The patron of husbandry. (Columbus, Miss.) 1875-1883, 1880-04-17
COOPERATION IN WEST VII

GINA.
Farmers Friend. As Eoticed in the |
printed proceedings of the recent Execu
tivt. Committee meeting it was decided to
establish business agency in the city OF
Wheeling on the operative PLAN as
recommended by the National Grange.
This step was taken after much consuita-
ton, correspondence and careful consid-
Grafton. The matter has been urged upon
our attention and upon the State Grange
for some time. We have proceeded slowly
in the matter; we desired to be sure. The
right plan must be adopted. Support
must be given and success IS certain. ,
After much heart-sickness, pain and
travail the National Grange brought forth
.R,rles for Patrons Cooperative Assos
| cations" These are based, on what is
popularlv known as the "Rochdale plan,
the only true cooperative plan, changed
to suit American farmers. No change
being made in the aplan' or cardinal
principles. This plan has not only been
almost uniformly successful wherever
tried, but eminently SO, and no individual
Patron or Grange or association should
attempt to do business in any other way
or through any other channel, and fancy
himself or themselves as working through
the Grange. OF course all have right to
satisfy their business wants as they please,
but should not call it :'Grange plan" or.
"Grange store or agency, unless working
under the Rules" as laid down by the
National Grange. The National Grange
did not make it compulsory, or necessary,
to good standing in the Order, that all
should adopt these, but they have emphat
ically endorsed these s'Rules" and no
other, and it would seem to be acting in
bad faith, and false TO our obligations, if
we adopted and worked upon any other,
and called it Grange" This view of the
case is presented in legal and moral, as
well as fraternal point. IF experience
teaches anything, he who runs may read
that other plans have not been successful.
In the columns OF your paper, some
time since, you remark ed that we had the
Iron ages" "stone age" etc., but that this
might be known as the ''store building
4 age" corresponding with the mound
binding age" the mysteries of which an
tiquarians are trying to unravel. and re-
marking that some ssthousand Grange CO
operative stores have been built in this
country" The mistake is in calling them
SO; and when they fail, or quit business,
which they are very aptto do, sailing.
under false colors, they bring the Grange
Order into disrepute. MANY of them, in
fact the most, have been nothing more
than joint stock companies, with no more
of the 'co-operative' principles about
them than the firm of Iustus Bateman &
4 Co, or A t. Street & Co.. and not half
as much business principles Be sure you
are right, etc. 80 Fss % sd SIS 4
4 do not write to criticise the business
arrangements of our sister States. It is
not necessary to the objects of this COM
munication that l know anything about
them. But as member of the Order |
do think we should have better business
CO. cooperation among our State agencies
1t is standing reproach upon us as a
fraternal brotherhood of agriculturists
that we cannot come together in our sbu-
siness arrangements among the States.
Really there should be no State line in this
matter, as there are none in trade circles
This should be pertinent to every business
man; but tradesmen are apt to say that
there are no business men among farm
ers
OF these "thousand Grange co-opera-
tive stores" Git is like calling blackbird
white to speak of them in this way) we
have good authority for saying that the
percentage of failure" among them has
not been as large as among business houses
generally. They have not been what is
known in business circles as "failures''
although some were miserably so. They
have rather quit business, quietly return
ing the stock to the stockholders, and d.
viding the profits and losses. There seems
to have been a fatality attending these
enterprises; many of them were "abandon.
ed when in the heighth of their prosper
ity. They professed one thing and acted
another
Our State has probably had her share
of suffering and travail" on account cf
these sstores." In most cases their imme
date effect has been beneficial to indiyid.
uals and to the community; but when not
| operated on correct principles they can
not stand Some of them, those that are
carried on according to the rules for Pa
irons cooperative associations. as recon-
mended by the National Grange, are still
IN successful operation and have been for
years. have not the time nor have YOU
the space to go into the history of aGfange
stores in West Virginia Nor is it busi.
ness like to lay our business oonerat;ors
before the public; yet acting for the neo-
pie. and pr blessing to work for the GOOD
OF the entire working class, it is etais,er+-
iy proper that those interested should now
and then know how the balance sheer
stances a mention of few instances. it
IS tnought will answer the object at pres Il
emit ln.tnis county two ssstores were or
gained, both incorporated under State
law, poth having small Ca pital stock. One
! has been a miserable failure''--fleclarefl
40 per cent dividend the FIRST wear. ls,a,,sf.
OF fallure-faisna ma cement and lacl<@s,f
fraterna1 feeling. There was neither lb,isi- i
ness nor Grange principle connected with
its M bagenaent, neither were Instructions
OF stock i1oleiefs followed by the manager.
debts were incurred, bad accounts made
etc. Yet the stock holders and connt11ut1i-
ty generally received direct financial ben
eft swhIle Il was carried ON IN the reduced
cost of goods purchased The ftfsar lefss,v.as