THE FARMER'S WAR AGAINST MONOPOLIES. 373 



farmers buy. Many of the Granges have employed 

 purchasing agents, who are now buying farming and 

 domestic machinery at wholesale prices. The whole- 

 sale dealers in Chicago at first refused to sell except at 

 retail prices to the agents of the Granges, saying that 

 by so doing they would lose the trade of agents and 

 retail dealers. Most of them have, however, recon- 

 sidered this determination, and the saving made by the 

 farmers by purchasing through the Grange is from ten 

 to fifty per cent. A farmer in Bureau county gave me 

 some figures that will illustrate the working of this sys- 

 tem. A good farm wagon, complete, retails at $100; 

 the Grange purchases it for $70. A plow for which 

 the farmers have been paying $22, a Granger gets for 

 $16. A $50 sewing machine is purchased for $30, and 

 a $65 one for $39. From $40 to $60 is saved on the 

 price of a parlor organ. A rapidly growing competition 

 seems to have sprung up among the wholesale dealers 

 for the custom of the Granges, and whatever other 

 result the movement may have, the farmers will be 

 greatly benefited by the cooperative business." 



