STATE GRANGE OF ILLIXOIS. 17 



The motion of Bro. A. P. Forsythe, of Edgar, was carried, 

 that the Secretary's report be published in the proceedings of 

 the State Grange. 



S. J. Frew, State Purchasing Agent, made the following 

 report, which was received: 



Worthy Patro^^s: I was appointed to the office of State 

 Purchasing Agent, on the 28th of Januar}^ last, and entered 

 upon the duties of ni}" position on the 30th. The instructions 

 given me were '' to ascertain the lowest price for which farm 

 supplies and machinery can be purchased for cash, and to send 

 the conditions to the Purchasing Agents in each county, and 

 to Subordinate Granges, so that agents and Granges may send 

 their orders directly to the manufacturers for such articles as 

 they may desire." 



As the season was then far advanced, I saw that prompt 

 action was necessar}" to secure any advantages for the Patrons 

 in the wa}^ of purchasing implements for their Spring work. 

 I had a few propositions as county agent from manufacturers, 

 and from these, together with some I received through the 

 hands of the Executive Committee, I prepared a price list and 

 circular letter, and mailed them to all the Granges and agents 

 whose address I had at that time. It is true the list was small 

 and unsatisfactory, but at the same time it was sufficient to 

 meet the urgent demands at that time. 



About the same time I issued a circular to manufacturers, 

 stating briefly the objects of the Order so far as purchasing sup- 

 plies was concerned, and announced that we were now prepared 

 in Illinois to carry our theory into practice, and we would 

 be pleased to receive terms from such as approved of our way of 

 trading, that they might be placed upon the confidential circu- 

 lar then in course of preparation. This brought forth a ready 

 and favorable response from every quarter. 



No sooner was it known that I was appointed Agent than I 

 was in daily receipt of such numbers of letters of inquir}^ from 

 members of the Order, and propositions from manufacturers 

 and dealers, that it required me to work almost day and night 

 to keep up with the correspondence. I soon had material for 

 another and more satisfactory price list, which was issued in 

 March. From the first I was in daily receipt of inquiries from 

 all parts of the State concerning the possibility of getting 

 sample implements. Considering the great cost to manufac- 

 turers to supply .<uch a demand at their own expense, I could 

 not encourage the Granges to expect it. When it was 

 announced that there was to be a meeting of the State Grange, 

 at Bloomington, in April, I could not conceive of any plan by 



