The progressive farmer. [volume] (Winston, N.C.) 1886-1904, 1896-09-08
A PERSONAL LETTER.
No 2.
HILLsBORo, N. c.,
SAINT g 1903

OOPV' Is lCSOs
DEAR BRETHREN What is every
body's business is nobody's business"
therefore, this letter is addressed to
you personally.
In last weeks issue of The PROGRESS
sIVE FARMER, on 75h page, you will find
outlined a plan for running our Shoe
Factory. I do not know that the plan
meets you approval. You have not
had time yet to say 80. Except Ic-
cally, I have had only this, in a private
letter from Bro. John Graham: II ap-
prove the plan as I understand it." I
do not think the publication of your
Letter at this time will accomplish our
desires. I will rejoice if it does"
You may not know that work in the
shoe factory has been suspended. Sew
eral hundred pairs of shoes are lying
in all stages Of unfinished condition.
Leather and other materials are scat
tered v e the building at the various
benches and machines of the opera
tives. We have about So 200 worth of
material on hand, most of which is
paid for. The unfinished work and
scattered materials are ipjuring from
exposure.
Shall we be penny wise and pound
foolish" and allow destruction to comes
Or shall we, like business men, push
the work through to ~success2 1t can
not be greater loss to run the factory
and give it a fair and honest trial, than
to let it stand idle in it's present condi-
ton. Our fund is we'll invested, if you
will only run the plant. If you do not
use it, it had as we'll be in the bottom of
the sea.
Our Executive Committee did what
in their judgment was for the best in
terest of the organization. They made
no mistake. The fact that the plants
assumed larger proportions than they
had intended was not q fault, but an
advantage. The calculation of all
shoe men is 1.-The larger the output the
greater the profit" or the less the cost
of manufacture per pair, or, in other
words the cheaper the shoe.
. l have before me some calculations
made by a trustworthy shoe man, from
which I Condense the following: ITO
make 80 pairs per day of the shoe
from which he estimates (Which is an
average there would be a daily loss of
IS 76; to make 60 pairs per day, a daily
loss of 80 cents; to make SO pairs per
day, a daily gain of 1896; to make
800 pairs per day, a daily gain of $37;
to make 600 pairs per day, a daily
gain of $85; to make 1900 pairs per
day a daily gain of $I77. In the av
erage shoe factory year, 288 daye, the
800, 600 and 2 200 daily production
would gain respectively SO $50, $24 $50
and $50 $40 This estimation embraces
every item Of expense, including super
intending, book keeping, postage, sta
ti)nary, freight, express, telegraph,
5 per cent for selling and O per cent.
also for discount and rick, and esti
mates the shoe to be sold to brokers at
usual factory prices.
Now, your plant claims to have a
capacity of 600 pairs per day, on which
would be a profi5 at factory prices of
$85 per day, or $24 48O per year 10
one year all the permanent outlay at
headquarters, including buildings,
farm, tannery with its machinery, and
shoe factory would be more than re.
placed, and your fund instead of be-
ing $50, 600 would be more than $50, 900,
to cay nothing Of the profits accruing
from tanning, increase in valueot your
real estate arising from improvements,
selling of lots, etc. These figures are
large but not wild. Tney have been
realiz9d-they can be.
What does my plan do for you7 1t
keeps all this profit, provided you take
the product at home among the breth- /
rem who reed it most at this time.
1t has been suggested as being more
equitable under this plan, and to meet
present necessities, to limit the
dollar privilege to, say six pairs, 80
that the brother wanting 6 or IL or Is
pairs would pay 81 or 50 or s. The
suggestion is a good one. The brother
would then get his dollar back and
save 50 to S. on each half dozen pairs
pairs bought. While this plan is being
run, which can be changed at any time,
it may be the wish of the Alliance to
do so by simply carrying out
the engagements made by it, yourinveet
ment is improving and property in