PROGRESS AND IMPROVEMENT 
—who have openly sold their right to hold the 
offices and draw their salaries. 
Can life insurance endure this and prosper? 
FALLACIES OF LIFE INSURANCE. 
Number XXXV 
CO-OPERATION IN PURCHASING 
A NATIONAL lbLUSTRATED 
C. L. Bomis, Iona. “ Natural History in C'uit - 
in on Schools." G. W. Brewer, Lansing, “ Iias'e 
ill Choice of an Occupation.” Win. i -ok, St 
.[ohiis, “Trueand False Reputation,’’—in verse 
.1. iv. Galley, Southfield, “Moral Tendency <,r 
Physical Studios.” Josephus Gruner, Piirkville 
Ha* Oratory perished." 11. A. Haigb, Doar- 
horn, “ Affectation in Religion." W. A. Hen¬ 
derson. Dayton, Ohio, ” Reformation !>y Kvo- 
Intlon." .1. W. Higbee, Waeoustn," Seeing and 
Knowing.” A. s. Hume. Medina, “Man'.-: in¬ 
quisitiveness.” L. Incersoll, Okcnioe, “ Ideal¬ 
ism. I,. F. 1 ngersoll,Comment©,"Sovereign,” 
H. P. Jenny, Lexington,” England’* Example." 
(i. W. Long, Dearborn, “ I'ino arte behiml the 
Auc, A. L. Lowell, Wncoueta, “A Plea for 
the. Wealthy." 15. H. McDowell. Bainbridge, 
•( onnenlnttod Effort." I). McPherson, Ionia, 
. Evanescence of Evil.” G. W. Mitchell, Blor.tn- 
mgdale. Indiana. "Protection ivikim Free 
Trade." D, C. Oakes, Sturgis, “ A War of Self 
Interest." M. T. Rainier, Coldwuter, "Necessi¬ 
ty oT Thought." ,|. Sessions, Mathertuii. •* The 
Truth Seeker." J, E, Simonson, Birmingham, 
“treeTrade os. Protection." 
The degree of Master of Koience waa confer¬ 
red upon James Satterlee, of the class of '00, 
and Peter Pelker, Byron Halsted, Robert K. 
Keditie, Dalston P. Strange, and Edward M. 
Shelton, of the class of 71. 
There Is no law—ethical or moral—that we 
know of, against any kind of co-operation that 
is designed to and does benefit society. The 
rights of the individual are the rights of a thou¬ 
sand or ten thousand individuals. The rights 
of one class are the rights of all classes in rela¬ 
tion to each other, 
Founder and Conducting JCditor 
CHAS. D. BRAGDON, ANDREW S. FULLER, 
AnHoointo Kditors. 
HENRY S. RANDALL LL, D., Cortland Village, N. Y., 
Knrroft of thk Our *ktmjcxt or Stf**r Htouaxphy, 
X. A, WILLARD, A. M., Little Falls, N. Y., 
Editor or thk Dkpaktmknt or Dairy Husbandry, 
The right to combine the 
individual capital of a dozen or »i dozen thou¬ 
sand individuals for purposes of purchase or 
sale la unquestioned, so long as such combina¬ 
tion is not designed to and does not operate 
oppressively upon other Individuals who labor 
to obtain an honest livelihood. 
The. difficulties in the way of successful com¬ 
binations for purchase find sale have been enu¬ 
merated, hitherto, In these columns. Records 
of successes and of failures have been given 
and the causes of t hese successes or failures 
have been pointed out. Because there have 
been successes it does not follow that every 
similar attempt will prove successful: because 
It does not follow that the conditions of suc¬ 
cess will he complied with. Because there have 
been failures, It does not follow that we should 
discourage all attempts to succeed. Just now, 
through the agenev of different co-operative 
industrial organizations,economy of purchase 
is being secured to thousands of comparative ly 
poor men, thus relieving them of burt hens that 
have hitherto boon grievous to bear. Of course 
what is saved to the pockets of this class Is 
taken from Ihc profits of another da**, who 
thus find their occupation gone. But one man 
Is not compelled to employ and pay for the 
services of another unless he finds it profitable 
to himself and his family to do so -hence the 
middleman, whose services are dispensed with, 
has no legitimate cause for complulut. 
So in the disposal of product# by co-opera¬ 
tion, it becomes a question of profit and 
A. C. BARNETT, Publisher, 
TERMS FOR I87S, IN ADVANCE, 
INCLUDING POSTAGE, WHICH PITltUSIIERS PREPAY. 
Single Copy, f.'.OG per Year. To Clubs j—Five Cop¬ 
ies, uml one copy free to A gent or getter up of Club, 
for $13.40: Seven Copies, and oue free, for $17.20: Ten 
Copies, and one free. $21.50—only $345 per copy. The 
above ra tes include put >ng ,: which m shall tie obliged 
to prepay after Jnn. 1. 187,\ under the new law,: to 
any part of the United M ites, and the American 
postag i on all copies mulled to Canada. On papers 
mnlliid to Europe, by steamer, the postage will he 85 
oenteextro—or $3.50 in all. Drafts, Post-Office Money 
Orders and Registered betters inny bo mailed at oifr 
risk. IV Liberal Premiums to all Club Agents who 
do nut lake free copies. Specimen .Numbers Show¬ 
bills, 5tc., sent free. - 
Florida Oranges ami Lemons.—One day hut 
week Mr. Edwin A. Studwkll, founder or the 
town of Beecher, on the St. John’s River, 
Florida, and managing director of the Florida 
Improvement Company of this city, left a box 
of Oranges arid Lemons on our Sanctum table, 
with a note which readoth as follows: “Friend 
Moore— 'These oranges and lemons are from a 
grove of 800 trees located in Beecher, Florida. 
The trees have been budded about three yeais. 
I regret my Inability to :-end you a burr-1 of 
them; but, like Burton, I trust you will Kite, the 
sample and be anxious for the next arrival.” 
Yes, we “ like the sample” - for the rruit. is tine 
and shall not object to “ mure of the same 
sort” the next arrival. Wish we could “step 
down, and out ” to Florida, ai;d pick a few 
oranges from that grove. But we never can get 
time to go a-flshing, poaching or fruiting! 
and officers could nr* more ho contested or 
alienated than ills financial interest. 'This is a 
beautiful, democratic idea, but It has no prac¬ 
tical existence inside the companies. With the 
election of the first board of directors the dele¬ 
gation privilege disappears, and the incum¬ 
bents of the Important offices hold on “ for life 
or ”-the remalnderof the sentence is consid¬ 
erately omitted. 
The word mutual is applied to companies 
having a stock capital. Mutuality in this case 
means the right, to participate in the distribu¬ 
tion of surplus, if there Is anything left to dis- 
tribute. This comprises Its ent ire significance. 
The entire control is monopolized by those who 
subscribe or own the stock capital. The policy 
holders have as little control a» In the more ex¬ 
clusively “mutual” companion, with the ad¬ 
vantage of not being annoyed with a tantaliz¬ 
ing action. The stockholders pledge the capi¬ 
tal (or at least such a portion as they deposit 
with the insurance Department of the State, If 
there is any) to the fulfillment of their insur¬ 
ance contracts. When they deem such a course 
desirable or expedient, they have an incontest¬ 
able legal right to arrange with another com¬ 
pany to complete and carry out their contracts, 
but only on the original terms and conditions. 
Hornet,imes a stock company of this kind, 
using a high rate of preniieiu and promising to 
compound for It by allowing the policy holders ’ 
to participate in dividends, permits the surplus 
to accumulate until there Is enough policy 
holders’ money In the treasury to buy up Ihe 
stock capital. They use it for this purpose and 
“retire the capital stock.” The company is 
thenceforth as mutual as any other company; 
the policy holders become “members" of a 
mutual association by having their surplus 
used to buy it ip, and have the same right to 
select, their directors and officers that the 
stockholders (tbey Involuntarily displace) had. 
They never get a chance to exercise the rigid. 
The same old board and officers hold on, though 
they are mere interlopers, who have no rights 
whatever, except perhaps as individual policy 
holders 
ADVERTISING RATES: 
Inside, lull and tilth pages (Agatespace).fiOc. per line, 
" 18th page. 70 •* 
Outride or hist |mgo....1.00 “ 
Fifty per cent, extra for unusual display. 
Special Notions, leaded, hyconut..... ...1.25 “ 
Business ” . .......1,50 ** 
Heading “ 2.00 “ 
Discount on 4 Insertions. 10 per et.; 8 ins.. 15 per et.; 
13 ins.. 20 per ot.: 20 Ins., 25 per et.; 52 ins., 33K per et. 
t3f~ No advertisement inserted for less than $3. 
con¬ 
venience to those who have products for sale. 
Home have found co-operation to effect ex¬ 
changes through their own agents unprofitable; 
others have not. Experience will prove and 
settle the matter equitably to all; but it must 
always bo remembered that some one has to 
pay for this experience. 
One illustration, which has recently come to 
our notice, of the successful application oftiiis 
co-operative principle in making purchases, Is 
that, of the Civil Service Supply Association oi 
London, Eng. This organization bad its origin 
in the union of a few Government clerks for 
i ho purpose of purchasing their own tea by the 
chest and calicoes by the piece. The success 
and profit of these purchases resulted lu the 
above-named Association, with an organized 
capital ol $10,800. Lock at, the result:—During 
the six months just ended, goods to the amount, 
of nearly $4,000,001) were purchased by the Asso¬ 
ciation, which were retailed at a gross profit of 
about 10 per «eut., or a net profit of 2*4 per 
cent, on the whole amount purchased, after 
paying expenses—or $50,000,equivalent to more 
than 500 per cent. <di the original stock of the 
Association! Does not this illustrate the good 
policy of quick sales for cash at small profits ? 
This is a kind of co-operat ion that pays. 
I PUBLICATION OFFICES: 
78 Duane Street, New York City, and No. 67 
East Main St., (Darrow’s Bookstore, Osburn 
House Block,) Rochester, N. Y. 
The Dentil of Isaac Butte, a prominent arid 
wealthy citizen of Uoehcster, occurred at his 
residence in that city on Lite 20th Inst., after 
an Illness of two weeks. Mr. Butts was for¬ 
merly and for many years editor of the Roches¬ 
ter Daily Union, an able Democratic Journal. 
He was one of the first directors in the House 
Printing Telegraph Co., and subsequently a di¬ 
rector and large stockholder in the Western Un¬ 
ion Company from which his ample fortune was 
mainly derived. Mr. Burrs was an aide writer, 
good citizen and genial friend. As a husband 
and father he was most devoted and affection¬ 
ate, and though his death is considered a public 
lass, it must lie heart-rending to bis estimable 
family—a wife, three daughters and two sons. 
Mr. Butts was in his 59th year. 
SATURDAY, NOV. 28, 1874, 
NOW, GOOD FRIENDS l 
WHAT’S GOING TO BE DONE, AND WHO’S 
GOINS TO 00 IT?” 
RURAL EREVITIE3, 
A BRIEF “RURAL” DISCOURSE 
The Loudon, Eng., Farmers’ Club has elected 
Dr. Augustus Voelckkr, F. it. S., its President 
Ur the coming season. 
The Ohio State Horticultural Society meets 
at Akron, O., Dec. 9,10 and 11. Au interesting 
programme is published. 
Don’t forget that the Runan New-Yorker 
is glad to hear from its readers on all sorts of 
practical topics, at auy and all Limes. 
We now acknowledge the receipt of a copy 
of the Report of the Department of Agriculture 
for 1870. So far as we have examined it wo 
judge it to contain much matter valuable for 
reference. 
Brother Tinsley of the Lyons Republican 
will pJease stand up and answer. What have 
we ever done to you that we are not favored 
with a copy of that cabinet photograph of the 
portrait gallery of your (and we trust our) edi¬ 
torial friends? 
A meeting of the N. Y. State Sheep Breed¬ 
ers'and Wool Growers'Associat ion will be held 
at Canandaigua, Dee. 9th, at 11 o'clock, A. M, 
A general attendance of tlmso interested in the 
objects of the Association is requested.— Hen¬ 
ry 8. Rvndall, Pres’t. 
A DEPUTATION from Mississippi recently had 
a conference with the Executive Committee of 
the Agricultural Laborers' Union of England 
and offered to pay the expenses of Union dele¬ 
gates to visit that State and report upon it as a 
place for emigration, which offer was accepted. 
Hon. D. L>. T. Moore of the Rural New- 
Yorker is giving siy date at bis editorial 
lriends of Western New York, aud if he isn’t 
careful they will be telling what a fresh, spark¬ 
ling and valuable family and agricultural Jour¬ 
nal he is publishing, All his old friends In this 
part of the titate ought to receive bis paper, for 
it seems to have renewed Its youthful vigor and 
excellence. Long life and prosperity to the 
Rural New-Yorker and ilo founder.— Lam¬ 
oille Advertiser. 
That is all very kind, but why didn’t Brother 
Bunnell publish just one of those “ sly dabs?” 
“Once on a time" -indeed for many times 
and years—we had a foreman in the Bural 
Office who was a “queer chick’’ (and the author 
of a chicken book) and of course somewhat 
peculiar. Whenever anything special or extra 
was on hand,—especially Just before the com¬ 
mencement of a new year aud volume, when 
a now dress (of type) was to bo donned, aud 
preparations made for a large Increase of cir¬ 
culation, the “ Mujor " (such being the cogno¬ 
men of the aforesaid foreman) was wont to 
exclaim with emphasis, “ Ti'fat's going (u be 
done , and who’s goino to do it t” 
That is the text of this discourse; but we 
propose to divide the subject, as the clergy do 
their sermons, — first briefly telling what wc 
propose to do, and then asking who of our 
readers will second our efforts to render the 
Rural New-Yorker bet ter, and more widely 
circulated, than ever before. Listen, please. 
First and foremost, we propose to make the 
Fifty-Two numbers of the RURAL for 1875 bet¬ 
ter than t hose of Its issues during either of the 
preceding twenty-live years of its existence. 
To accomplish this we rely upon augmented 
experience and facilities, and unbounded pluck 
and determination— and believe that (D. V.) de¬ 
cided “Progress and Improvement" will be 
manifested. All conecgle that the Rural for 
1874 has been much better than in 1873, aud wo 
mean to make far greater improvement during 
the year ensuing. T|iat is what we intend shall 
in done by its managers to render the paper 
more acceptable and valuable—the best of its 
class on the Continent or in the World. 
Now about Increasing our circulation. “ What 
is",going to he done, and, Who fa going to do it?" 
Think many of our hundreds—aye, thousands 
—of Agent-Friends will promptly ask to be 
“ counted in ” for action. But we want each 
and alt of them to respond favorably—and 
moreover desire the influence of a myriad of 
subscribers wild are ardent admirers and firm 
friends of the Rural, particularly these in lo¬ 
calities where live club agents are lacking. 
Will not all the friends of this Joua^al note t he 
points of this brief discourse and kindly second 
our earnest and continuous efforts to render 
this the Leading aud Lurgest-Ciroulatiug Week¬ 
ly In its Sphere ? 
RURAL NOTES AND QUERIES 
Not only do they hold on with amaz¬ 
ing tenacity to the fat tilings of office, but they 
appear eager to make the most of the oppor¬ 
tunities of a precarious tenure. There is nearly 
always an iueroase of expense in the matter of 
salaries and retiring allowances In the shape of 
annuities. The capital is retired , and with it 
the strongest flnunelal incentive to economy 
and care. Men cannot be expected to manage 
a purely fiduciary trust more prudently than 
they rnauaged their own personal matters. 
Whatever the characteristics of management 
after the retirement of the capital stock and 
the addition of a comfortably fallacious adjec¬ 
tive to the original name ol' the company, nei¬ 
ther the name nor management is ever very en¬ 
during. Such a company is usually as eager to 
change Its condition and name as a maiden who 
has unwillingly postponed marriage. The In¬ 
terloping managers and directors are not long 
in finding a purchaser for the company they 
have n® right whatever to sell, aud t he policy 
holders are compelled, by lack of facilities l'ur 
eiueutes arid unanimous protest, to endure 
whatever fate is imposed upon them aud to 
submit to a transfer to the purchaser. They 
are nearly always required to exchange the 
polic ies they have for those of the re-insuring 
company, which, though unnecessary, works 
no injustice if the terms and dates are pre¬ 
served ; but if either are to be changed—if a 
policy of different nature and terras of payment 
and maturity is to be substituted—the policy 
holders are nearly invariably losers by the 
transaction. And all this with its possibilities 
of loss, with its certainty of vexation and an¬ 
noying contact with a new lot i* managers 
and agents, and a perhaps promising company 
wiped out of existence to suit the convenience 
and enhance the profits of a set of directors 
and officers who liuve no rights whatever—who 
have forced their stock upon the reluctant pol- 
ley holders aud exacted a compulsory payment, 
EUSINESS NOTICES 
Millions of intelligent consumers pioDOunce 
Durbins’ Electric Soap to be In every respect the 
Best Soup over made, t Ine pound of it contains as 
much pure soap as three of any yellow soap, tilled as 
tiie> ai'c with rosin. 
Neglected Coughs null Colds,—Few arc aware 
of the importance of checking u Cough or “C omuura 
Cold,” In itr drat stage; that which in the beginning 
would yield to “ Brown’s Bronchial Troches,’’ 
if neglected, often works upon the Lungs. 
