The progressive farmer. [volume] (Winston, N.C.) 1886-1904, 1896-09-01
A LETTER.
Business Agent Ivey Outlines A Plan To
Put the Shoe Factory in Operation at

HILLsBoRo, N. c., Aug. 81, 1896.
DEAR BRoTHERs:-This is important.
This is for yOu. LISTEN
The Alliance has, at Hillsboro, N. O.,
the best equipped shoe factory plant
in the South. Every piece of machin-
cry is in place, and it is all paid for.
1t is yOWrS. It was bought with yOWT
fund and was erected for yOWr benefit;
therefore, yOW are the party interested.
The plant, at conservative estimate
is worth 10000. 1t is capable, with
proper manning of making any grade
and style Of shoe. 1t is insured for
81, 500, and the premium paid for one
year. As much of the Agency fund
has been invested }" this plant as the
State Alliance a. is recent meeting
deemed advisable. Now, what are
you going to do about it9 Close the
doors and walk away, with shoes so
near in sight, and leave the machinery
to go to rust and ruin3 The Alliance
would blush with shame should you
pursue such a course, and you would
suffer a loss which can i'll be aft Jrded
at this time.
In establishing this plant our Execu
tive Committee had two leading ideas
in view: First, to Benefit the breth
rem; and, second, to rebuild the Order.
Now, listen, let me tell you how this
can be done and if it meets the ap
prOval of committee and favorable
response from the brethren, we will be
gin on this plan at G?1ce.
1t will cost so, 900 to operate the
plant for n year, making 1900 pairs
of shoes per week. Now let each
member of the Alliance send in at
once SL.OO to start this enterprise, with
the understanding that this money
shall be kept by your bonded officer in
a separate account for this purpose.
When one fourth of it, or 81. 500, is
paid in, we will start the machinery.
This will enable the Agency to supply
you with shoes at actual cost of TG1C
materiaI-the cost of manufacturing
having been provided for in the dol
lars subscribed.
Toe cost of material required tt make
shoes of different styles is about AS
follows: For a shoe that retails at 75c.
(child's shoe, the material cost, 35c. a
81 shoe Soc, a 81. % shoe Csc a 81 so
shoe Soc, a 81 shoe 81 1O-a little more
than half the value of the shoe when
you buy it at retail y the store.
How will this effect you3 You have
a family of five In number. You buy,
say, only n pair of shoes for each
member of your family during the
year pair Of each grade
above mentioned. You: will save
40 SOL 60 TO- 80 cents, or 50 10
less the 81 you have paid for the privi-
lege. You have got your 81 back and
saved besides 81 10 on the investment.
If you buy twice that many, or half
that many, you will be benefited in
proportion to the amount of your our.
chases.
How will the plan build up the
Order4 Well, when the defunct lodges
and the lapsed brethren see what you
are doing (and of curse you will take
all the pains possible to tell them, they
will make haste to ccme back into the
order. The difference in the cost of
their shoes will be so ~perceptible that
they cannot help but see it, and so long
as you keep up this 81 benefit priv
lege, 80 long you can hold them.
Now, if you like this plan, take hold
of it. Before the 50, 500 first paid in
is used up. You will have another
50, 500 and another and another and
another to keep continuously running,
as the dollar privilege is to last only
one year from date of each mans tuO-
scription.
Twelve hundred pairs of shoes per
week for fifty weeks would be 60, 900
pairs per year, OF six pairs each to
10, OOO families who buy the privilege.
or course the benefit privilege must be
restricted to the immediate family of
the members who buy it: The breth-
rem at home will look after that and
see that no member or neighbor i'm
poses on the Alliance.
If the whole output is taken and
more shoes are wanted, so much the
happier for the factory-yOur enter
prise. The volume of the output "a
be increased, or doubled, at very little
additional expense-no more power is
required, no more machines necessary,
no more insurance, no more interest on