The patron of husbandry. (Columbus, Miss.) 1875-1883, 1881-05-21
COOPERATION.
Letter from Past Master WIN
Maxwell. Of the Tennessee State


Edltof PsFfAeT: Two rules to pre-
vent the success of cooperation.
First. Pay in cash capital suffi
Gent to buy a we'll assorted stock
of goods, employ your man or men
to conduct the business, lei him or
them Carefully select the stock and
open it up In Your house of business
and then let every stakeholder 90
TO some other store and buy all they
need, That will De tolerably certain
to make other people let your stock
severely alone. Your example, little
IS You may think of your influence,
is very powerful in its effects upon
others. There is Sosee,. in example.
Second, Send s man OF your
choice, in whom every confidence
can be placed, to the great centers
of trade. to serve as your own com
mission merchant or as your whole
sale broker, let him confer with the
manufacturers especially, and with
others. whose business is large
enough and make engagements with
such to fill the orders the people
need to have filled in the centers.
and when the arrangements are all
made let the people to be served
and for whom ne has been artang
ing open up a correspondence with
their man, asking him to furnish
them the names and address of all
the manufacturers and dealers in
such goods as the people need It
viii only cost the man three cents
postage and sheet or two of paper
and an envelope 10 each letter of
enquiry, besides the time of himself
or a clerk to do the writing. And
when he gives the information then
let all who get it send their orders
TO the various addresses given them
and get their goods direct from
those houses. Soe3e times the peo-
| pie can get what they want little
| cheaper that way than at home
from IL If retail dealer, though
not as cheap as the man can fur
nish them that thew put their to
furnish for them. But then that is
the way to make cooperation a
failure in wholesale and commission
way. And that is the way TO drive
the spirit of willingness TO help the
people out Of any man, and also to
drive from him his individual
means, if he had any. in the effort
- keep up an intelligent bureau in
the city at his own expense. 1t
will not be surprising nor unnat-
ural result 10 see a man leave of
TIE effort to serve and save for the
| public " hose efforts would be thus
treated, and turn himself into a reg
ular server of the people and serve
them as ordinary business men do
for the gain there is in the ordinary
business system of the world and
Of all ages, which gain is for self.
In one thing cooperation and all
other business is precisely alike
that IS, there is no success TO either
without custom. And again they
are alike in this, the more custom
the greater gain. The more the
| business the less the expense in pro
portion. In the Southwestern Co
| operative Association there is much
to encourage, its influence is widen
ing, IFS business is increasing in
! New Orleans, and its store in St
Louis is hailed by many with words
of cheer, and orders are being sent
in, and most Of the inquiries are &C
companied with orders and the
money or drafts; or where that is
not the case there is promise OF
| business in the early future and a
stamp. That is respect that begets
respect, upon the principle that
like begets like
Our General Manager, Thos. 7
| Carver, made a flying trip to this
end of the line and spent from the
9TH to the nth inst. with US and de.
parted N fine spirits and hope. all
| aglow over the prospects and what
| had been accomplished here in the
interest of the Association. And
his parting words were, sWe must
plant in this great city to stay as ar
| Association" Such is the purpose
send the business and such will be
the fact. it's for the masses: it is
| for them to cultivate, and bushes.
is the kind of cultivation tina will
make it grow and be permanent.
VIM. MAXWELL