The progressive farmer. [volume] (Winston, N.C.) 1886-1904, 1892-11-29

AgoIoo+ions from all res WI OG
mlnIt"5 No long Vlnded. ~theoreG1Gal
accePCe%~ anted. but DEAss solicited. we
papers so',r best houghts' and can't
VAN sb as a rule, more IMAM ABOUT
Pu oo,npnarter column 'rtlcles'
STATE BUSINESS AGENCY.
oro Is no fe 4ture of the Alliance
In me- of consideration and pat
undeEo No phase of it superauOus.
ronasor the feature of most vital
BuC po+ aft this age in the history of
~misnce in North Carolina. Is the
the BnsIness Agency 1t has saved
oUaGLIo farmers of the State many thou
Ws330 of dollars in cheapening the
sanu' IF goods. It's benefits have not
pm ronined alone to Alliancemen,
DEL men of whatever profession,
Oq Io b1v goods, have prOfited by the
Junction of prices it has etfe ted. The
1T;ancn plan of buying from manufaC-
LIrors and wholesale dealers and
icing goods to consumers at first
PoSt has forced the great pulse of trade
W look we'll toits source, carry nothing
.W~1nerAuous and sell at the very lowest
noss,ble advance.
Toere ar. three elements of the
AGENCY that render it successful. First
of all Is
All members who have kept abreast
9TH the workings of the Alliance
Tnow what this fund is, how it was
raisei. and what its object You know
aISo how that the Agency, without the
l,,l 1DNNnr nxv0nnt %hot n
oford.d a favorable opportunity of
impressing the necessity for the fund.
Rro VIM. A. Darden was the first
Agent in charge, and for a whole year,
with no funds to support him, he was
unable to accomplish anything. At
the end of this year t. ere was a slight
rinDle Of dissatisfaction at the lack of
results. But the better Judgment of
brethren prevailed. 1t required only
a little thought to convince the most
pxpectant that business sagacity alone
was not the stock in trade for mer-
Chandlse-
President Alexander, at u annual
meeting in Fayetteville, when the
Agency was just one year old. said in
his speech on this subject: 1t l. the
right of the Alliance, and if you do
nothing else at this meeting but per
feet this department, you will deserve
we'll of 5he Alliance"
1t was not perfected at this meeting,
however. fine, money and expert
enCe were as necessary to its develop
ment as nOurishment TO the growth OF
A child. But the impetus it received
from frank and manly discussion set
it going with renewed vigOr.
The fund was raised, and, up the
present has reached the sum of $34,-
99S 80 OF which $32 75C Is invested in
n Z 4 per cent. bonds, and is as safe
as the RapubliG. During the fight with
the Bagging Trust a small sum was
invested IN cotton bagging and has not
an been recovered yet, and it may OcCa
sion the lOSs of a few hundred dollars;
but the great victory won in that strife
far OuHWeIghS the cost to the Alliance
and fully demonstrates the fact that a
little money reinforced by determine
ton and united action is a resIstless
power against the attack of enemies.
The fund Il a fixture. 1t cannot be
withdrawn at the will of contributors.
The only condition upon which it shall
revert IS In cas- the North Carolina
Farmers Alliance should for any cause
cease to exist" and this condition is
not likely to occur soon. The fund
then IS a standing security for the con
tracts and purchases of the State Bust
ness agent, and while it has not, under
the wise management of w. II Worth,
been necessary, except in case Of the
oagglng mentioned above, to draw on
1t, ye5 IT Is this fund alone that enables
the Business Agent to make favorable
contracts and satisfactory terms. 1t
inspires confidence. Bro. Worth. at
the end of his first years service as
State Business Agent, said in his re
port:
when I commenced work I found
InaC the commercial world did not
know Ihe Farmers Alliance, and it
seems they did not w ant to know them.
Inlngs nave changed now. There is
no trouble TO get any article we want,
we only nave the money to get it
WIN. When you would write
tomanGtacturers for goods, they would
invariably refer you to their local
o5enGS' Il day we can buy most any
article at from 10 to 60 per cent. off :"
~ marvellous change in n wear.
men; not recognized, to dnu. ONLY q
year later, courted and o~vertures made
al the T tie of 10 to 80 per cent. off. The
BACKBONE OF the JuCe Trust had been
9roKen, n bagging for which thew
NEH!ahoeo IA cent per yard was now
Selllng Tor eve To the fund NAV be
%5crloed the first honor in the accom-
PlBSihment of so grand results
Lie second element of success is the
PLAN OF BUSINESS.
me- me u n IS necessarily a part of the
psrt 1tE the plan is by no means a
R%I' OF the fund. Without the fund
tne plan would be incomniata hut
WITHOUT the plan the fund would he
oo me plan, like the fund. has under
Rone development, andisnotnow what
ham,; T"S aI hrst. The original intention
a o0dlg simply to buy as close as possible
"nI sell to County Business AGENTS