The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1874-01-31
A FARMERS PURCHASING AGENCY.

DR.. Horton makes the following re-
port of the results of purchasing
agency in Illinois in a communication
to the Prairie Farmer" He SAYS -
The Farmers Central Association of
Centralia was not fully organized until
about the LIST of January, 1873, and
their purchasing agent was not appoint
ed until the following March This
was some months after the implement
manufacturers had made their arrange
ments for the ensuing year with the
distributing agents, so that the pur-
chasing agent of our association found
it very difficult to make his arrange
ments in time for the Spring trade.
In addition to these disadvantages,
our local dealers did everything in their
power to discourage us. Notwithstand-
ing all these drawbacks, we went stead
lily to work, and made the best arrange
ments we could, believing that we We're
paying too much for the implements of
our industry. We kept up an active
correspondence with manufacturers and
dealers everywhere, until we "began,"
as one of our old farmers said, "to
touch hard pam The result has am
ply justified US in every respect, and is
embodied in the report of committee
appointed "to inquire into and report
on the purchasing agency of the asso-
ciation," an extract from which will
doubtless be read with pleasure by all
farmers
The territory comprised in the inves-
tigation covers a distance of fifteen
miles north, east, west, and south of
Centralia, thirty miles square, including
twelve BUSINESS points. The sales from
all these have been almost entirely reg
ulated by the contract of the Centralia
agency. The sale value of implements
sold within this area during the present
season, as shown by the investigations
of the committee, amounts to S93 $50,
and this, we believe, is less by $4,000
than the actual amount sold, as it has
been difficult to get full and final figures
The average per cent received by agents
in former seasons for the sale of indus
trial implements fully equalled thirty
per cent. The agents profit on 1913. $50,
at thirty per cent, in previous year,
amounted to $2S,059. The agents
profits on the amount of sales for the
season of 1878, at the contract prices
of the Centralia Purchasing Agency,
five per cent, amounts to $4,616.50
Thus the farmers, within the thirty
miles square, have saved through this
purchasing agency $23,3S25O, being
the difference between $2S,029 and ST.
G76.50; and it may be proper to state
that none of the above figures cover
the sales of wagons manufactured out
side the territory embraced in this
statement.
| am well convinced that the esti-
mate here placed upon the amount sold
to the farmers of this region of country
is far too small, inasmuch as the effect
was not limited to this locality, for as
soon as it was ascertained that the cult
vators that the farmers were paying SO I
for could be bought from our agent for
$24.50, every dealer within more than
twice the distance here estimated was
compelled to come down to the same
figures or keep their implements. Some
of them even tried to undersell US
This, however, they soon found hurt no
one, as low prices were just what the
farmers wanted.