256 THE GRANGER MOVEMENT 



THE NATIONAL GRANGE AND COOPERATION 



The failure of the National Grange to enter actively into 

 the early schemes for business cooperation has been noted. 

 In January, 1871, however, Secretary Kelley distributed a lot 

 of circulars to subordinate granges informing them of offers to 

 sell seeds at wholesale prices, and the next year a circular was 

 issued inviting manufacturers of agricultural implements who 

 desired to trade directly with granges to send their wholesale 

 price lists for publication in a confidential bulletin. 1 At the 

 sixth annual session of the National Grange in January, 1873, 

 the subject of cooperation was referred to the executive com- 

 mittee. During the following year this committee visited 

 manufacturing establishments in various parts of the country 

 and issued three business circulars informing subordinate granges 

 of special terms offered. At the next session, in February, 

 1874, the executive committee recommended the establishment 

 of a national business agency, which among other duties should 

 publish " a complete business directory of the order " showing 

 all arrangements made by the national and state granges. The 

 subject of cooperation received considerable attention at this 

 session; but the only positive action taken, aside from the 

 declaration of an intention to " dispense with a surplus of middle- 

 men, " was the adoption of a resolution instructing the executive 

 committee to give special attention to furnishing Patrons with 

 implements and supplies at low prices and to make arrangements 

 for a mutual exchange of products between different sections 

 of the country. 2 



The executive committee at this time consisted of William 

 Saunders, one of the founders and past-master of the National 

 Grange, D. Wyatt Aiken of South Carolina and E. R. Shankland 

 of Iowa, and these men were untiring in their efforts to advance 

 the business interests of the order during 1874. They devoted 

 themselves first to the compiling of national price lists 



1 Kelley, Patrons of Husbandry, 302-305, 385. 



2 National Grange, Proceedings, vi. 10, 20, vii. 13, 29-32, 57, 79 (1873, l %74)> 

 Rural Carolinian, v. 206 (January, 1874). 



