Marshall County Republican. (Plymouth, Ind.) 1856-1878, 1874-05-21

potent adversary against monopolies
and middlemen. With it he can buy
his reaper or pillow at figures which
leave but small margin of profit; with
out it, he must give his note, drawing
interest for the full price of the ma
chine. The agent takes the risk. and
must realize corresponding profit. A
farmers note may be perfectly good,
but he pays it when he gets ready, and
not before. Chicago manufactures to-
day, through their agents, hold notes
given ten years ago, for machines which
have since been worn out and shelved.
The interest has been Iaet with more or
less promptness and the principal will
eventually be paid, but all this time it
is so much money invested, which must
be made to pay return. With cash
to pay for what he buys, the farmer
need have no special dread of the mid
dleman that individuals profits will be
very small compared with those he de-
rives under the credit system. The
laws of trade, and a safe method of do
ing business, seem to demand the serv-
ices of the agent, whose functions the
Patrons of Husbandry must perform, if
they would push him from his place.
A considerable item in the co-opera-
tive economy lies in the direction of
close dealing between producer and
consumer, and the shipping of natural
products in a concentrated form. Here
great reform is already under way.
Within the past few months it is esti-
mated that eighty elevators and grain
warehouses have been built by the
Changers in the Western States. To
these the farmer hands his grain, leav-
ing it there until he is ready to ship it.
He pays only the usual cost of the stor-
age, so apt to occur in these dishonest
days. At any rate, if the thing fails to
come out right, he knows whom to
blame, and how to get redress. He is
not now compelled to accept the bid of
the grain-buyer, who insists upon his
profit of from 10 to Is per cent, but
can now take his warehouse-receipts TO
the bank and obtain money for his
pressing needs. If he desires to sell at
once and directly in the chief market,
he loads car and ships his
grain to the grange selling agent in
Chicago, who returns him the freight
bill. the inspection certificate, the num-
Der of the warehouse receipt, and a
draft for the amount realized by the
sale, less moderate commission. The
Chicago agent sends his Grange Gus
toners, as we'll as all others, the daily
market report, so that the farmer may
know that his interests have been
carefully and honestly looked after.
The business is not so complicated
but that every farmer can understand ii
easily.
Here is a cain of from Is to 20 per
cent. over the Oh mode of disposing OF
wheat and corn. The same benefit is
realized with respect to all sorts of farm
produce. A grange agent at the Union
Stock Yards receives and sells, or for.
wards, livestock on the same plan, and
the farmer saves the drovers' interme-
date profit. If, in return for his grain
or cattle, the farmer desires an equiva-
lent in groceries, dry goods, clothing,
hardware, etc, the Chicago agent will
attend to their purchase and shipment
without charge. He deals only with
frst-class houses, and the granger may
be certain of getting his goods at the
lowest market rates, as he has obtained
the highest for his farm produce. In
his dealings with the railroad compa.
mics the farmer may claim and receive
facilities and accommodations equal to
those enjoyed Sy the heavier shippers,
but ne must also submit to the condi
tions imposed upon them. When he
has ordered car to receive his grain OF
livestock at the station on a certain
day, he must be ready to receive and
use the car on that day, or else pay fol
its disuse. 1t may take little time te
get the shipping system in perfectwolk
ing order, but there need be no feal
that it will not be eventually adjusted
satisfactorily.
The shipping of farm products in
concentrated from is already receiving
attention from the oranges. Here CO
operation is introduced with advantage
in grist-mills and packing-houses. Tn
experiment of making and shipping fiou
has been successfully tried by tn
grange mill near Mortified, Mimi, ant
the killing and curing of hogs has re
celVeu much aJbeutlOu curing Tile pas
winter in the grange packing-houses
1t has proved satisfactory, and the rum
Der of these establishments will b
greatly increased this fall and winter
There is the packers profit in this trans
action, enhanced by cheaper labor an
lower rents in the country, and The say
ing of time and freight, besides tn
buyers profit, saved upon the packing
The distillation of corn into alcohC
would be likely to enlist grange capita
were it not for the fact that the Patron
have quite generally committed them
selves to the policy of total abstinenc
and prohibition. How far this wi
be allowed to hinder profitable bus
ness enterprise, remains to be seen.
The bureau of agricultural has rough
ly estimated the saving to the Wester
farmer through the economic feature
of the grange to be from $4,000, 900
1000. 900 and this is but the beginnin
of the immense advantages derive
from the practice of superior econom,
the abandonment of the vicious cred
system, and the fostering of sharp con
petition in trade. Grange experiment.
like those in ordinary business method
| IL e-o.acofu1 Tho Chi,