BUSINESS COOPERATION 245 



a few years, as, for example, the Central Farmers' Association 

 of Centralia. This organization was formed in January, 1873, 

 and a purchasing agent was appointed in March. The agent 

 experienced considerable difficulty in getting terms from imple- 

 ment manufacturers, because most of them had already made 

 arrangements with dealers for the year. Opposition was also 

 experienced from the local merchants; but the farmers persisted 

 and in November, 1873, the secretary of the association was able 

 to report the sale of about one hundred thousand dollars' worth 

 of implements alone, through the agency, with a saving to the 

 farmers living within a radius of fifteen miles of Centralia of 

 twenty-five thousand dollars over prices which had formerly 

 prevailed. 1 



The Illinois State Farmers' Association, though primarily 

 interested in politics, also gave some attention to cooperation 

 and at one time attempted to establish a state agency to serve 

 the clubs and granges. This experiment was a failure, 2 and no 

 very considerable degree of success attended the attempts of 

 the state grange to establish a purchasing agency for the Patrons. 

 The first state grange agent, who was appointed as early as 

 December, 1872, merely negotiated for special terms for Patrons 

 and issued circulars of information to the local granges and 

 agencies. 3 During 1874 and 1875 more extensive operations 

 were attempted; but the agent and the executive committee 

 disagreed as to methods to be pursued, and the local agents were 

 inclined to take advantage of temporary concessions made 

 elsewhere, instead of dealing through the state agency. At 

 the fourth annual meeting of the grange, in December, 1875, 

 it was generally conceded that the state agency had been a 

 failure. The reports indicated clearly, moreover, that the local 



tion which was adopted by one of them at its organization in 1873: "Resolved, 

 That we buy everything we need direct from manufacturers and wholesale 

 houses, and buy by large quantities and pay cash, and that we sell our produce 

 in large quantities together, when sold, endeavoring thereby to get better prices, 

 lower freights, etc." Prairie Farmer, xliv. 83 (March 15, 1873). 



1 Ibid. xliv. 4, 369 (1873). For the operation of other local agencies, see ibid. 

 xliii. 385, xliv. 43, 52. 



2 Ibid. xliv. 124, xlvi. 35 (1873, 1875) ; Industrial Age, January 31, 1874, pp. 5, 7. 



3 Prairie Farmer, xliv. 83, 91, 131 (March, April, 1873). 



