The Manning times. [volume] (Manning, Clarendon County, S.C.) 1884-current, 1889-10-09
HOW IT WORKS IN GREENv1LLE.
The Plan Of Operations Of the Farmers
Alliance Bureau There.
{ From tie GreenHiVe Ne,rS. J

From TIE CTrtenHtte aenS.
On table in the room now used as an
Office are /. number of samples of to-
bacco, flour, sugar, coffee, rice, grits,
meal, etc., which have been sent to the
agent by merchants in the city who will
compete for the trade of the alliance
members. A number of farmers were in
the office Yesterday and several pur-
chases have already been made through
the bureau.
The reporter inquired of Or. Mitchell!
the method to be used in conducting the
alliance.
''In the first place." replied the agent,
'sthe merchant sends or hands to me a
written or printed price list of his goods.
Along with this he gives me number
of samples of each article named in the
price list. I will have several large tables
on which to display these samples, and
on each sample I put the price at which
the merchant quotes the article, and l
also mark the sample with private
mark so as to tell what firm the sample
belongs to. l tile the price lists away
for reference when they are needed. By
the method have named you can read
ily see that it is the best plan. No one
but myself can tell by looking over the
samples what firm they belong to, and
only the price on the box can be told by
a person who might attempt to get the
prices of rival merchants.
when an alliance man desiring to
purchase comes into the Office be care
fully selects from the samples the goods
he wants. He can read the prices and
knows which are the cheapest and which
suits him best. He tells me that he
wants certain goods, and as know what
firm sells that particular article by the
rates quoted, write him an order to the
firm, telling them to let the purchaser
have the goods he wants ar their quoted
prices. They put an additional II per
cent. on the purchase, and that goes to
making up my salary"
:'Do YOU exhibit your price list to
members Of the alliapceT'
Yes, if they ask NE for the price list
Of a certain firm, they have the privilege
of looking Tit, but are in duty bound to
keep the contents secret. None but
alliance members are granted this prlvi-
lege. Tnere IS no chance for trickery."
Everybody understands that the OBJ
ject Of the bureau is to cause competl-
ton among merchants and cheaper
prices, and any person who lnspectS its
workings car see that it is the intention
of the alliance and of the agent to
give every business man fair chance
to get his share of trade through IS
channels.
Dr.. Mitchelps salary isssplaced at
81, 900. II !, derived, Is ac-sfafess. from
an additional II per cen:. on the goouS
bought by the farmer who trades
through tie bureau. DR.. Mitchell keeps
blank book,--ns.s -ns.s:-s:,. Ss5e2 an order is
written by him he also writes on the:
stub the name of the merchant to whom
the orderis given. Then the business man
PAYS the agent the per cent. charged on
the bill of goods purchased. To raise
the salary OF 1900 at II per cent. the
bureau will have to do yearly business
of $4,000
Cash is the basis on which the bureau
works. The alliance member pays cash
on the order he obtains from the agent.
Special arrangements may be agreed
upon between the seller and purchaser
by which the latter can get his goods on
time, but that. has nothing to do with
the bureau. 1t is understood, of course.
that the bureau does no trading in itself
and is not therefore responsible for any
debts incurred by persons who buy
through it. The bureau is simply
place where the farmer can come and
get the lowest prices on what he wants
without having to travel all over the
city in search Of it.