The patron of husbandry. (Columbus, Miss.) 1875-1883, 1880-06-19
CSb.OPER ALTON.
letter from Past Master Wm.
Maxwell. of the Tennessee State
Grange.

Editor Patress, Let me give your
readers q little inside review Of
actual business. Here is what w.
M. Kethley, Treasurer of Crystal
Springs Go.operative Association,
showed inc yesterday as the resell of
two months and ten days business:
Twelve hundred dollars was in
vested. $1,000 was the business in
the aggregate for the time given
above. Ten per cent interest per
annuna is allowed on the investment.
Expenses for the time, interest in
cluded. is 800. Investments added,
exclusive of the profit, till the stock
is now SI,6S5.
Is there any wonder, when we
look at these results, that there is a
growing interest in Cooperation
within the entire bounds of the trade
of this Association?
Men are counting to see what it
really amounts to, and they And that
it amounts to thiss To the man who
took stock of $iee, his interest is ten
per cent? that is sure. If he traded
to the amount of 500, his dividend
is s per cent on that, making and
saving in the aggregate IS per cent
in the two months and ten days. Is
not that sufficient to bege. an inter
est in co-operationa But they say
that that is not all the gain in it
There is that gain when they buy
their goods at cash prices, which
they did there, and they say thai
some of the goods were cheaper
than they could buy elsewhere fol
cash. They say that if they had
bought the same amount at the usua
credit prices, they would have prom
ised much greater sum for them
at the most reasonable calculation
SI4o-for what they got for 500
| and they would have got none o
the $40 back AS it is, in eo-opera
ton, they pay out but 500, and ge
back SIS of that, and ten per cent in
terest besides.
Who is it that can afford not to d.
such things? And who is there tina
can Will not do 1t!
| The experience of the above AS
ISOLATION has demonstrated the ne
cessity of repeating the bylaw tina
req uires the Association to have
purchasing committee. They fint
that committee cannot engag
their whole time in their usual voca
ton and at the same time keep pos
ted in what is called for and wher
it can be obtained on the best terms
and they have turned the whole blu
slness into the hands of the Mana
ger. They have found by expert
ence that an Assc citation must selec
a Manager in whom they can con
fide, and then trust it wholly to him
| It is we'll for every Association t
bear in mind that the bylaws sen
out by the National Grange are onl
given as a model, from which w
may select or form bylaws upol
that general principle, adapted t
the circumstances and condition
surrounding each particular Asso
cia'ion when formed.
There is also a growing interest j
our general cooperative commissio
house in New Orleans. AS peopl
see and hear more of cooperation
they practice it more. If all VIII
can do so will send business to tn
) co operative commission houses /
, the various localities where they al
t established, similar grand and sati
, factory results will follow. We can
afford to cease our efforts to bull
up business system that has
S much good in it, until we becon
convinced that the people will n
S do that which is their best intere
f to do, when they have an opport
! nifty to know what that interest
# We are willing to give them the o.
h portunity to learn and practice VIII
n is best, and we believe they w
e adopt the plan when they unde
IS stand it. w. Maxwell.
Water Valley, June 3.