The weekly clarion. [volume] (Jackson, Miss.) 1863-1882, 1874-01-08
& Farmers Purchasing Agency.

Dr. Horton makes the following report
of the results of a purhasing agency in
Illinois in a communication to the Prai-
RE Farmer He says: The Farmers
Central Association of Centralia was not
fully organized until about the 1st of Jan
uary, 1873, and their purchasing agent
was not appointed until the following
March. This was some months after the
implement manufacturers had made their
arrangements for the ensuing year with
the distributing agents, so that the pur-
chasing agent of our association found it
very difficult to make his arrangements
in time for the Spring trade.
In addition to these disadvantages, our
local dealers did everything in their pow
er to discourage us. Notwithstanding all
these drawbacks, we went steadily to
work, and made the best arrangements
we could, believing that we were paying
too much for the implements Of our in
dustry. We kept up an active CORES
p0ndence with manufacturers and dealers
everywhere, until we began, as one Of
our old farmers said, ''to touch hard
pan" The result has amply justified us
in every respect, and is embodied in the
report of a committee appointed ''to in
qdire into and report on the purchasing
agency of the association" an extract
from which will doubtless be read with
pleasure by all farmers:
The territory comprised in the investi-
CATION covers a distance of fifteen miles
north, east, west and south of CentraIia.
thirty miles square, including twelve bus
mess points. The sales from all these
have been almost entirely regulated 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 com
mittee, amounts to 1913, $50, and this. we
believe, is less by so, 900 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 industrial imple-
ments fully equalled thirty per cent The
agents profit on 1913, $50, at thirty per
cent, In previous year, amounted to
S2S, 059. The agents profits Oh the
amount of sales for the season of 1873,
at the contract prices of the Centralia
purchasing agency, 5 per cent, amounts
to S4,676 so. Thus the farmers, within
the thirty miles square, have saved
through this purchasing agency s23, 1882
90, being the difference between s28, 059
and S4676 so; 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 state
ment.
| am well convinced that the estimate
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 cultivators that
the farmers were paying $37 90 for could
be bought from our agent for S24.50, ev-
cry dealer within more than twice the
distance here estimate was compelled to
come down to the same figures or keep
their implements. Some of them even
.ried to undersell US. This, however,
hey soon found to hurt no one, as low
prices were just what the farmers wanted