The Prince George's enquirer and southern Maryland advertiser. (Upper Marlborough, Md.) 1882-1925, 1903-06-26

SIS, 900. None of the funds Of the com
pany may be loaned to any one, and no
obligation can be contracted without the
written consent of majority of the direc-
tors. There are no profits. What the
members look to is the fact that they re,
ceive cash for their produce at the highest
market price and buy their supplies at
cent. added to cover expenses. "Once a
year." says the Century. 1.-The company
holds a general meeting. during which
reports are made. There is but little
actual business to transact, however, for
the members of the firm have been trans
acting the business day by day ali through
the year. There is nc large sum of &C
cumulated profits to administer, no sur
plus to tempt to peculation. There are
no profits in the business save the profits
which accrue to each individual farmer
month by month as he buys his neces-
saries at wholesale and sells his products
at figures uniformly higher than the sur
rounding markets. The company buys
agricultural machinery, fence wire, salt,
flour, fuel and other bulky articles. The
agent of the company buys at the lowest
wholesale rates large quantities of the
materials needed, selling these in turn to
the farmers at cost, plus the small per-
centage noted. From the farmers he
buys cattle, hogs, sheep, oats and corn.
paying year in and year out higher prices
than are paid in other towns in the State.
Through the agent of the company the
members buy of themselves and sell to
themselves. Other members of the comp
any may buy of the agent, but lot at the
same figures as those granted to men,
bers."
Trusts and ~monopolies lave uniform
ly been worsted in encounters with 1.-The
500 farmers" If the official of a railroad
or elevator company comes to the little
town where the farmers have established
cattle yards and a grain elevator, and
threatens to outbid their agent unless he
ceases to buy in opposition to the "legiti-
mate" traders, the answer is, Come and
do it. If you pay our members more for
their produce tEan they get from me, so
much the better for them" If a farm
implement dealers association threatens
a boycott-to prevent the farmers from
getting machinery at the usual wholesale
rates-"Very WE'LL" says the manager,
1--WE shall try to compel you to sell to us.
Failing that, we can buy in the open mar
ket, or make our own machinery" The
500 farmers, in short, do their business
through their own agent, and by sensible
regulations prevent the latter from COM
promising them with unexpected liabili-
ties. The success of their enterprise has
built up a prosperous town about their
place of business. "It is admirably light
ed" we are told, land has adequate
waterworks, telephone system, etc. There
are excellent public and church schools,
and the various religious denominations
have comfortable houses of worship.
More than half of the population of the
town is composed of retired farmers,
many of them members of the company,
who have leased their farms to others
and have moved into town to live. They
have built pleasant modern town houses
out of their surplus means. They not
only have the staple necessities of life,
but not a few of its minor luxuries as
well."-Balfmore Sun.