STATE GRANGE OF ILLINOIS. 25 



The theory of the majorit}' of the Executive Committee for the 

 piist two years has been that county agents are sufficient for the 

 work. Consequently thry liave had little interest in the State 

 Agency. If they had devised a plan for county agents and 

 made the same known by circular or otherwise to the Granges of 

 the State, the result might have been better. 



As it was. however, .you all looked to the State Agency for 

 assistaucf. knowing there was one, and also that the proceed- 

 ings of the last State Grange showed that arrangements were 

 made for sustaining that department. Failing to obtain the 

 advantages you had a right to expect, not knowing the causes 

 of disiippointnient. many have been discouraged. The theory of 

 running .separate and independent agencies has proved a failure 

 in every State where it has been tried, and an effort to manage 

 our trade in this way has done more to weaken our strength 

 than anj' other one influence. The fact that there is no combi- 

 nation among our agents, entirely destroys everything that 

 bears an}' semblance to the co-operation taught by our Order. 

 While there are stores called " County Grange Stores," they 

 are. almost without an exception, nothing but private enter- 

 prises, and supplying their stock of goods from dealers, the 

 same as the local trade does, and at about the same prices, the 

 only difference being that the trade is carried on by other parties 

 than it used to be. This is not changing our old system. It is 

 not building upon permanent foundation. It only places us 

 upon a level with the usual competition in trade, and subjects 

 our inexperienced agents to all the petty annoyances of adepts 

 in the business. Those members of the Order who are held by 

 no other motives than pecuniary benefits, soon discover they 

 can purchase as cheaply one place as another, and therefore soon 

 leave the Grange. They are then lost to the wholesome impres- 

 sions made upon those inside the gates. We cannot af^'ord to 

 spare them. They are nt^eded both numerically and Hnancially. 



Another important feature in regard to the so-called Grange 

 stores, is that they very generally suppl}' their stock of goods 

 from all sources, irrespective of the Rings that are our avowed 

 enemies. This fact was developed largely at the meeting of 

 County Agents at Ottawa in September. With one or two 

 exceptions, they said they dealt in iui|)lements, etc.. etc., from 

 the manufacturers who are associated against us. It was also 

 noticeable that where County Agents were supplying themselves 

 from these same parties, to some they made one price and to 

 others another, just in proportion to the trade offered, develop- 

 ing the theory that by co-operation in purchasing we can invari- 

 ably do better. This practice is wrong, and is in direct opposi- 

 tion to the i)rinci|)les of our Order. WIkmi last year I. through 

 a mistake, happened to get the name of y//<' member of the Ring 



