The Redwood gazette. [volume] (Redwood Falls, Minn.) 1873-1940, 1874-01-22
The Farmers MOveMent--CO.Ope
tion In Buying and Selling.

lion IN Buying ana SeAiin4'
Before the Illinois Farmers Associ.
alton, recently in session at Decatur
Jaraes A Creis shtou, Of Wayac Coun
~, read the following paper on co op'
Grafton i" buying aud selling.
In discussing this question, | shall
consider simply, will it pay the farmer!
Can he save money ty cooperation in
buyios aud selling!
TIE present system Of buying and
selling throuyh long chain Of agents
or midd.cmen, reaching from the man
utacturcr to the farmer, aud back again
from the faruer to the consumer, is
greatly to our disadvantage.
We pay all the expenses both ways.
A manufacturer in one Of our cities,
TOR Instance, Of reapers or sewing una.
chiars, ia order to reach his customers
employs \ General Agent to take
charge Of his busiuess in n given terri
tory, under him State Agent for
each State, aud uude. him County
Agent for each county. Aud, instead
Of buying Of the manufacturer, We buy
Of the County Agent. who gets from
20 to 50 per cent; the State Agent
say, 10 per cent and the Gc"eraI
Agent, 5 per cent. So there is fron
IS to g. per cent Of what We pay
>wallo~ed up before It reaches the
manufacturer.
Thus, when We buy a $500 harves.
ter. at east IS per cen'.-S7O or, il
Il" $50 Sc wing III 'chine, 50 Per cent
S4o Ut what We Ply tor each machine
stacks to the fingers Of that unnecessa
~ chsiu sf s.sea,s through which thes,:
things reach Us Aud the same is true
If almost every article Of merchandise
which the farmer Uses.
TIE smooth to"sued gentleman who
calls on Us with his matched yrays aud
i"c carriage, aud prrsuAdcs US that We
ne. d "a reaper, or our wife that sh,.
"eeds Il sewtu: -mac!li"e, must be paid
tr his visit. Iii, fancy rig aud ha"d
>"tne salary are wrang from our hard
earnings The Manufacturer does ""t
ply cent OF this expense. lie mus,
nave back all the money he invests.
With hts full prof ga IT.. iavcst,ue"t.
|" Short under the prese"t system,
she farmer buys everything he uses q,
an advance Of 2j to 100 pr cent
'bove c"st of produc'icn At least
one third Of all the money he p.ys out
goes, u"t t. ply the Gust Of mA"ufac
turing ar prod"c ~ the article he buys
but 10 pay c.mm,ssions aud profits to
the ageuts aud merchants through
whom he receives it.
Aud the system works no better for
him i" selling the produc OF his tarm
lie sells his grain, for instance, to the
nome dealer, who co.:siSns it t. co,u
l:s,,vu merchant, whom it reaches
after he has paid inspection, insurance.
Se,sh,ug, dr.yaSe, elevator charges, Or
storage comnis>,uus, aud last. but aot
Ai"ays least. st.slaye. The commits
>iv" merchant sells it to the Spectator
aud, 6naiiy, the speculator to the miller
BESIDES all the other profits, charges
.nd commissions, this c,rcuilous route
# reaching the muller often involves
extra tre,ght charges above what wouid
oe "eoessary ~ c FRY 1t directly from
The Iarn to the Mlll-au of whicn tn.
trmer must p,y.
1t is very plain saat We pay vastly
more for what We buy chan the man
utac,urer, producer or Importer re.
reivcs iur the saue; aud that we re.
cctve much less tor what We sell than
the co.'svn.r P'ys for 1t. isetwecu
the two, there Is tuil Que, half our earn-
,nys we "evcr yet. 1t gees TO- ply u
host of useless aud expensive agents
whom meu Of any other calling would
have had tn. economy aud good sense
" have discharged long ago.
TIE present system OF buying and
selling renders the farmer entirely
helpless, The buyer aud seller both
have him in their power, aud each
considers in legitimate prey.
La the spsi"y he Flows his field and
plants his seed. FROM daylight until
dark he labors; irom early spring uo-
I'll the last ear Uf corn is harvested ia
s,ut.r, Jniy's scurchiug suu and d..
ccmbers iresziug storms alike h"d him
at his daily toll. Aud when the fruits
:f his gears labor are ready for market
dues he--yea, Can he-cou"t the capi.
tai he has Invested in his sarr, in his
team. aud iu his tools, the expenses OF
Keeping up repairs, aud reasonable
Wages tor hs labor, AID say, This or
that csst we 81 much, aud, to get pay
tor my l.ber aud Interest on my Invest
meut, [ must have SO much tor corn
aud 30 much FOR pork :? lie who eats
tread aud meat mast pay the cost of
,roduetiun. Dies he say that2 Csa
ue say il? No! lie does not pretend
t." pat price upo. his own lobsr H.
supply goes to the blyer the dealer,
the speculst"r,-ustt the co"su,aer.-
with ,hc product Of his ears Labor in
his opc" ha"d, aud hu"h'y says.
tier it is; what viii y"u give me
tor it.! Here is the cream Of the sail |
hav. IAborc'i years aud Iised hard t"
nuy. |, aud nay ~ife, any my chiidre"
have t"il,d like slaves to produce It.
ilvre it is;" aud " hambly accepts
wl.ct the buyer aay ch'~se to Offer as
the veriest b,ys.r would receive peu-
ny though the price be not sufficient
to ply SO ces<s per day Tor the labor
vi producing il
I,ut. xhcn he goes to ths agent or
,uerchs~t, the scene is changed. Fro,D
the smallest to the largest article oi
Werchxndise. the farmer asks, "What
sill you take T. The dealer 6xes y
price, and saws, IL must have my mon
-y back with profit" II the farmer
does not See Ct to pay the price JUS,
then, the merchant puts his goods
back on the shelf until the farmer is