New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1873-10-04
THE FARMERS WAR.

DOLLARS SAID TO HAVE BERN sAvED-JoINT
STOCK STORES AND ELEVATORS ESTABLISHED BY
THE FARaERs-A GENERAL REDUCTION IN PRICES
TIIK REsUIT-TIIE ORANGES SAVING MORE MONEY
THAN THEY COST.
RRoM THE SPECIAL CORRESPONDENT OF TIE TBIBUNEl
DUBUQUE, Iowa. Sept. 1S-One of the first lessons
which the Grange of thus state seeks to teach Its
aembers is TO buy for cash. TO avoid as tar as posi-
bic the purchase of agricultural machinery not alb
solutely needed and when in rare instances, the
farmer must buy implements for which he cannot
pay. TO borrow the money outright, furnishing the
required security on his place, rather than to pur-
chase on three four. OF five years credit, giving
iron clad" notes, and paying the enormous prices
which are always charged under such circumstances
This has been no holiday job machinery bankrupt
"A thousands of the farmers have been, with their
notes given for implements, in the hands of every
sheriff of the State for collection, and by official
figures, constituting almost half the delinquent
debts they have doubted and hesitated when relief
through cooperation has been offered, and have been
FAR ready to advocate reforms with which they
personally have nothing particular TO DO than to be-
gin at home and help themselves. Happily, the
Grange of the State has had among Its members a
few of good business ability and sterling integ
uty. who have felt interest enough in the welfare
and prosperity of the farmers and the of the
order of which they members, to give much of
their time, and IN some cases to risk their money in
this much-needed home reform. While at Des
Moines, and since came here have found out some
Of these men, and in their desire to spread knowl-
edge of their success and to encourage farmers else
where to initiate their example or improve on it,
they have given me every facility to learn the in
side workings of the system of co0peratvepu
and sales they have adopted, and to what it's
suits have thus far been.
OBSTACLES IN THE WAY.
1t is but little more than year since prominent
Changers Of Iowa were first successful in making
large cooperative purchases, although previous to
that ! think, they had appointed State agent and
few county agents They then found the manu-
facturors almost wholly in the power of the
agents. Not only had they made their con-
tracts with these agents for the year, giving
to each a monopoly of the sales for his
particular district, but, had they been disposed
10 disregard those contracts and sell to the agents
of the Oranges at wholesale rates they did not dare
30 do IT, because lose the trade of the agents, who
would have nothing to do with manufacturers selling
at wholesale prices to other customers within their
districts would while the present methods of doing
business are adhered to, be nothing short of ruin.
The farmers who were moving in the matter under
stood this they knew that it was unreasonable TO
ask pow maker, a sewing-machine dealer. or any
other manufacturer or wholesale merchant, to aban-
unless the Grange could offer him in exchange an
equally profitable and extensive patronage And
inst here may be explained the failure of all local
attempts at cooperative machinery buying. When
the farmers of a county have united TO purchase
their plows and have sent their agent to the manu-
facturer they have found that they could get no
terial reduction Of price The manufacturer has
said My trade in your county belongs to Mr.. A,
and have agreed not to sell goods to persons living
there below his prices, OF at any rate to pay him
his customary commission on all such sales that we
do make. You want twenty plows; if we sell them
to you at our wholesale price shall either have to
lose the agents commission on them OF lose his trade
and he takes q thousand plows year." No local CO.
operative association could command trade enough
to make il an object for the manufacturers to show
them any important favOrs.
FIFTY THOUSAND DOLLARS SAVED on ONE ITEM.
But the wide spread of the Grange in this State
gave to the farmers the of holding out to any
manufacturer whom its members should generally
patronize an nducement to give up the trade OF the
agents and sell directly to them, and the managers
of the Grange were not slow to avail themselves of
the power they thus acquired. Having agreed to
buy nothing credit but TO pay cash for all their
purchases and having received assurances from a
sufficient number of Oranges that their members
would purchase through their own agent, applica-
tlon was made to three manufacturers Of plows in
Des Moines for wholesale rates. Two of them re-
fused TO make any terms with the Grange, but the
third agreed TO make deduction OF twenty per cent
on the retail price Of each of his plOws and twenty
five ner cent on cultivators. The result was that
this man. although he made up large stock in adj
vance was unable TO supply the demand of the
Grange and the freight agent of one of the railroads
at Des Mones remarked the other day that the paint
had not been dry on a single pillow that had been
~. ,oyfac Oh nc xraar In Of fba
other manufacturers very soon discovered his mis-
take and got some of the orders that the first could
not fill and the third is ready to trade with the
Oranges PlOws have also been bought of other
manufacturers. both in this State and those adj
Joining. How many plows the Oranges have puI-
chased within year at these reduced prices cannot
be ascerained as after the contract had been made
by the State Agent the orders did not necessarily
come through him, and no complete record has,
therefore, been kept; the County Agents have for
warded many of them directly to the manufacturers,
the only condition being that the cash accompany
the order and that the purchaser be Granger. 1t
il safe to say, however, that the purchases have
amounted to many thousands and that not less than
$4,000 have been saved to the farmers of the State
within year. in the purchase Of plows and cultva-
tors alone.
TWO MILLION DOLLARS PROBABLY SAVED.
In the purchase of sewing machines the saving
has been still greater ana safes
retail price of sewing machines in this State has
been from $50 to S9j, according to variety; they
are now sold to the Changers at 40 per cent discount
from these prices or for from $50 to S57. The de-
mand has been so great that 1900 machines have
been ordered to be delivered during the coming
year. Surprising all of these TO be of the cheapest
variety the saving will be $4,000. The number
purchased will probably far exceed 1900. On parlor
the discount the Oranges is from 20 to %