neverthe­
less, for the whole group of federations a net gain

3,480

1947

1946

1945

1944

1943

$5,572,870

$5,485,092

$3,983,352

$11,106,417

$4,550,708

236,300
120,385
7,398
167,488
292, 745
1,100,414

154,870
168,358

153,183
97,337
4,846
246,083
167,583
130,412

126,295
93,412
4,752
68,498
137, 274
136,275

77,981
104,073
4,864
49,912
154,357
178,884

350,667
242,832
321,828

429,973

217,669

60,585

2,984,713
4,995
65, 241
89,149
19,853
54,216

3,977,795
3,139
25,172
22,762

3,103,882
3,029
16,412

53,226
10,’486’685"

15,496
3,964,808
333

of $27,064 was realized, in spite of losses (3 asso­
ciations) aggregating $1,402. Patronage refunds
to the amount of $17,167 were declared (table 9)

T able 9.—Service activities of central cooperative organizations, 1947 and 1948 1
SE R V IC E D E P A R T M E N T S OF W H O LESALES
Amount of service business
(gross income)
State, association, and kind of service
1948
$4,999,771
4,459,083
540, 688

$4,169,957
3,816,879
353,078

California—Associated Cooperatives 3_________
Accounting__________________ _________
Insurance (agency)........ ............ ........................
Trucking_____________________ __________
Illinois—Central States Cooperatives3------------Auditing and accounting.............. ....................
Management services---------------------- -------Indiana—Indiana Farm Bureau Cooperative
Association........................ ................ ......................
Auditing.............. ................................................
Insurance (agency)___________ ______ ____
Finance (credit)__________________ ______
Automobile and machinery repair------------Trucking____________ ______ ____ ____ ___
M ich igan Cooperative Services: Automobile repair. __
Farm Bureau Services 4__________________
M anagement................................. ..............
M illwright__________________________
Trucking---- ------ -----------------------------Northern Cooperatives:5 Cold storage------M in n esotaMidland Cooperative Wholesale....................
Appliance and bulk-station repair..........
Trucking------- ------------------- --------------Pipeline and tank-car service...................
Range Cooperative Federation........................
Automobile repair----------------------------Mortuary................ ................................. .
Cold-storage locker service........... ............
Recreation................ .....................................
Federated Co-ops of East Central M inne­
sota 7..................... ..............................................
House insulation............................. ............
Insurance (agency)..................................
Transport of goods.....................................
C-A-P Cooperative Oil A ssociation8______
Automobile repair.......................................
Trucking...... ..................................................

137,838
9,834
128,004

110, 523
5,527
104,894
102
17, 974
17,974

See footnotes at end of table.




828,277
27,805
67,417
124,984
27,158
580,913

595,578
22,824
53,805
91,570
24,818
402,561

8,141
158,079
7,770
4,821
145,488
53,849

121,214
7,377
4,995
108,842
(«)

266,706
29,495
41,221
195,990
359,070
56,706
65,511
228,898
7,955

187,399
11,469
34,831
141,099
174,465
82,696
64,518
19,853
7,398

73,003
25,523
13,679
33,801
39,943
18,395
21,548

89,149
82,232
59,883
22,349

Amount of service business
(gross income)
1948

1947

Total_______ ____ _____________ - ......................
Regional wholesales................ ................. .........
District wholesales--------- ---------------- --------

56,021
27,671
28,350

State, association, and kind of service

Missouri—Consumers Cooperative Associa­
tion 4.................................................. .............. .........
Auditing.............. ................................................
Management............................ ...........................
N ew s________________________ _____ ____
Trucking______________________ ______ _
Nebraska—Farmers Union State Exchange:
Trucking_________________________________
N ew York—Eastern Cooperatives, Inc................
Insurance (agency)..............................................
Supervisory service______________________
Refrigeration repair service____ ___________
Bookkeeping____________________________
Housing information and advice........ ............
Ohio—Farm Bureau Cooperative Association._.
Trucking_______________________________
Store plans and specifications_____________
Pennsylvania—Pennsylvania Farm Bureau
Cooperative Association: Trucking_________
Washington—
Grange Cooperative Wholesale 3__________
Auditing_____ ________________ ______
Trucking_____________ ____ __________
Other_______ ______ _________________
Pacific Supply Cooperative 7.
Truck repair..................
Trucking...........................
Wisconsin—
Cooperative Services 8..............................
Insurance (agency).............................
Machinery repair...............................
Recreation______________ ______
Central Cooperative Wholesale_______
Auditing.............................................. .
Trucking______________ __________
Appliance repair............. ................... .
Advertising.......................................... .
Store lay-out..........................................
Other.......................................................
Range Cooperative Services: Trucking.

1947

$1,266,614
77,693
6,957
69, 725
1,112,239

$834,877
53,979
9,704
53,010
718,184

85,000
29,031
1,625
9,217
18,189

100,098
9,442
8,040

506.920
506.920

801,494
453,456
348,038

514
888

243,539

167,053

322,509
1,230
321,279

242,699
1,243
241,138
318
413,736
50,957
362,779

259,827
21,125
238,702
5,306
4,756
550
298,722
184,547
9,408
27,994
74,827
1,946
1,376

749
749
214,792
40,832
147,463
6,477
20,020
6,483

CONSUMERS* COOPERATIVES: OPERATIONS IN 1948

10

T able 9.—Service activities of central cooperative organizations, 1947 and 1948— Continued
SE R V IC E FE D E R A T IO N S

State, association, and kind of service

Member asso­
ciations
1947

1948
T otal....................................................................- .........................................................
Illinois—Cooperative Federation of Chicago Areas (Chicago): Supervisoryservice........ .....................................................................................................................
Iowa—Business Service Association 8 (Des M oines).............................. ...............
A uditing....................... .......................................... ................................................. •
Tax and other service............. ................ ............................................................
Maryland—Federated Cooperatives of Maryland (Frederick)...........................
C ollection service................. ...................................................................................
Finance and c r e d it............ .......................................................... ............. .........
Management service................. ..............................................................................
Minnesota—
Northland Co-op M ortuary123 (Cloquet): Funeral service______________
Mesabe Range Cooperative Park Association 4*(Hibbing): R ecreation...
Cooperative Auditing Service 11 (Minneapolis)....... ........................................
Auditing................................. .............................................................................
Bookkeeping and accounting.......... .............................................................
Business analysis.......... ...................................................................................
Business advice............................................................................. ...................
Tax service................................. ....................................................................
Cooperative Press 2 (Minneapolis): Collective purchase of office sup­
plies and printing___________________ __________________________
Midland Credit Corporation (Minneapolis): Financing and credit___
Farmers Union Cooperative Credit Association (St. Paul): Loans to
cooperatives............................................................................................................
N6brftsk&_
Farmers Union Non-stock Cooperative Transport A ssociation8 (D odge):
Trucking....................... ....................................... ............................ ............—
Farmers Union Cooperative Transport Association (Kearney): Truck­
ing................ .............. .................. ..........................................................................
Farmers Nonstock Cooperative Transport Association (Milford): Truck­
ing--------- ------ --------- ------------- -------------- ---------------- ------ -------------South Dakota—E quity Audit Co.2 (Aberdeen): Auditing and tax service...
Wisconsin—
Valley Cooperative Services 14 (Appleton): Funeral service.........................
Central Finance (Superior): Loans to cooperatives and discounting of
contracts................................................................- .........- ...............................
1 Data are for calendar year, unless otherwise indicated.
2 Fiscal years ending October 31.
3 Fiscal years ending March 31,1948 and 1949.
* Fiscal years ending August 31.
3 Fiscal years ending February 28,1948 and 1949.
3 N o data.
* Fiscal years ending June 30.

Resources of Service Federations

Thirteen service federations reported assets
totaling $1,215,748, or an average of $93,519 per
association. Members’ equities ranged, in the
individual associations, from 21.0 to 97.1 percent
of total assets and averaged 84.7 percent.

Production by Central Cooperatives
Expansion of Facilities by Wholesales

Three regional wholesales—Pennsylvania Farm
Bureau Cooperative Association, Cooperative
G. L. F. Exchange, and Southern States Coopera­
tive—in the autumn of 1948 together purchased
a controlling interest in a petroleum refinery
and topping plant in Texas. A new corporation,
Petrol Refining, Inc., was formed which immedi­
ately bought three tanker ships with a reported



Amount of business
(gross income)

1,015
11
184
4

964

N et earnings

Patronage refunds

1948

1947

1948

1947

1948

$1,948,470

$1,367,757

$27,064

$42,440

$17,167

$31,033

14,552

9
f
164 <
l
f
J
4 1
l

1,613
22,961
20,319
2,642
28,961
3,480
9,133
16,348
20,925
2,043
103,777
73, 900
16,100
1, 518
6,626
5,633

1947

7,679

187

184

20,167

103

31

37,155

5,162

14,552

5,162

27,605
1,235

1,267
366

5,135
io 976

429

90,321

4,398

2,178

3,958

1,960

20
52

21
52

449

444

11
33

14
31

68,177
1,179,911

65,241
739,268

3,566
5,009

3,227
3,018

3,163
i* 1,429

2,862
12 850

194

169

is 312,576

232,559

2,107

7,598

2,107

6,804

652

2

2

9,402

11,129

1,968

4

4

41,944

12,146

(6)

(c)

(*)

(8)

652

4
40

4
39

17,113
48,277

13,609
39,364

1,222
2,411

(8)
2,077

(6)
919

(8)

5

5

16,178

28,262

849

4,473

2

2

74,612

37,017

1,253

291

721

2,632

3 Fiscal years ending April 30,1948 and 1949.
8 Fiscal years ending September 30.
10 Loss.
11 Fiscal years ending November 30.
12 D ividends paid on share capital,
is Amount of loans made.
14 Fiscal years ending July 31.

capacity of over 5 million gallons each. These
will transport crude oil from Venezuela as well as
domestic refined products. The total refinery
capacity was expected to be 30,000 barrels daily.
In mid-1948 another group of wholesales
(Midland, Farmers Union Central Exchange, and
Illinois Farm Supply Co.) acquired “a substantial
interest” in five refineries (four in Texas and one
in Louisiana) with a combined daily capacity
of 22,500 barrels of crude oil, which had been
owned by Premier Petroleum Co. It was said
that the purchase would not “immediately”
add very much to the wholesales’ present supply
of petroleum products (presumably because of
prior commitments).
Business reverses and operating losses forced
National Cooperatives to make drastic personnel
reductions and to curtail its activities. By the
end of 1948, the chemical-products factory had
been sold back to its original owner. The flour

CONSUMERS9 COOPERATIVES: OPERATIONS IN 1948

mill, milking-machine plant, and hot-water heater
factory, however, were still being operated by the
organization, as well as the major commodity­
purchasing departments (groceries, appliances,
and tires).
Of the regional wholesales, Associated Coopera­
tives (California) purchased and took over the
operation of the lumber mill at Eureka of which
it was already part owner. Illinois Farm Supply
Co. bought a petroleum refinery at Pana, 111.,
with a capacity of 4,000 barrels a day.
Indiana Farm Bureau Cooperative Association
completed an expansion program which had
increased the capacity of its refinery at Mount
Vernon, Ind., from 2,000 to 8,000 barrels per day
and the capacity of its “cracking” plant from
2,500 to 3,500 barrels per day. It acquired a plant
for the manufacture of hog-cholera serum and
virus, as well as two poultry-processing plants.
Farm Bureau Services (Michigan) completed
the construction of its new fertilizer mixing and
acidulating plant at Saginaw. Because of the
threatened shortage of petroleum products, the
membership meeting authorized steps to obtain
a source of supply for crude oil. A new organi­
zation, Farmers Petroleum Cooperative, was
incorporated as a subsidiary of the Michigan Farm
Bureau Federation to take over from the whole­
sale the whole petroleum program.
Midland Cooperative Wholesale made another
advance toward self-sufficiency when, early in
1948, it bought leases on Oklahoma land with 100
producing wells and “first call” on any addi­
tional production obtained. This raised the
output of its refinery at Cushing, Okla., to capacity
(5,000 barrels daily) for the first time in several
years; a later addition to the plant increased the
capacity to 6,000 barrels. At the end of 1948
Midland controlled 8,780 acres of oil-producing
land, and its crude-oil reserves were calculated
at 2,731,636 barrels. Its production of crude was
over 4 times that of 1947. The wholesale drilled
or participated in the drilling of 14 wells, 12 of
which resulted in gushers and one in a gas well;
thus, at the end of the year, the association
operated or controlled 141 producing wells.
(This association also obtained supplies from
National Cooperative Refinery Association, of
which it is a member.)
The tractor plant of the Farmers Union Central
Exchange made its first run—500 tractors—early



11

in 1948 and was expected to go on full-time pro­
duction thereafter. It was reported that this
wholesale and four others had bought the Illinois
Mid-Continent Co., a crude-oil producing com­
pany, thus assuring increased petroleum supplies
for the five organizations.
Consumers Cooperative Association (Missouri)
constructed additional pipe line between Coffeyville (the location of one of its refineries) and
Valley Center, Kans. The wholesale already
owned 912 miles of line. In August 1948, con­
tracts were concluded with an Iranian oil company
for the importation into the United States of a
cargo of oil from the Middle East. Ground was
broken at Coffeyville for a new solvent dewaxing
plant, expected to be completed early in 1949.
Expansion and modernization of the refinery made
possible a 30-percent increase in throughput and
greater production of higher quality tractor fuel,
kerosene, and distillate burner fuels. The re­
fineries at Coffeyville and Phillipsburg, Kans.,
and Seottsbluff, Nebr., handled 20 percent more
crude oil than in the preceding year. Two of the
three operated above rated capacity throughout
the year.
During the 1948 fiscal year, oil properties were
bought in Kansas which included 242 producing
wells with a daily capacity of 4,600 barrels; also
a 2,000-barrel refinery in Wyoming. These acqui­
sitions, with wells brought in on other properties,
raised CCA's total to 994 active wells, not includ­
ing 94 in which CCA holds a controlling interest.
Leases were also acquired on some 115,000 acres
of undeveloped land in Colorado, Kansas, New
Mexico, Oklahoma, Texas, and Wyoming. The
association also owns a one-seventh interest in the
refiiiery of Utah Cooperative Association at
Jensen, Utah, and is a member of National
Cooperative Refinery Association.
A fertilizer mixing and acidulating plant was
bought in St. Joseph, Mo.; in Muskogee, Okla.,
construction was begun on another fertilizer
mixing plant. The CCA printing plant in Kansas
City, damaged by fire, was closed for 2 months.
Goods produced in CCA factories constituted
over half of the commodities supplied to patrons
during the year. The president of the wholesale
pointed out at the annual meeting that the
member associations saved more through the
operations (distributive and productive) of the
wholesale than they made on their local operations.

12

CONSUMERS’ COOPERATIVES: OPERATIONS IN 1948

On the average, by patronizing CCA they saved
$1.70 for every dollar saved locally; for petroleum
products the figure was $2.70. The oil wells
owned by the wholesale are returning, annually,
42 percent on the amounts invested in them. The
total invested in CCA’s productive plants is repaid
by the latter, from their earnings, 2% times every
4% years.
The members of the Farmers Union State
Exchange (Nebraska) were told, early in 1948,
that the two independent suppliers from which the
wholesale obtained its petroleum products had
terminated the arrangement, leaving the Exchange
with only the supplies obtainable from the Na­
tional Cooperative Refinery Association, of which
it is a member.
The Ohio Farmers Grain & Supply Association
completed the construction of a fertilizer plant.
In the same State, the Farm Bureau Cooperative
Association announced an arrangement with a
private manufacturer for the production of a new
fireproof and verminproof building panel which, it
was thought, would considerably reduce the cost
of house construction.
In Texas, the refinery subsidiary of Consumers
Cooperatives Associated took over the operation
of a number of oil wells in New Mexico, rais­
ing to 37 the number operated by it. A new
fertilizer plant was also added by this association
in 1948.
The Utah Cooperative Association, almost 50
percent of whose business is in petroleum products,
lost its source of supply and was forced to buy a
refinery. The refinery, at Jensen, Utah, is a topping
plant with a daily capacity of 700 barrels.
Management of the plant was taken over in
September and shortly thereafter the plant began
operating at capacity.
Expansion of Facilities by Federations

Among the productive federations, the Inter­
national Lumbering Association added a new shed
for the storage of shingles, Cooperative Plant
Foods opened a new rock mill, and the North Iowa
Cooperative Processing Association added storage
space for 110,000 bushels of feed.
Cooperative Fertilizer Service opened a branch
at Winchester, Ky., in March. Northwest Coop­
erative Mills acquired a new plant at St. Paul for
the manufacture of animal feeds and also a ferti­
lizer plant at Winona. National Farm Machinery



Cooperative enlarged its forge shop and started
construction of new plants at both Shelbyville,
Ind., and Bellevue, Ohio. Producers Cooperative
Oil Mill bought two storage tanks of 6,000 tons
capacity each.
The Cooperative Printing Association (Minne­
apolis) bought a new automatic press, and the
Cooperative Publishing Association (Superior,
Wis.) added to its equipment an offset press and
another automatic press.
The refinery of National Cooperative Refinery
Association at McPherson, Kans., ran at about
capacity throughout the year and handled
6,440,239 barrels of crude oil, or 29.5 percent more
than in the previous year. This association com­
pleted the construction of a 5,000-barrel catalytic
reforming unit. Its 229-mile pipeline for refined
products was extended 25 miles, from Council
Bluffs, Iowa, to Irvington, Nebr., where a new
petroleum terminal was built. Properties with 43
producing wells (but from which NCR A received
no oil because of previous contracts) were sold
to a private company. Later purchases in Kansas
(99 wells) and in Texas raised its total to 401
producing wells by the end of 1948, in addition to
leases in three sections of Texas on which were 32
active wells.
Petroleum Production Capacity in 1948

The location and capacity of cooperative pro­
ducing and refining properties owned by con­
sumers’ cooperatives in 1948 are shown in table 10.
T able

1 0 . — Cooperative

refineries and oil wells owned by
cooperative central organizations, 1948 1

Owner association

Location of
refinery

Illinois Farm Supply Co.............. .........
Indiana Farm Bureau Cooperative
Association.
National Cooperative Refinery Asso­
ciation.
M idland Cooperative Wholesale.........
Farmers Union Central Exchange___
Consumers Cooperative Association..

Pana, 111. . . .
M t. Vernon, Ind__

D aily
Oil
crude
wells
capacity owned
Barrels
4.000
4.000

McPherson, Kans. 17,500

433

Cushing, Okla___
6,500
Laurel, M ont____ 10,000
P h illip s b u r g ,
3,400
Kans.
Scottsbluff, N ebr.. 1,500 J
Coffeyville, Kans. 20,000
Newcastle, W y o ...
Louisville, K y ___
6,000

146
9
946

Farm Bureau Cooperative Associa­
21
tion (Ohio).
Consumers Cooperatives A ssociated.. Levelland, Tex___ 7,000
Premier Petroleum Co.......................
Longview, Tex___ 4,000
Ft. Worth, T e x ... 7.500
Arp, Tex________
5.500
Cotton Valley, La. 3,000
Baird, T ex_______ 2.500 | ............
Petrol Refining, I n c .. . .......................... Texas C ity, T e x ... 30,000
U tah Cooperative A ssociation............. Jansen, U tah____
700
1 D ata are from Pacific Northwest Cooperator, February 1949.

CONSUMERS* COOPERATIVES: OPERATIONS IN 1948

Goods Produced

The outstanding feature of table 11, showing
the value of commodities produced by central
cooperatives in 1948, is the doubling of the output
of crude oil in that year, and the nearly 45-percent
rise in refinery output. These figures reflect the
great additions to oil-bearing land and to refinery
plant made in recent years, now beginning to
show results.
A 52.7-percent increase in output over 1947 was
attained by the productive federations; the corre­
sponding figure for the productive departments of
wholesales was 24.2 percent. As a result, the
federations accounted for 43.4 percent of the total
in 1948, as compared with 36.8 percent in 1947
and 34.1 percent in 1946. Two federations sus­
tained operating losses in 1948; in 1947 all had
been “in the black.” Nevertheless, the group was
able to return patronage refunds amounting to
over 6.9 million dollars—an increase of over 200
percent over 1947 (table 12). Data on the earn­

T able

13

ings of the wholesale productive departments are
not available separately.
Resources of Productive Federations

Combined assets of the 14 productive federa­
tions reporting on this point amounted to $37,906,141, or $2,707,581 per association. Member
ownership (net worth) ranged from 10.6 to 94.9
percent of total liabilities and averaged 40.3
percent.

Employment and Earnings in Central Co­
operatives
Employment in central cooperatives showed
little change from the preceding year—7,630
employees as compared with 7,603. Total pay
roll, however, rose from 18.3 million dollars to
22.8 million dollars. Average annual earnings per
employee rose from $2,466 to $2,860 (see table 13,
p. 15).

11.— Value of manufactures of cooperative wholesales and federations, 1943-48
1948

Commodity group

Total
Amount

All products.............................

$172,823,405

Food products.........................
Crude oil_________________
Refined petroleum products.
Lubricating oil........................
Grease........................................

3,816,287
10,953,136
70, 281,530
8, 754,656
361,357
228,209
2,375, 381
419,341
315,356

Lumber and shingles............................................
Printing and printing products.........................
Coal__________ ___________ ______________
Chemicals (cosmetics, household supplies,
insecticides, serum)..........................................
Poultry and poultry products............................
Peed, seed, fertilizer.............................................
Vegetable oils and meal___________ _____ _
Farm machinery and equipment......................
Hot-water heaters................................................ .
Other. ............................................................ ..........
1 No data.




506,116
434,725
62,732,634
3,890,618
7,107,689
431,340
215,030

Departments
or subsidi­ Productive
aries of
federations
Percent wholesales

1947

1946

1945

1944

100.0 $100,903,922 $71,919,483 $128,420,867 $95,583,814 $60, 577,789 $48,999,183

2.2

6.3
40.7
5.1

.2

.1
1.4

36.3
2.3
4.1

.2

.1

3,816, 287
8,479,621
53,224,389
8,754,656
361,357
228,209
1,437,981
168,672
506,116
434,725
21,495,388
1,565,181
431,340

2,473,515
17,057,141

937,400
250,669
315,356

41,237,246
3,890,618
5,542,508
215,030

1943

$29,431,499

2, 725,804
4, 323,115
47,481,861
6,284,424
323,716
272,345
1,973,207
443,692
109,570

4,285, 504
2,693,007
36,392,061
4,891,432
191,210
119,074
309,059
321,491

2,120, 517
1,438,027
25,852, 711
4,369,325
183,023
71, 380
693, 598
249, 239
59,610

2,073,462
721,050
21,165,002
4,659,465
226,374
81,689
1,361,866
192, 793
29,274

1,958,036
31,340
6,743,901
1,358,479
223,864
1,351, 782
360, 502
326,959

452, 591
486,486
57,557,781

930,742
298,749
42,673,541

182,714
321,306
22,503,054

136,034
369,296
16,102,495

246,247
16,781,157

4,760,897
2,353,630
931,959 ]
124,314
293,419

2,473,036
60,249

1,868,809
11,574

49,232

0)

CONSUMERS’ COOPERATIVES: OPERATIONS IN 1948

14
T able

12.—Productive activities of central cooperative organizations, 1947 a,nd 1948 1
PR O D U C T IV E D E P A R T M E N T S OF W HOLESALES
Value of goods produced

Value of goods produced
State, association, and goods produced

State, association, and goods produced

Total-------- . . . ------ ---------Interregional wholesales.
Regional wholesales___
District wholesales.........
California—Associated Cooperatives2.
Mimeographing.................................
Lumber.......... ...................................
Illinois—National Cooperatives3____
Flour------------------------------ ------Chemicals and their products___
Milking machines and coolers___
Hot-water heaters............ __........._.
Indiana—Indiana Farm Bureau Cooperative
Association...... .................................................... —
Crude oil..................................................................
Refined petroleum products................................
Printing....................................................................
Meat products............................... ............... ........
Chicks__________________ _________________
Feed.......... ......................................................... —
Fertilizer_______________ _________________
Serum and virus........... ........................................
Michigan—Farm Bureau Services4.........................
F ertilizer................................................................
Insecticides............... ................ ................ ..............
M in n esota Midland Cooperative Wholesale____
Crude oil______________________
Refined petroleum products_____
Lubricating o i l . . . ...........................
Feed.............................. ................... .
Insecticides—_______ ___________
Minnesota Farm Bureau Service Co.5.
F e e d ....................................................
Fertilizer............................... .............
Farmers Union Central Exchange___
Crude oil____________ __________
Refined petroleum products.
Lubricating oil____ ____ ___
Range Cooperative Federation..
Meat products.........................
Butter........................................
Cheese...................................... .
Milk and cream (processed) .
See footnotes at end of table,




1948

1948

1947

$100,903,922
3, 389,446
96,449,001
1,065, 475

$80,821, 637
1, 746,382
78, 345, 967
729, 288

92, 842

400
400

92,842
3, 389, 446
1,355,911
37,014
1, 565,181
431,340
14, 576, 717
2,129,960
9, 550,969
41,296
95, 766
175,990
2, 449,001
133, 735
817,811
792, 705
25,106
6, 282,896
847, 559
4, 753,026
671,352
5, 204
5, 755
2, 977, 303
853,845
2, 123, 458
12, 123, 312
11,040,434
1,082,878
1,065,475
77, 805
414,937
341,952
230, 781

1, 746, 382
447, 984
15, 546
989, 433
293, 419
10, 214, 793
308, 003
6, 261, 318
41,081
215, 931
332, 201
3,056, 259

4, 624, 247
329,041
3, 192, 051
641, 328
456, 345
5, 482
2, 195, 078
798,081
1, 396, 997
7, 455, 714
192,106
6, 338, 304
925, 304
729, 288
71, 371
200, 580
432, 744
24, 593

Missouri—Consumers Cooperative Association 4__ $33,250,899
225, 545
Canned goods........ ..................................................
13,180
Soft drinks...............................................................
4,881,405
Crude oil...... .................. .................................. .......
Refined petroleum products....................... ......... 16,322, 262
7,000, 426
Lubricating oil.........................................................
361, 357
Grease.................. ...................................................
1,345,139
Lumber........ .......................... ...............................
228, 209
P aint.................................................................... .
113,109
Printing.....................................................................
2, 553,625
Feed...........................................................................
Fertilizer.__________________ _____ ________
206, 642
# 135,000
Nebraska—Farmers Union State Exchange............
# 100,000
Feed and s e e d ............................... .......................
8 35,000
Poultry and eggs_______________ ___________
338, 985
N ew York—Eastern Cooperatives, Inc....................
324, 718
Coffee (roasted)____ __________________ ____
14,267
Duplicating and offset printing_____ _______
Ohio—
Farm Bureau Cooperative Association............. 10,430,601
6,052,376
Refined petroleum products.........................
119, 537
Chicks....................... ........................................
Fertilizer____________ _________________
4, 258, 688
540, 834
Ohio Farmers Grain and Supply Association.
Feed.......... ......................................... ..............
375, 994
Fertilizer_____________________ ________
164, 840
Pennsylvania—Pennsylvania Farm Bureau Co­
4,053, 903
operative Association................................. ..............
3, 899, 810
Feed and seed........................................................
49,895
Insecticides__________ _________ ___________
104,198
Chicks___ _______ _____ ______ ____________
5, 701, 231
Texas—Consumers Cooperatives Associated 2........
Crude oil___________ _________________ ____
620, 697
5,080,534
Refined petroleum products..............................
Feed____ _____ ___________________________
( 7)
U tah—Utah Cooperative Association: Refined
424, 788
petroleum products.._____ ____ ____ _________
Washin gton—Pacific Supply Cooperative3............ 3 2, 617,194
Feed......................................... ................................ 8 2,024, 921
8 337,662
Fertilizer.......... .......................................................
8 254, 611
Insecticides......... ............... ................. .............
2,084, 685
Wisconsin—Central Cooperative Wholesale_____
322, 295
Bakery products.....................................................
322,088
Coffee (roasted).......................................... ............
91,309
Bananas (ripened)............................ ......................
1,348,993
Feed............................................................................

1947
$22,432,741
320,469
13, 490
2, 655, 806
11,376, 242
4, 717, 792
323, 716
802,907
272,345
92, 763
1,857, 211
335,947
220,104
115,843
238, 747
224.043
14, 704
8, 562, 774
4.616, 226
89, 315
3, 857, 233
519, 435
345, 993
173, 442
3, 887,379
3, 784, 628
37,354
65,397
6, 517, 300
381, 761
5,891,859
243, 680
7, 837, 093
6, 940, 473
502, 411
394, 209
3, 524, 319
305,182
261, 255
2,957,882

CONSUMERS’ COOPERATIVES: OPERATIONS IN 19J,8

n

T able 12.— Productive activities of central cooperative organizations, 1947 and 19481— Continued
P R O D U C T IV E FE D E R A T IO N S
Value of own
production

Member
associations]

Total amount of
business

N et earnings

Patronage refunds

State, association, and product
1948
290

Total................................................................................

Canada—International Lumbering Association
(Vancouver, B .C .) .................................................. • 11
Shingles...................................................................
Logs_____________ ______ _______ _____ ___
Illinois—Central Farmers Fertilizer Co. (Chi­
15
cago): Fertilizer----------------------------------------Indiana—Cooperative Plant Foods 3 (Scherer­
4
ville): Fertilizer____________ ____ _____ _____
Iowa—North Iowa Cooperative Processing
Association * (M anley)...........................................
Feed___________________ __________. _____ ’ 38
Crude soybean o il---------------------- --------- —
Kansas—National Cooperative Refinery Asso­
ciation * (McPherson)........ .......................... .........
Crude oil................................. .............. . .............. ' 5
Refined fu e ls ..___________ ______ _________
Kentucky—M iller’s Creek Coal Cooperative
3
(Paintsville): C o a l-.-.........................................
M arylan d Cooperative Fertilizer Service 123 (Baltimore):
3
Fertilizer............................ ............................ ..
Fertilizer Manufacturing Cooperative3
3
(Baltimore): Fertilizer........ ...........................
M in n eso ta Northwest Cooperative M ills 3 (St. P a u l)...
F e e d ..............................................................
Seed............ ..................................................... } 4
Fertilizer....................................... .................
Soybean meal and o il............................. .
Cooperative Printing Association^ (M in­
neapolis): Printing..........................................
(7)
O h io National Farm Machinery Cooperative3V
.
12
(Bellevue): Farm equipment............. ..........
4
Cooperative M ills 3 (Cincinnati): Feed____
Farm Bureau Chemical Cooperative (Glen­
2
dale): Fertilizer_________ ______________
Oklahoma—Producers Cooperative Oil M ill12
(Oklahoma C ity).................. .................................
F e e d .......... ........................................................ . ■ 59
Cottonseed oil.....................................................
Cotton linters___________________________
Wisconsin—Cooperative Publishing Association
(Superior).......................................................... —
P r in tin g ................................................................ ■127
Publications..........................................................
Office forms............................................................

1947

1947

1948

1947

1948

1948

1947

1948

1947

373 $71, 919,483 $47, 093,658 $83,688,994 $53,659, 234 $7,556, 862 $2,868,679 $6,902,096 $2,207,122
f
11 \
l

937,400
690,000
247,400

1

1,170,300
834, 268 }
336,032 I

769,000

1,170, 300

2 56,100

20,612

79, 017

15

6,368,736

4,066,337

6,491,618

4, 066,337

57,663

59,578

42,663

48,078

4

1,374,368

1,219,788

1,289,731

1,219,788

9,324

53,515

9,324

53,515

f 2,241,818
31 \ 1,186,597
l 1,055,221
fl9,530,656
5 { 2,473,515
117, 057,141

1
1
1>•20,498,254

1,950,521

295,152

248,565

265,561

200,136

10,908,680

5,368,547

767,355

4,803,675

697,802

1,950,521
1,018,562 } 2,241,818
931,959
10, 262, 259
456, 398
9,805, 861 1

3

315,356

109,570

315,597

109,570

3

5,618,812

4,352,946

6, 477, 910

5,806,508

533,720

494,013

480,635

433,148

3

1,269,439

1,781,068

1,721,651

1,781,068

60,800

70,158

60,800

70,158

2,429, 002

4

5,173,940
1,387,140
780,923
1,283, 318
1,722,559

724,823
436,158
1, 268, 021

• 5,173,940

2,753,434

26,684

28,398

26,684

28,398

125

69,888

45,000

69,888

45,000

6,563

4,500

(“)

(0

13
4

5,542,508
20, 252, 956

3,771, 464
13,450,140

14,590,676
20,825,305

7,388,738
13,973, 828

652,114
433,914

501,349
524, 055

551,571
433,914

231,525
370,593

2

826,452
2, 216,373
888,505
1,112,838
215,030

820,917
1,496, 081
472,687
781,533
241,861

826,452

820,917

20,974

3,513

17,724

263

■2, 216,373

1, 496, 280

150, 487

82,182

130,528

70,442

J

46

104

180,781
86,863
71, 946
21, 972

168,265 ]
79, 917
66, 276 }
22, 072

180,781

168,265

7,458

«2,980

3,428

3,064

J

2 No data.
«6-month period resulting from change in fiscal year.
* Loss.
10 Fiscal years ending Apr. 30,1948, and 1949.
percent; actual amount not reported.
12 Fiscal years ending July 1.

1 Data are for calendar year unless otherwise indicated.
2 Fiscal years ending Oct. 31.
* Fiscal years ending June 30.
4 Fiscal years ending Aug. 31.
* Fiscal years ending N ov. 30.
* Approximate.

T able 13.— Employment and earnings in central cooperative organizations, 1948-48

Type of organization

N um ­
Total
pay roll,
ber re­ employees, Total1948
porting
1948

Average annual earnings per em ployee1 in—
1948

1947

1946

1945

1944

All reporting federations....................................

60

7,630

$22,835,912

$2,860

$2,466

$2,252

$2,160

$2,064

Wholesales:
Interregional_________________________
Regional..........................................................
D istrict............................................................
Service federations...............................................
Productive federations........................................

2
21
15
7
15

316
5,338
114
37
1,825

714,476
16,299,572
295,643
166,184
5,360,037

2,270
2,851
2,683
4,491
2,967

1,900
2,508
2,422
3,123
2,341

2,478
2,294
2,049
2,710
2,313

2,124
1,963
2,459
2,364

2,037
1,808
1,997
2,259

1 Based upon associations reporting both employees and pay roll.




V. S. GOVERNMENT PRINTING OFFICEt I94S

1943

$2,024
1,502
1,893