The Manning times. [volume] (Manning, Clarendon County, S.C.) 1884-current, 1901-03-06
Farmers Supply Company Quits.

"Competition is the life of trade" and
when the experiment ofhaving whole
sale grocery establishment was tried by
the Manning Grocery Co., under the
management of Capt. I. I. Bagnal, it
soon became apparent that this whole
sale concern was ripping the life out of
the retail grocery business. AS conse-
quence combination was formed to
counter-act the loss of trade; this com
bination was known as the Farmers
Supply Company" under the manage
ment of Mr.. Wilkins, but the people
not forgetful OF the money saved them by
the Manning Grocery Company" stuck
to it, and that concern is still doing
business, while the Wilkins company
has discontinued. Competition is a
great thing and, if this place could af-
ford two wholesale establishments the
buyers would not be losers thereby,
but the discontinuence of the wilkins
concern illustrates forcioly that the
people OF Clarendon will stand by those
who start benefits for them. Many re-
garded the opposition to the Manning
Grocery as scheme to cripple it, and
force it out of business, and when that
was accomplished, the people would be
| thrown back to the old retail profits:
therefore they clung on to the Manning
Grocery and would have continued to
do so, even if the other concern had
sold cheaper. This combination busi-
ness is getting to be serious matter.
A few men in a community ce.n by COM
bining their money get control, and if
they are so disposed, they can be very
intolerant and hurtful. We believe it
is safe to frown down anything like a
combination bs withholding patronage.
When we speak OF combinations in this
respect, we do not mean to discourage
the establishment of joint stock con-
Germs for the purpose of putting up a
bank or factory, mill or other indus
trial enterprises, which afford labor
and employment, but We mean that
when men combine their money for the
purpose of destroying an existing busi-
ness in order to put themselves in con-
troll, such institutions should be frown-
ed down upon. Any combination that
is formed for the purpose of controlling
a certain business, will at first use its
individual influence to destroy those
they are opposing, and once they sue
ceed to crush out their object, they will
then take advantage OF their monopoly,
and the people will be forced TO pay
back many fold, all that it cost the com
bination to get that monopoly. All mon
oplies are dangerous when managed by
corporate greed. We have never heard
of corporation securing control of any
business but what they took advantage
of the situation and forced up prices,
that is what they combine for. 1t is
common for concern of this character
to start out with cut prices, and run for
some time at a loss, thereby forcing the
concern they wish to crush, to lose also,
then it is only a matter of time, money
and peoples backing to determine the
existence of the concern not backed by
the combine. If the people are led as
tray by the inducements offered by the
combine, the other concern goes to the
wall and the combine has matters in its
own clutches. and all past observation
shows that when the combine becomes
master it rules with an iron grasp. The
people of Clarendon clinging to the
Manning Grocery is a sign that they
realized what would follow had they
split up their patronage and with that
keen foresight characteristic of intelli-
gence, they gave little encouragement
to those who started the opposition con-
cern.