BUSINESS COOPERATION 2$l 



meeting of the state grange was held in November, 1874, at 

 which it was determined to incorporate a " Grangers' Business 

 Association " to take the place of the bankrupt firm as shipping 

 agent for the Patrons. The business agency and the recently 

 established dairy agency were to be departments of the asso- 

 ciation. 



This association was incorporated in February, 1875, with a 

 nominal capital stock of one million dollars, divided into shares 

 of twenty-five dollars each. 1 The articles of incorporation 

 declared its purposes to be to deal in all kinds of agricultural 

 produce, farm implements, and general merchandise, and to 

 ship grain and other merchandise to foreign ports, " as factors 

 and broker and not otherwise." The by-laws of the association 

 provided that none but Patrons could be stockholders or direc- 

 tors, and this seems to have been all that distinguished it from 

 an ordinary stock company, for the profits, if any, were to be 

 divided among the stock-holders in the usual way. Great 

 things were expected of the Grangers' Business Association 

 of California, 2 for the order was at the highest point of mem- 

 bership in the early months of 1875. By July, 1876, however, 

 the number of granges in the state had declined from 263 to 

 I73, 3 and the decline continued during the following years. 

 This must have seriously crippled the operations of the new 

 stock company, but it was reported as still in existence and 

 doing a considerable business in i88i. 4 



In Oregon alone, of the other states of the Far West, were 

 there enough granges to make possible any considerable attempts 

 at distributive cooperation. The methods followed in this 

 state were similar to those in California; a state agency, with 

 a fund of over five thousand dollars raised by subscriptions 

 from granges, did an extensive business in 1875 and 1876; and 

 Grange shipments were made through a commercial firm. 

 Some of the Patrons of Oregon appear to have suffered losses 



1 For articles of incorporation and by-laws, see Carr, Patrons of Husbandry, 

 207-210. * 



2 Ibid. 205-207; Illinois State Grange, Proceedings, 17 (1875). 



3 See table above, following p. 58. 



4 National Grange, Proceedings, xv. 36 (1881). 



