The Weekly Kansas chief. [volume] (Troy, Kan.) 1872-1918, 1874-04-23
The Plow-Maker, and the Farmers.

We are inclined to think that the Illinois
plow-makers have made big mistake IN guar
rrling with the farmers. The farmers are their
eustomers-their only customers in fact. IT the
farmers will not buy their plows, what can they
do with thcmf
For some years past The plow- -makersof Illinois
have had secret association, in which they conf
bine to fix prices rnles of business ETC. They refuse
tn admit newspaper reporters rstotEeirmeetings 10 and
thir business done in secret There they lay Their
plans to get the highest prices possible for their
work; Ia mon"polize the business and prevent
competition. They have not only done this, bnt
they havenOw taken fnrtIer,step aud signed
an agreement pledgng themselves not to sell TO
farmers or farmers elnbs at less than retail pri
ces, no matter what quantity they wish TO pur-
chase. They will make a liberal discount To
men who wish to buy TO sell again-but not
cent to farmer who wants the very same guam
tity to divide mp among his ncighbors. What
course is there left, then, for the farmers, but
submission to the insult or refusal to buy at ALL
and TO make arrangements for supplies outside
uf this cnmbinationi
The plow-men have been organized themselves
! into a monOpalv to compel the men who Use
blows to submit to their rules aud prices. We
| think they have made n mistake. Most people
will saw that they should conduct their business
upon the same principles which govern business
| generally, yiZ.-let competition have fair play:
let brains and industry and economy win; let the
| man who can make the plOw for the least money
have the advantage which his ability entities
| him to; make distinctions brtween customers,
! Int treat all alike-have one price, at retail,
/ with a scale of discounts in proportion to the
amount purchased. That's all the farmers ask
| and that is right.
| But when plow makers declare that they will
not sell to one set of men low as they will to
another set. they provoke an opposition which
| they may find somewhat formidable. They may
| say that farmers cannot go into the business of
| manufacturing without losing money; that il re-
qnires knowledge of that business as well as of
| farming to make success. Grant all that; and
| still it does not change the case. No class of
| men would quietly submit to the insult put upon
| the farmers. No class of would chase an
effort to rrialafe. The farmers are men of the
same sensbiliies Of other people, and are govern
ed by the same motives and impulses. They Will
| 30 into the business themselves. They have al
| ready made arrangement at MillingtOn to
| that effect. They making arrangements 10
do at Lyndon. They may lose money; pro-
| bably will do They may get dishonest and
! incompetent agents, and they may do business
at a loss But that will not defer them from
| dertaking il, and in doing So they will greatly
| ininre the who pnt this Insult upon them.
| They will not he told that their money is not as
good as the money of other men, and quirtly
submit TO il. The plow makers should, as
have before said. conduct their business ppon
the principles which generally govern business
in all countries. Not to do so, is an acknOwledg
ment of their lack of capacity to conduct il.
free field and fair play is all they should ask.
Ii is all any good business man asks. Ii lie is
not smart enough TO manage his business sue
cessfuly, il is his fanlt But enmbinatiOn-a
monopoly tn compel trade and compel prices, is
the way to create opposition. Let some plow
man have the courage to break this combination.
fix reasonable prices, make no distinction be-
tween customers grade his discounts in propOr-
tion to amount sold, and he would have cash
down trade enough to double his help at once
Rock Island Daily Argus.