The Ward County independent., 1904-02-10
A A.lDDlE MAN !.
ANSWERS MR. WALLlN.
(i,es His Si.w q NJ Qssstiss Of Faraess'
Cooperative Store -Dces net Believe
That Il Wouh Be Well fee TIE city.
Minot, N. D., Fob. 3rd, 1904


notice an article with the heading
"Wallin to the Farmers 1t seems to
me that the gentleman has not studied
Dealer, or the Middle Man, and the enor
nous profits to be saved by eliminating
the aforesaid Middle Man. The farmer
comes to the Middle Man in the spring /.
and asks for line Of credit until his
crop is harvested, line of credit that
Wilt keep himself and his family in com
Portable circumstances. He buys from
the Middle Man in small amounts, he
gets his clothing in suits and parts OF
suits for himself and the same for his
wife and all the members of his family.
When it comes to his groceries he only
gets such quantities as be needs FROM
week to week. As but few farmers have
Shy insurance they put this burden on
the Middle Man., He must have sunicl-
ent supplies on hand at all times to meet
their demand, which necessitates carry
ing considerable insurance. besides, the
added cost Of. patting up small amounts
ofaeacA OF the various items which 60 to
make up the necessities for the house
hold fall to the Middle Man. Were the
farmer buying from they manufactures
direct he would have to buy in full psck-
ages all Of the various kinds Of goods,
which would compel him tohave years
and Of many items . much longer sup.
ply on hand, for which he would have to
pay cash and carry his own shrinkage OF
waste and deteioration, cost Of insurance.
interest, etc. This is now done BY the
Middle Man. When the farmer has har-
vestedahn crop and the dsspised Middle
Man comes forward aud asks for pay
/, ,nent Of his account he il. told . tale OF
voc shout the poor crop, or how price Or
that the machine collector has been
around. Il believe that the bulk Of the
machinery is bought direct from the
machine manufacturing company has
eAksn everything they had and this de.
spioed Middle Man, this .robber, TO
whom thsy have paid such exhoEbitept
profits viii have 10 carry them Tor an
her PEAR.
TheNiddle Man, who have trusted to
tho haaor and honesty Of the farmer,
have supplied him with the actual neces-
sites OF life, the clothes that himself and
eanilI have worn, the groceries which
theyikave eaten ard has elton lent him
q few dollars besides, nov has to meet
his crsditors and Say "Gentlsman, l
have got . let Of fsrmeEs' accounts -
assets. Will you take them for nois
Goodsf" What il the result? Tho poor
Middle Man has 70 make IN assignment.
When this has been done, have the far
mers ever come forward and paid their
accounts without being forced TO-. do SO
by the sheriff! They Invariably feel ab,
solved from any further payments to
the poor Middle Man because they have
forcd him into bankruptcy. There are
exceptions to al rules but the above
, states thss1 ss1snersl condition asscxht be
proved by the; records Of. Commercial
Life Of Ward county; pr any rother
county in the United States. H. the
gentleman will go to work and get an
actual showing of the books Of the Mer-
chants OF the State Of North Dakota Or
of Ward county he, will find that the as
Gets of the Middle Man consist of more
thah 50 per cent of farmers accounts
and as an asset they have but small Va
lue. doubt if they would be able to
realize to exceed Is cents on the dollar
of the entire amount of open book &C.
counts in the state of North Dakota and
as this is an agricultural state we must
practically call them farmers accounts.
As to the manufacturer selling the
farmer direct, he, the manufacturer, has
a memory. This memory brings to his
view disastrous experience with the
farmers organization such as the Grange
and other various fads that have been
sprung. When he felt sure that they
would not dishonor. their own organiza
,tien but, as, usual, they got what they
could out Of the Granger and when
their credit had reached the limit Of the
Granger rules they left it without any
compunctlon, paid nothing unless all
soluteIy compelled to and told tue
manufacturer to collect his account
against the Granger as best he could, SO
doubt if any reputable manufacturer
would be willing to sell to any farmers
organization. except for casn or sucL
se.u1iVy ;,a uol.ii., uc collected, upui, Win
in thirty and sixty days time. How many
farmers are there willing, or able to put
up collateral of this kind: This is what
the Middle Man has to do, either pas
cash or show a responsibility that cai
be collected at tie maturity OF the ac.
count which is now in most lines OF
goods thirty days.
Now in regard 10 the Parcel Post bll..
The situation Is GAIs:
For several years at each session cI
Co.gress there has been constant agi
tatl0u about the deficiency in tie postal
revenues, caused by tie allowing cf GER
taiIt clas es OF publications taking the
foufth-ela=s rate 1T the last session OF
{, igg5FeSs 'I.Ett gne bplage this law was