The Washburn leader. [volume] (Washburn, McLean County, N.D.) 1890-1986, 1891-01-03
An Important Move.

An Important Move.
(Fargo Argus.)
In an interview yesterday afternoon with
prominent harvesting machinery man Of
this city, he conveyed the information that
the American Harvesting Machine com.
pany, with headquarters at Chicago, which
is the elimination of conference of all
the leading machine manufacturers in the
United States few weeks ago, is shaping
its plans to close up, probably, every
agency in this city the first of January
next. He says instructions have been re.
ceived from headquarters to this effect,
and that in consequence thereof there is a
good deal of commotion among the local
agencies and their forces. Some have al
ready gone in one direction and others in
another, and others are expected to follow
about the first of the year, or soon after.
He expresses the fear that Fargo may be
cut off without even as much as general
agency, there being Likelihood of Grand
Forks being made headquarters for North
Dakota and northwestern Minnesota, with
only sample room" here. This he con-
siders more than likely, from the fact that
the McCormicks erected at Grand Forks
last year an immense warehouse, which
Cyrus Mccormick, the bead of the consoli-
dation, will insist on utilizing in the way
indicated.
It was also thought that st. Cloud would
be designated as a supply point for west
ern Minnesota and some parts of North
Dakota, as the Mccormick company has
large warehouses there and ample facilities
for handling machinery.
This gentleman expressed the belief that
prices would not vary much from the pres
ent figures, but that all who bought would
have to pay cash or give the best of secur-
ity, and that the old methods of showing
goods out to Tom, Dick and Harry regard
less of how or when they we're to be paid
for would be entirely done away with. A
farmer could take his choice of machines
and the price would be uniform, no differ
ence being made because of tho brand of
the manufacturer. This step of the ma
chinery men, he says, was undertaken to
protect themselves from the ruinous man
ner in which the business " as being con-
Quoted all over the country. Large a.
mounts of machinery were being disposed
of, but there was no profit in the business,
and it was this or close up business. It
was not as some had asserted, because val
liable patents were about expiring, or to
place goods at higher figure than is now
being paid, The large reduction in force,
and the curtailment of expenses through
that channel and others would enable the
new company to make an adequate profit
and still keep prices about where they are
now. The worst feature about the whole
matter he thought was the fact that so
many thousands of men would be thrown
out of employment in the dead of winter.
In Fargo alone the number will aggregate
nearly one hundred. Eventually he thought
the move would prove very good one.
It would be the means of making farmers
less reckless in the purchase of machinery
that they could get along without, and to
stimulate degree of responsibility among
them that does not now exist in many in
stances.
A number of machinery men were seen
by an Argus representative, and all admit
ted that important changes were to take
place the first of the year, but some were
reluctant to talk in detail on the subject.