both in quality and cost of production. Here, it will
be observed, was an opportunity for an experiment in co-operative
production, under modern industrial conditions, which would put the
associative qualities of the Irish farmer to a test which the British
artisan had not stood quite as well as the founders of the co-operative
movement had anticipated. To add to the interest of the situation,
capitalists had seized upon the material advantages which the abundant
supply of Irish milk afforded, and the green pastures of the "Golden
Vein" were studded with snow white creameries which proclaimed the
transfer of this great Irish industry from the tiller of the soil to the
man of commerce. The new-comers secured the milk of the district by
giving the farmer much more for his milk than it was worth to him, so
long as he pursued the old methods of home manufacture. This induced
farmers to go out of the butter-making business. After a while the price
was reduced, and the proprietor, finding it necessary to give the
suppliers only what they could make out of their milk without his modern
equipment, realised profits altogether out of proportion to his share of
the capital embarked or the labour involved in the production of the
butter.

The economic position was ideal for our purpose, and we had no
difficulty in explaining it to the farmers themselves. The social
problem was the real difficulty. To all suggestions of co-operative
action they at first opposed a hopeless _non possumus_. Their objections
may be summed up thus:--They had never combined for any business
purpose. How could they trust the Committee they were asked to elect
from amongst themselves to expend their money and conduct their
business? It was all very well for the proprietor with his ample
capital, free hand, and business experience, to work with complicated
machinery and to consign his butter out of the reach of the local butter
buyer, and to save the waste and delay of the local butter market. But
they knew nothing of the business and would only make fools of
themselves. The promoters--they were not putting anything into the
scheme--how much did they intend to take out?[38]

There was nothing in this attitude of mind which we had not fully
anticipated. We were confident that, as we were on sound economic
ground, no matter what difficulties might confront us it was only a
question of time for the attainment of our ends. All that was required
was that we sh