The progressive farmer. [volume] (Winston, N.C.) 1886-1904, 1893-01-17

up N the business feature of the Ali
anCe
A bau5 a year ago tie Executive Com
mittee. in order to place the consumer
in close touch wish the State Agency,
ordered that Sub Agents, upon filing
with the State Agent justified bond
for double the amount expected to be
due at any one time, could trade
directly with the State Agent and be
allO ed 80 days time from date of bill
in which 10 collect and make remit
tance. With one exception, this latter
plan is working we'll, as Ia evidenced
from the fat that during rhe two
months just gone by, notwithstanding
the excitement If presidential cam
paign, goods TO the amount of $40 036 "
were placed a6 the doors of 6be breth
rem Tne exception being that some
OF the brethren gC1U be turdy with their
remi tauces)
WnHe many fficulties have beset
the Agency on every hand, including
short crops and shorter prices, the
gross amount IF business for he three
years just passed has been as follows:
In 1890. 1924 473 II
In 1S91........ ............ 494 1875 90
In 1892. Observation-Disclosures. 332, pa II
Another feature is likely IT, yield
satisfactory re~ulss. The Constitution
Was so amended at the last meeting of
the State Alliance as To ALLOW the
Agency TO sell to those outside the
Alliance at a slight advance over ALI
ancrmen, and pay the same taxes to
the State that others dong the same
business pay" l. Is obvious that this
I5 wise arrangem' Mt, as 1t places she
Business Agent In a position to secure
complete control in his S5a5e Of many
gO0ds which he cuu not do before on
account of not being allowed to cell TO
those outside the Alliance. Alt rge6her
our plan IL = good one I3may be Capa
BILE Of stItl furthe' improvement. L. Is
not claimed as perfect. But at present is
the cheapest possible way Ot supplying
goods to the C DnSum&r, bein ( free from
taxes as II merchant and from rem s
and clerk hire incident to the retail
trade
There Is another class of outsiders
consisting or Ch )se whose religious
scruples will not allow them TO Join "a
secret order, for whom provIzIon has
been made. If eligible TO membership
by paying to the Alliance nearest them
the same tees and dues that members
pay, they are allowed ali the privileges
of Che Agency without becoming real
members of the Order.
The third ana last element Of sue
C"ss X
PATRONAGE.
This element may be considered as
mutual, and Is conditioned upon two
considerations: FIRST The activItv of
the State Agent III making lC to your
advantage to place orders with him
and second, the interest you take IN
the Alliance,
AS to the former consideration, a
little reflection and Comparison OF
prices will aft Ird conclusive evidence |
of advantageous results TO consumers. |
whether members o. the Alliance or
not. There never was a time when |
goods were sold on such Cl Ds0 margin
as now, and the influence of the ALT
ance is directly responsible for a large |
measure of the reduction. Merchants |
and drummers fought our plan strenu-
OII5ly at first, bu5 now on many classes |
of goods they have been forced to low |
prices, and small margin IN order TO
compete with the Alliance trade. There |
are perhaps some goods which are sold |
by the trade as close as the Agency can
sell th9m, and though on may not buy |
through the Agency, yet you profit
from us influence The Agency Is the |
great regulator of prices in North Caro-
lima. IL has taken work, untold |
energy on the part of the manager to |
reach this point. but he has succeeded. |
Suppose you compare just few prices
and see what Jhe Agency has done. |
Groceries are sold to you now at the |
very same price t1aG the merchant |
pays for same QuanJIty-sugar at New |
York prices with freight added While
less than four years ago 1t was next 10
impossible for you to get an arIcie OF |
any kind from manufacturers or whole |
sale dealers without paying tue retail
price. a case In point: On con |
,ract which tue Agent had with
Northern house, a brother bought
pair Of boots at q cost OF 81 20 lG so
happened that a merchant IN the
brothers community was selling thO63
of the same make. and this pair OF
boots he sold for 81 90. The brother
ChIded the merchant somewhat for MS
nigh prices, whereupOn the mer' han1
Immediately demanded Of the manu- |
facturer that the Alliance contract be
cancelled, Gnd 1T IUIS done. Our State
Agent met with frequent rebutt5 OF
this kind.
Now the prices: Sewing machines
for which you formerly paid S45 TO $50,
are now delivered at our nearest rail |
road station at from $14 so to Sl9 50
buggies, formerly $50 To $75, now $33
to $45; cook stoves, $l5 TO $50, now
$40 so to SIP so; all the standard plows
at least 25 per cent. cheaper than for
mprly; one horse farm wagons now
$24; standard high grade fertilizer, for
",hlch you formerly paid $40 per ton,
now $21 so, ETC.
The second consideration of this last
element, patronage, is deserving OF |
more space than Is permitted in this
letter If the busint 50 fea 5ure of the |
Alliance is so important as to maxi 1t
the great power for good. a fortress of
protection, the fright arm of the ALI