, 1874-03-16
pLoW.hlkKERS And pLoW HOLDERS.
Tho Question. Of Nliltllomcn---Tlo
'Ening" and tho "Resolu-
tiOn."
Signs Of Weakness Among the Plow~
Makers.


From thu rock Isldnd Union, Afareh a..
Wo are sorry to notice that mahy Qrangos
throughout tho Weat continuo to paes rosol,l-
tions donouncing the ao-called 'tplow ring and
binding their monlbors to buy no piows or oulti-
yators OF tho firms who arc supposed to be bn,,d-
cd against public interest. Sorry, because these
resolutions hre foundel'on on erroneous mproB-
sion, and aro calculated to prevent tho n,nnufac-
turors and their agents from selling, and tho
farmers from purchasing, the bcst aud ,nost re-
lablo implements Of tho kind In tho market, In
alluding to tll1B mRtter horotofore wo havo
shown that Tho manufacturer md farmer are
aliko dependent ono upon tho othor and that
anything which interforos With the harmony Of
this relationship Ia
rnAuaMT WITH suFrEn1Na
to both parties. Tho farmers lave indnlgcd In
good many donunoatory speeches, letters and
resolutions OIL tho "plow monopoly" One Of
tho manufacturers, and only one ~ fur NJ wo
know, has presented his Bido Of tho question.
and tho bono Of contention the "middlemen"
be hoArd.
Wo hayo boon for homo time acquiring In
formation Which ehould scrve for fatr prebcnt:
ea o tho Ss a n nsoo IN s =; ade
feeling. Threo Of the largest plow-faotoroB In
tho WcBt aro located hore-two iii Molino and
one In Rock 1sland-aua their woll-being in
wolves to moro Or leen extent tho prosperity Of
tho two cities and the surrounding country. We
had conyorsation with on Intelligent and on
tlusinstic Patron OF HuHbanary who hAl read
and carefully thought over tho points uaado in
dofense Of tho agency system BY Mr. Charles Il;
Deere to CHICAGO TRIBUNE reporter. Wo found
that tho farmers wero not az rulo dissatisfied
with the prices charged for plowe by agents at
competing points, and wero willing to admit that
their Organization and facilities for lal,dling mud
1Auft>S
tom employed by tho manufacturers. It waa
THE ha1Na AND THE "REso1ur1oN" ~
thoy objected to. Said this mans "Hero arc
twenty or thirty firms who supply ninc-tonths Of
banded together in one hugo monopoly to koep
up prices aud squeeze the Inst cont out Of tho
farmer for the beneNt Of themselves and their
parasites, tho mitldlen,cn. When wo told thom
sumcr cloaer together by aboliAhing those mid
tllemeu, WHO wax fat on big percentages, instead
Of meeting LIB half wny, as we hoped and OK
pectc1, these manufacturers not only stand by
their agents, but refuso to sell to Clubs Or
Oranges i'll quantity oxcept ut rotail prices. 1t
was equivalent to saying Tint they wero our mus
tors; TINT We were obliged to do business as
euited them, and not as anted US; that we had
no right III the worlds wholesale market, through
backed by our own caBl,. They must take that
resolution back, If they want to sell their powB
to farmers, who know, mud propose to m"lnsain,
thoir rights"
This little speech contains the sum and sub
stance Of tho feeling ngainst the .pow-1 -1nakerh
III it. First, aB to
TIE "n1yo."
Tho very term "ring" is olious in the oyea
Of the people. It calls up. visions OF tho onormi-
Fisk Gould management Of the Erie Hallway,
md the Credit Nlobilier operations. Ring :"
Inns como to bo regarded Oh tho acnlc OF lnfamy.
This is vol enough, but when such asigniflcence
| nect1on with that which is Infamous, Tho
PlowmahorB' Association Ia not q ''ring.'' It is
| simply body Which moeta occasionally to fur
thor tho interesta Of its mornhbra. Questions
purchase Of stock, the c]1oaponng OF tranaporta-
ton and tho evils Of the credit systo1n, are dis
guessed, mid also tho most practical methods Of
placing their goods III the banda Of consumers ut
tho lowest advance on Wholesale rates. It Ia
similar IN character to the generality of tradcs
unions, mud III no moro d ''ring" than tho
Grunge itHelf. Inst May this Association mot
for the purpose Of curtaiing tho credit eystonll,
earnest warfare, Tho evil had grown to gigan-
tic Dimensions, threatening 10 cripple all oassee,
and tho resolutions tloy adopted had salutary
| effect.
Laat October they met to consider tho proprle.
ty Of selling goods to Furmors' Clubs ut wholesale
| rates. At That time tho organization Of Oranges
had but fairly commenced, and no ono could
foresee tho extent to which it las since been
carriod. Thoy discussed the naattor thoroughly,
and decided that they could not at prosont
change their method ofdDing business for these
GOOD AND SUFFICIENT REASONS:
/. Their dependence in the past had been
wholly on their agents, who know their trade
| porfoctly, mud can order what they want for 8
season sir months in advance.
2. Those advance orders nro absolutely
essential, na without tlicm thoy could mako nc
calculation on tho demand, would not know how
much or how little stock to 1ay in, and how man,
plowB and cultiyatora to make during tho wintel
for the spring trade.
8. Tho ordorB arc based on tho entire do
mand OF the country, and whom tlloy are filed, t
Buiicency Of p!ows and cultiyators has besr
! mado for the beasnn.
j. 10 fill tho orders Of tho ngonts, md after
wards to sell to Clubs and Oranges diroct from
the factory, would be to largely increase th'
supply without any increase i'll tho demand
many plows, which, but for the direct snlos from
tho factory, they would havo disposed Of.
6. Tho impossibilIty Of the purchasing agon
Of Grange hcing able to order CARLOAD lot
from any single faotory, OIL account Of hH lin
tied territory and tho diversity OF choice nmon!
6. Tic fact that their own agents, who rocoiv
J thoir supplies by tue CARLOAD, could, and wer r
authorl2odt+ to eoll in quantity for cash at full
rs low rate as tho fArnler would havo to pay
llo ordered diroct from the fuctory and .wa
] charged the higher freight~ratos OF brokon lots
THE MANuFAcTuhEns
were on tho owe of arranging for thoir immena
supplies of iron, Btoo, wood, paint, grlndstonoa
: omory, aud coal for their wInter's work, and til
; necessity was thrust uron tllom Of deciding a
ouco whether they would abandon their old Hi
we-lorfoctod ByHtBm Of doing businoHBt Away
certain mud satisfactory in its rosutH; mud adoE
In its place now system, which, though ai,npl
and inst OH its face, their business experietc
. told them was impracticablo. They looked vii
favor on tho farmers movement, anl wore dik
posed to do whit tl,ey could to aid it, but the
= were not prepared to abandon thoir old me.ho
:, Of doing business and either allow thoir factt
], RIGS to remain idle doing tho wintor or mgl
their regular supply and trust to luck for order
!; from Changers to make them whole. Hence the
, passed .......
: THE OFFENDING RESOLUTION.
a This resolution reatls:
!, | Icsoitet, That wo will sell no plowB to Farmer
Clubs or Granes except Ut roatl pr!oes, but
n,entl 10 aota III all ocA!lttea to soil to part!o