The Findlay Jeffersonian. [volume] (Findlay, Hancock County, Ohio) 1870-1881, 1874-01-09
s9ulne and farm,
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Co.0oeratiVe Grange Stores.

rIs-pru the Missouri! i'afFIOi.
Co-OperatiVe Grange Stores.
r. K. Allen, Master Of the Mis-
souri State Grange, writes 70 Colmsn'
Rural World concerning the proprie,
ty of establishing co operative grang,
stores a. follows:
81 am receiving numerous letter.
solicriug -.ivice on The subject o
cooperative grange stores. Ganno-
answer them all privately. so once fol
all, / give out these few hints as my
Individual opinion, and no more, and
fist, il is my opinion that we should
DO many o,her things before we 20
into merchandising We can do much
better at present by dealing with the
merchants We have than to run the
risk Of starting stores ourselves. We
ought TO remember that we are farm
ers. and that few Of Us have sufficient
ly mastered that honorable profession ;
and that until We have We had better
stick to it. Agriculture Is not only
an ari, but a science Of almost incon
ceivable vast prol,ortions,In IN which the
gigantic minds Of the age may find
ample scope for their genius, and
yet leave vast fields unexplored.
There may be localities and circum-
stances that would justify farmers in
becoming their own merchants, but !
think these are rare. 1--we viii act
Wisely and prudently, we can, by the
aid Of our organization, procure all
our supplies cheaper by patronIzing
those whose life business it is TO deal
in them, than by any other method
The plainest common sense will teach |
a man this. Now, ] am not 10 be un-
derstood az contending that we should |
continue the support Of all the mid |
dlemen we have and have been try
ing to support heretofore. Exactly the |
reverse OF this should be our policy. |
A due proportion Of middlemen, in |
this age OF civilization, is just as neces
sary as in sny other class, and their
occupation ID just as legitimate and |
honorable. The trouble is we have |
been trying TO carry too many ofthem.
We have unduly encouraged and fos-
tered this class by injudicious action
ourselves until they have become so
numerous that it is no longer possible
for us to support them all and live
ourselves. = - = = =
Now that we have at least partiaI
organization, 70 that we can act in
concert aud concentrate our forces on
any given point, We may begin to
realize advantages, not by starting
stores ourselves, but by accepting
propositions from those already in s
existence. If we act prudently, we
shall have plenty Of these, and so many
that we can accep: the best OffeIs- We
should be reasonable and always act b
on the principle of live and let live. n
Concentrate on number sufficient TO n
do the business and to keep UP healthy Z
competition. Let the other half,twO n
thirds or three-forthes 90, some o:
them may finally conclude to 90 TO I
some industrial employment so as TO |,
add their share OF welth TO the general e
workers instead of n
drones in the hive. Those selected q
will have TO work as many hours as q
you do, and their pay will now be Z
more in proportion to their work.
You will save large percentage from
the profits you formerly paid to them,
and they will find themselves quite as
as well off at the end of the year, and
enjoying a much better conscience.
Instead of going into merchandising
in foreign goods, we should advise
our farmers TO pay more attention to
their own products for
market. This may lead them, to
some extent, to be manufacturers, but
In the right direction.