The progressive farmer. [volume] (Winston, N.C.) 1886-1904, 1889-06-25

From an Old Fogy.

In GQ0 SuO-A11ldLC6S, HUI OAiy H
State but from Texas to Dakota.
Members are careless, often indlfer-
ent, and the Secretary is often placed
in an unpleasant position as a result.
If an Alliance has fifty members on
the roll and only forty of them pay
their dues in time for the Secretary
to send his report to the County Sec
rotary, either the Secretary of the
Sub Alliance must funds or the order
on the Treasury must be made so as
to draw out of the Treasury-funds
that prompt paying members have paid
in, and should those that have here
tofore been on good standing tail to
pay-then the Alliance looses the
funds that were paid for the ten who
allowed their membership to lapse.
As the constitution now reads they
can be reinstated by simply paying
the amount of dues up to the time OF
reinstatement. The trouble, loss and
vexation amounts to nothing to them.
They need not attend, they need pay
nothing before October and yet enjoy
all the advantages of trade arrange
ments for cash that the worker re-
ceives and from February to October
may be out of the Alliance. | would
suggest that this be changed.
awe have too many members and
not enough true Masons" was a re-
mark I heard once in a Masonic Lee
ture, and it applies equally as well to
US.
To remedy this defect, l would sug-
gest that alldues be paid yearly instead
of quarterly. Let the dues for the
coming year be paid at the last meet
ing held in December. One dollar
can be more easily paid in the cotton
country at that season than % cents,
now.
Contracts for the year, begins at
that time. If a contract be made for
cash trade with a merchant for the
year, let no ones name go in, uOho has
not paid has yearly dues.
If you contract for time trade, in
clude no one who is not clear on the
books. Whenever you secure a mem
Der let the dues be included up to
December 3lst, of each year.
This will induce payments, as every
one has cash to make his purchases
with at that season of the year, and
will want the benefit of trade arrange
ment.
I question whether we ought to in
crease the price of admission for the
benefit Of the Business Agency Fund.
Where Alliances have been established
for a year or more we cannot expect
much increase, where they have not
been organized. The poor farmer
has lost enough already by nothaving
had an opportunity to join and it
would hardly be fair to tax them more
than we were taxed.
I am in favor of an increase of dues
for the amount now collected is not
sufficient for the expenses of the Sub
Alliances, if not for the Sub-Alliances
it can hardly be for the State and
National. The dues for admissions
that the State receives will fall
off each succeeding year as the per
cent. of male admissions must be
smaller each year, and our State ALI
ance will have greater expenses, not
only from increased membership but
from increased business.
Each Sub-Alliance needs a hall-a
good hall. We cannot urge the ladies
to attend until we can seat them com
fortably. We cannot hope fora good
degree of enthusiasm Of continued in
terest and attendance until our mothers
our wives and daughters meet with
Us. l confess that l am far from
being too old to enjoy the company
of earth's m~inistering angels, and in
my w~anderings I have noticed that
our church and charities have been
aided more by the influence Of woman,
than by mans. Hence 1 say each
Sub-Alliance must have a good hall.
By the time the rent or interest is
paid when the Business Agents and
Secretary's accounts for stamps,
stationery, etc., has been paid, and
other expenses the funds coming from
dues will be insufficient to meet the
bills. We ought to always have
enough money in the Treasury so
that if we invite a lecturer we can
pay his expenses and for his services,
for we have no right to them without
doing SO.
I am heartily in favor of excluding
any male over twenty-one years Of
age from the benefits of the Alliance
who does not contribute at least $1.OO
to the Business Agency Fund. This
would be treating all alike and would
give US 500, 600 for our Agent.
We must devise some way of get
ting members to attend. If, l suggest,
a member does not feel willing to at.
tend and yet wants the benefit of our
trade arrangements, let them pay for
the henehts either nv fines on absence