The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1874-03-21
The Utility of Middlemen and the Undesirable
ty of Abolishing Them.

p throughout the West continue 10 pass reSOlu
i lions denouncing the so.callad pillow ring
and binding their members to buy no plows
or cultivators of the firms who are supposed
to be banded together against public interest
Sorry, because these resolutions are founded
on an erroneous impression, and are calCu
lated to prevent the manufacturers and their
agents from selling and the farmers from pur'
/ chasing the best and most reliable nipple
, mepts of the kind in the market. In abiding
to this matter heretofore we have shown that
the manufacturer and the farmer are alike de-
pendent one upon the other, and that any
! Thing which interieres with the harmony of
this relationship is
| FROUGHT WITH SUFFERING
to both parties. The farmers have INDUCED
in good many dcnunciatory speeches. letters
and resolutions on the "plow monopoly"
| One of the manufacturers, and only one AZ far
as we know has presented his side of the
question, and the bone of contention, the mid
dlemen" have been very chary of exercising
the right to be heard
| We have been for some time acquiring in
formation which should serve for "a fair pre-
sentiment of the points involved in this one
sided controversy, and aid to restoration OF
good feeling. Three of the largest pillow fac
tories In the West are located here-twO in
Nlollnc anu OuC III lSOCk lSlunu-unu
well being involves to more or less extent
the prosperity of the two cities and the sur
rounding country We had conversation
with an intelligent and enthusiastic Patron of
IIusbandry who had read and carefully
thought over the points made in defense of
the agency system by Mr.. Chas ii. Deere to
II Chicago Tribune reporter. We found that
! the farmers were not as a rule dissatisfied
with the prices charged for plows by agents
at competing points, and were willing to ad-
nit their organization and facilities for handl-
ing and distributing plows we're not equal to
the old system employed by the manufac-
turers. 1t was
THE RING" AND THE "REsOLUTION"
they objected to- Said this man: "IIere are
twenty are thirty firms, who supply nine.
tenths of the plOws and Cultivators of the
West and South, banded together IN one huge
monopoly to keep up prices and squeeze tht
last cent out of the farmer for the benefit OF
themselves and their parasites, the middle
men. When we told them that we proposed
to bring producer and consumer closed to-
gether by abolshing the middlemen who wax
fat on big percentages, instead of meeting us
half way, as we hoped and expected, these
manufacturers not only stand by their agents
but refuse to sell to clubs or oranges in guam
NY tttN ~ Nv ittNii pliINo' II "to
to saying that they were our mastcrs-that we
were obliged to do business as suited them
and not as suited us. That we had no right
in the worlds wholesale market though
backed by our own cash. They must take
that resolution back if they want to sell their
plows to farmers who know and propose to
maintain their rights"
This little speech contains the sum and sub
stance of the feeling against the pillow makers.
Let us see how much truth and justice there
is in it. First, rs to
THE "RING"
The very term "rng' is odious IN the eyes
of the people 1t calls up visions of the enor-
mites of the Tammany rule in New York
the Fisk.GOuld management of the Eric rail
way and the Credit Mobiicr operations.
Ring" has come to be regarded as the acme
of intamy. This is well enough, but when
such asignliicanCe attaches to a word II should
only be used in connection with that which is
Infamous. The plow.makers association is
not ring II is simply u body which
meets occasionally to further the interest of
its members. Questions of material interest
to the trade such as the purchase of stock,
the chcapenng of transportation, and the
evils of the credit system, are discussed, and
also the most practical methods OF placing
their goods IN the hands of consumers ut the
! lowest advance ON wholesale rates. II is SIM
liar In character 10 the generality of trades
unions and is no more ring than the
Grange itself Last Nav this association met
FLOR the purpose of CurtailinG the credit sys
| tem,against which the farmers are now waging
such earnest warfare. The evil had grown to
gigantic dimensions, threatening to cripple
all classes, and the resolutions they adopted
had sautary effect
Las 10 20, al,
priety OF selling goods to farmers clubs at
wholesale rates. At the time the organization
OF oranges had but fairly commenced, and no
one could forcsee the extent to which II has
since been carried. They discussed the mat
ter thoroughly, and decided that they could
not at present change their method Of dong
business for these.
GOOD AND SUFFICIENT REASONS:
l. Their dependence i'll the past had been
wholly on their agents, who know their trade
perfectly, and can order what they want for a
season six months in advance.
,. These advance orders are absolutely es.
sental, as without them they could make no
calculation on the demand, would not know
how much or how little TO lay in and how
many plows and cultivators 10 make during
the winter for the season.
3. The orders are based on the entire de-
tnanu Of the country, anu Wnen thcy are hlleu
u suaiciency of plows and cutivators has been
made for the season.
4. Tofill the orders of the agents, and after
wards TO sell TO clubs and oranges direct from
the factory would be TO largely increase the
supply without any increase in the demand,
thereby compelling the agents TO keep on
hand many plows which but for the direct
sales from the factory they would have dis
posed OF.
8. The impossibility Of the purchasing
agent Of grange being able TO order car load
lots from any single factory, on account Of
his limited territory aud the diversity ofchoice
among the members.
O. The fact that their own agen:s, who re-
ceiye their supplies by the car load, could,
and were authorized, TO sell in quantity for
cash at fully rs low u rate as the farmer would
have 10 pay If he ordered direct froR the fae-