The Manchester journal. [volume] (Manchester, Vt.) 1861-current, 1909-12-23

Members Get Gse,s;ieas FROM TIE e..
change ard Nesp Prices ans Arfsrss.
rasn,. to Thennssives--Tht "a sad 20
Be the Secret 81 Sueesssiul CO opera.
tive Bvy,ng Farmers Supplies
o. FEB ~. 1904. q commAiee ap
polluted 10 tbs STATE grange pIasuized
the Patrons Exchange u CounSilcni
with q president vice president. seere'
iary. treasurer and manager an exec
utiye committee Of three aud an al
yisory board consisting Of one from
each Pomona district. Of which there
are ten In the state. The exchange
buys for Patrons any article ihai they
may wish IL Is also endea yorlas to
furnish market for THEM. Aey have
been able 10 get during the 81 year
29ls cents per pound fpr g reticut
unwashed Wool. which was TO 3
cents per pound more than iobbers
would give.
The exchange tackles anything Ia
the iioe OF business for its members
Il claims 10 be the only association In
the east that has been able 10 buy coal
az the mines. The exchange is run on
the principle of ''siinou pure coopera-
ton" says Mr.. Iieuiey II Is necpssa
ry to have some standing aud credit IN |
order TO do business. Therefore they
charge those who wish to join the ey-
change S.. THIS entities them TO all |
the benefits OF the exchange so long |
as they remain In good standing In
some subordinate grange. To all such |
members the exchange does business /
for exact cost. The members send In
for quotations on what they want, and 1
the exchange sends back the lowest |
quotations they can get from the man
ufacturer or such source as the article 1
wanted comes from, There Is no cred
II allowed to any member as cash or |
It's equivalent has TO accompany the |
order
The way they support the exchange |
ls the important point. or course II |
costs something TO do business. II
costs something to buy articles for
members and II costs 10 dispose of
their products for them. When a
member buys 6our which costs 81 per
barrel be knows that is just what be
will have to pay for the -four plus the
cost of doing the business, which Is
the brokerage added TO the cost. II is
noticeable In that many have inquired
how business could be handled so
cheaply Up TO this time they have
never had complaint on brokerage
II has been left 10 the manager 10
charge up TO each member the cost OF
doing his business This brings ont
one important feature-that If It costs
So to do business for one member and
10 cents TO do business for another the
one member pays his So and the other
his 10 cents. There are no pro rata
charges so there is no opportunity for
complaint IN selling product through
the exchange il IL Just the same. Each
individual pays the cost of handling
his product
One OF the strong points OF the ex-
change Is that II II not bound TO any
special manufacturer. but can get such
articles Ms The members want and are
not Obliged to take such articles ms the
association does not want 10 handle,
1T is surprising says Mr.. Healey,
come IN. OF course our big business
" done In coal, grain. groceries, dniry
supplies. household furnishings har.
nesses and blankets. but we have fur
nisbed watches. boots and shoes. dry
goods, cream separators. sllos, sewing
machines, carpets, rugs. vacuum clean
ers. washing machines. jewelry, sub
scriptions 10 magazines. etc, to our
members
The essential TO The success of an
exchange of this kind is secrecy. and
they are continually hammerlng that
idea into their members through cor
respondence. TO keep prices and ar
to themselves. Another
method OF keeping secrecy Is that the
exchange recognizes no individual III
Everything is shipped to
the Patrons Exchange, and the mem
bers' goods are marked with a private
mark so that the manufacturers know
nothing but the Patrons Exchange and
the railroads and those outside know
no one except the Parons Exchange.
The exchange has been organized
but nine months but II has done $50.
600 or 100000 worth of business. We
believe 1t is organized on the right
and also believe the plan
worthy trial when nation wide coop
erative buying and selling are to be at