THE NINETEENTH ANNUAL MEETING. 117 



Thursday Morning Session. 



The closing session of the meeting was much more fully attended than is 

 usnal to the closing hours, and was opened by a paper by Mr. Rowland 

 Morrill of Benton Harbor, upon 



WHAT SHOULD WE EXPECT OF THE COMMISSION MERCHANT ? 



" We consider this a very imjjortant question, and I am very glad that 

 we are to have both sides of it presented here today for our consideration; 

 and I hope it may give all of us a better understanding of the methods of 

 conducting our business from beginning to end, and a chance to correct 

 such errors and evils as may have crept into the business on both sides. 

 We say both sides, as we imagine it will be a very difficult matter to write 

 on this subject without including a few things that we should not expect 

 of the commission merchant, even from the growers' standpoint. We have 

 a right to expect a great deal from him as he is in the business for our 

 convenience and his profit, and of course he would like to see us prosper 

 at the same time, as our prosperity means increased business for him. 



"There are different grades of commission merchant. One very large 

 class is composed of men without capital, credit, or character. Our only 

 suggestion regarding this class is that we should use every means we have 

 to find them out and steer ourselves and friends clear of them. The 

 better class are, as a rule, shrewd, cautious, and reliable men and are in 

 the business to stay. These men we find to be indispensable partners, and 

 with them we must deal and from them we should exp»ct just what we 

 would of any partner who had a stated portion of any joint business 

 assigned to him. In return he has a right to expect of us thoroughly 

 honorable and courteous treatment in all things. 



"As I understand it, the object of these papers and discussion is to 

 point out and suggest remedies for such defects as exist in the business, 

 also to study the situation and see if there is not some means of economiz- 

 ing in certain expenses, as the constantly decreasing profits of the grower 

 seem to demand. 



"our partner" and some of his PECULIARITIES. 



"We entrust to our commission man the duty of furnishing ways and 

 means for disposing of our crops to the best advantage and expect him at 

 all times to be well posted on the markets; and he should have had 

 experience enough to judge pretty correctly of the markets in the near 

 future, that he may make few mistakes in holding stock or pushing sales. 

 In the matter of commissions, I feel that the time has come for our 

 partner to reduce our expenses somewhat in this line. Chicago is rapidly 

 approaching New York in size and volume of business, and certainly no 

 city has better facilities for handling produce. Still, the old war-time rate 

 of ten per cent, is charged, while I am informed that such business is done 

 in New York and other eastern cities at five per cent. ; and the fact that 

 our partner often finds it convenient to send some fellow, who is out of a 

 job and too lazy to do anything useful, among us to sound his praises and 

 tell us how to do our business, and allow him a salary of $50 to $75 per 

 month and expenses of perhaps $100 per month, all to come out of our 



