The Van Buren press., 1875-10-19
PATRONS OF HUsBANDRY.
Letter from Hon. Jno. T. Jenes.
PHILLIPS COUNTY, Sept. 18th. 1876.

BIO LOCKE: On my return home, a
week ago. after an absence of over -four
months in the service ot our order, | was
pleased 10 find yours of the Goth ult.
have heen travelling in our State. since the
first ef August, north lhr ,ush the coun
ties OF Niiite, Jackson. Independence.
Sharp, Lawrence. CIa,tan. and Van Bn-
ren, west Il, lar AS Folt Smith Ny Wis.
it to the ao{thwest was strtailed by the
necessity Of meeting the English depnta
tion at st. Louis, on the 22d ult. in the
matter of direct trade between the Mis-
sissippi valley and Europe An organi
zation Of the Mississippi valley trading
company was effected, as ysn have seen.
The co operation associations of Great
Britain are abundantly able to carry out
this grand enterprise, and only need the
assurance OF the cooperation Of our or.
der. which we are trying to give them.
Our own business system 10 very imper.
feet, especially in the southern States.
and has not met the necessities OF the
expectations of our members. The ex-
eeative committee, at our July meeting,
in Washington. had under consideration
the plan Of business adopted by the co.
operation societies of England, over
thirty Years ago, popularly known as the
Rochdale plan" the trading details OF
which send you herewith. We recon-
mend this business plan to the favorable
consideration Of our members and gran
ges Our uext meeting is at Louisville.
Ky our permanent head quarters on
the lst of October Our beard of In.
ternational commerce meet At the same
time and place. The proposed business
plan will be formulated at that meeting,
and submitted, in circulars, to our gran
ges 1t is believed it will meet all the re-
qnirements OF our agricnlturist. in do
nestle and foreign eammerce, and save to
tbNiiI Vic PthhAN With Inv 81
enriched other classes, aud kept them
poor. Such has been tie result where it
has been tried W. are assured by the
English }eputation that organizations
with us apaH this pfaa would have the
ccnhaenee Of Their co operative assoei4-
tions That they have accumulated an
immensq sl4I!dHs cat IL o.. 90 west, co west,
are receiving only p per cent per All
nam (Which their reported balance sheet
sho"s) and that they may he Influenced
10 invest in manufacturing enterprises
here where "~ have the raw material and
the food FOR the operatives. You can
readily sec the impetns nd the cohesive
force that such a business plan would ex-
ert in our order Its benefits would be
secured to the poorest member in just
proportion with the sealtliest. Instead
Of awarding to capital the Ions share OF
the profits OF business and thereby with.
drawing the wealth OF the country from
the masses. and concentrating il in q
steadily decreasing small body Of M.
people, and with it the political power
which is endangering the Liberties Of the
country The proposed plan distributes
the profits Of business, after awarding a
fair interest upon the capital invested
among those who contribute to such prof
Its, and just in proportion to their Goa
trihutions, by their purchases in store,
or BY their labor in factory. 1t is phi
losophieal. equitable. and in accord with
the genius of republican government
Wherever had AZ opportunity Of pre-
senting the principles, operation and his
tory Of this plan OF cooperation, it has
been enthusiastically endorsed. In reply
to your enquiring about our agencies, we
have had three for our State, in st, Louis,
Memphis and New Orleans, all honest
men. That they have not met the expec-
tstions of our members is the fault ofthe
system upon when they have been doing
business They have been the worse sui,
ferers. Our agency at New Orleans,
Jackson and Warner have had to give II
up and return to their former business
Scrape Thomas Il Co, in St Louis and
A. J. Vaughan 4 Co, Memphis, still go
on. but with li,tle profit to themselves
Their experience has proved that the
large wealth Of other commission mer-
chants is not made by the two and half
per cent on sales aud purchases, but that
this, perhaps, is the smallest item IN the
profits of the commission business. The
neba,es, etc. etc, are much more consid.
erable. ! hope our remaining agencies
may be able To hold out till We caa get a
better system in operation You can best
get grass seed through j ID. Guthrie,
Louisville. Nv, State agent. His purcha-
ses Of field seeds, in the months Of Feb
ruarv. aud March last. amounted to $50,
600. of which 500 600 was from one
house of course he gets seeds at bottom
prices. | am glad to know ther. is in.
qury in our State for grass seeds. have
been raising timothy. herds grass and
clover successfully. where live, for for