Established 1899
REDIM PRICES
Movement to Bring Producer
and Retailor Together.
BASED ON ROCHDALE PLAN.
Rsvised to Fit American Conditions.
Grangas of New York and Pennsyl
vania Stcrt the New
Metropolis.
By JAMtS A. EDGEH.TON.
a T last a uioVemeut U.is uoi'n
/& stiUicd in America thai uwy
/ B get somewhere in the Uattei
of solving I Ik* p.-übieLj c. iiigh
prices, it is a modification of the co
operative stores system, originating Ln
England and now in existence in
many nations of Europe, in England
it is known us the Uo'bdn.e piau.
which is familiar to most readers, sit
least by name. In A uteri, a me-iiK'is
of the grange are the prime moveus.
working with a number oi business
men. who have organized to bring tin
producer and retailer together, tiiii*
cutting out the mkidieiaen. 'ilit* p»i»a
is first to be tried out ia New York
aud if a suet ess theie wiil be extend
ed to every large city in «!te country.
The grauges of the states of New
York aud Pennsylvania are already en
listed in the campaigu. and ii is the
hope of those iu charge that members
of the order throughout the natiou
will fall in line, indeed, the ultimate
design is to get the farmers generally
interested, whether they belong to the
organization or not. The claim is made
that the farmers now receive only a
small per cent of the price charged the
cousumer. There is a margin of 100. 200
and even 300 per cent or more, and
most of this enormous profit goes to
the middlemen. By bringing the pro
ducer aud retailer together the price
to the farmer will be increased aud
that to the consumer reduced. Tills
is the theory at least, and that it wili
work out in practice is proved by the
co-operative system abroad aud by the
grange stores already in existence.
These present grange stores are small
potatoes, however, compared to the
iimueiise system now planned. They
were intended for meml>ers of the or
ganizatiou aloue. The uew scheme is
for everybody.
To Conquer New York.
Tbe head meu iu tlie undertaking
have already organized themselves
iuto what they call the United Stores
association. This has been going on
quietly for more than a year laying
the groundwork. Now it is ready to
begin active operations. There was
considerable difficulty in financing the
venture, presumably for the reason
that enormous business interests
would naturally oppose a co-operative
undertaking. Money was finally rais
ed in Philadelphia, and now the as
sociation claims a solid financial back
ing. New York offices have been es
tablished.
Some of the big men in the venture
sue C. Paul Hageulocher, the presi
dent. who is a banker and director in
tvarious concerns, including the Lacka
wanna Coal and Lumber company, the
Tipi>ecanoe Securities company and
the Republic Trust company: Roland
Onufroy. first vice president and chair
mii.p of the executive committee, doc
tor In sciences, literature and law. ex
mensber of the chambers of commerce
of San Francisco and Seattle, former
vice president and general manager of
Pacific American fisheries, former vice
president and general manager Le
Patrimoine Life and Accident Insur
ance company and the real father of
tbe plan; Patrick Egan. second vice
president, who was once minister to
Chile; Walter S. Pope, treasurer, for
mer eastern manager of the Royal
Baking Powder company: E. F. Olm
sted, secretary and director of pub
licity, former advertising manager of
Shredded Wheat company, also of the
11-O company, and ex-secretary of the
boa I'd of trade" of Niagara Falls:
George T. Powell of the New York
state grange, and J. W. Kjelgaard of
the Pennsylvania state grange—quite
an imposing array of names, especial
ly when compared with the twenty
eight poor weavers who started the
Rochdale plan In England and who
had to save up several months before
they had $l4O to open their first tiny
basement store. The world moves,
however, and this is America and the
twentieth century. We travel faster
now. and It takes money to oil the
wheels. It required long years for the
Rot hdale weavers to make a dent on
the business system of England, and
these United Stores and prance folks
expect to do big things right away.
Charge of the Grange Brigade.
When ready to launch the enterprise
publicly fifty grangers from Pennsyl
vania descended on New York, gave
a bannuet or two, visited the mayor,
who made one of his best speeches,
started the Bush Terminal stores In
South Brooklyn as a central distribut
ing station, and the first thing any
one knew the New York newspapers
awakened to the fact that there was
something new on earth. The reduc
tion of |>ri"es Is a popular subject in
the metropolis, for probably at no
point on the planet's surface are [trices
higher. Therefore the proposition to
lower prices naturally appeals to the
readers of these papers, and hence to
the papers themselves. Also when the
mayor gives the best speech of his ad
ministration to a delegation that dele-
IHE HICKORY DEMOCRAT
pation mn?t be noticed In the public
prints. The resuit of all tills was that
the tifty Pennsylvania grantors gat
scare heads ana gi.od stories. They
wore not exactly til'st i..ijre features,
but neither were they buried. One of
the big papers played theni up for
three columns and a cartoon, and oth
ers did almost as well. They were
only ignored by the organs generally
believed to be under trust domination.
The plan was even editorialized. In
other words, the undertaking had "ar
rived." it requires a body of some
size and velocity to (nuke a deut in
the consciousness of New York, but
the co-operative store proposition had
both the size and the speed. The dent
followed as a natural sequence. After
the thing gets under way, if it follows
the course of co-operation in othei
lands, the deut wiil grow larger and
decider. Said one New York paper:
Cut Cot th« Middlemen.
"The elimination of the middlemen
and the reduction of the cost of livfn
to its lowest possible lex el is the slogan
of fifty farmers of New York and Pen •
sylvania in sesslou at the Gr.iud hotel
The delegates, who represent the Unit
ed Stores association. Grangers, Deal
ers and Consumers' union, say they are
speaking for 1.000.00n farmers.
"A reduction of 40 per cent in the
price to consumers of market produce
is what they say they are going to ac
complish.
"This is to be effected by establish
ing iu New York city a market or dis
tributing station to h ind'e the produce
mtW
"WE'VE CARRIED YOU FAR ENOUGH."
—New York Herald
of thousands of farms. This station
will sell to retailers direct.
"The United Stores. Grangers, Deal
ers aud Consumers' association, accord
ing to an announcement made by rep
resentative delegates, has a fund on
hand of more than $1.(XX),000, *fith po
tential resources of $5,000,000. as COO,-
000 farmers are ready to pay an extra
assessment of $5- if it becomes neces
sary. The association, it is said, will
not even stop at an expense of $4,000.-
000 to carry out its plans.
"Among the delegates arrived in the
city and prominent in the advance
work are J. W. Kjelgaard. C. Paul
Hegenlocher. Roland Onnfroy. W. T. 1
Creasy. Matthew J. Smith, E. V. Dor
set and George T. Powell.
" 'We have formed this association,'
said Mr. Kjelgaard. 'in the belief that
the farmer can do away with the
trusts by the simple expedieut of phie- j
ing his wares on the market himself :
All he needs for this is a selling organ- i
izatiou. and this is possible to him if
; he will only co-operate with other j
I farmers.
" 'Our orgauization has been worked
! out on this plan, and we are uow ready
| to begin after a year of preparation.
I The farmers of the whole country are
| behind us. and it is incredible that we
| should fail.
" 'The present high cost of IMng Is
| due to nothing else than a 4ack of
farmer co-operation. We farmers have
had our eyes opened at last, and we
are now embarked on what we believe
will prove a solution of one of the
greatest problems that now vex the
country.'"
Americanized Co-operation.
One Of the chief points urged by
those iu control of this movement is
that co-operation has previously failed
In this country because it was not
Americanized. The English system
made the retail stores a part of the
i machinery and to that extent stifled
i the individual initiative of each dealer.
| Under the new plan the proposal Is to
leave the retail stores free. All the
co-operative movement proposes to do
is to have the farmer sell direct to the
retailer. In return for the opportu
nity to do this the retailer is Iwuind
! to give honest weight and measure
and good goods In addition he is
bound to divide profits with the cus
tomer, arranged on the basis of cer
tificates of sale, the same as in the
i Rochdale plan.
' One of the effects of the campaign
for lower prices has already appeared
In the New York m'lk situation. The
problem of cheap and wnltary milk
l.;is long been acute tn the metropolis.
us it is in most large cities. As a re
sult of a move made by the United
Stores association and following the
plsiu proposed by it of bringing to
gether producer and retailer, a meet
ing was recently held that threw a
scare into the milk trust and brought a
ray of light to thousands of consum
ers. Followiug is a partial account of
the meeting given by a New York
newspaper:
"A secret session of the Dairymen's
league, incorporated, was held at the
United States botel. Newburg. N. Y..
to listen to offers made by some men
from New York, who expressed a de
sire to co-operate with the members
of the league and handle their entire
product.
"The plan that was suggested at the
meeting is to form a 00-oper.?tivo as
sociation composed of producers and
distribuiers and thereby eliminate tlia
middlemen. Definite n> tiou on the
proposition was deferred j:ending tin
investigation by a committee beaded
by the league presideut. John Y. Ger
row pf Washingtonviile.
"The New York men. who were re
ferred to. as capitalists, asserted that
they had unlimited capital to back
them and were fully able to dispose of
all the milk produced by the mem
bers of the Dairymen's league. The?
asserted that they control 500 distrib
uting points. Their plan is to deliver
the products of the farm and dairy
from the producer as directly as pos
sible to the consumer.
"By elimiuating the middlemen they
pointed out the cost of handling the
milk under the contemplated co-op
erative plan would be materially de
creased. The percentage of decrease
the promoters said, would permit them
to reduce the price to the consumers
and yet enable tbe farmers to get more
for their output.
Control Milk In Five States.
"The members of the Dairymen's
league are interested principally iu
milk. It developed that the New York
state grange and the Pennsylvania
state grange already have under con
sideration similar propositions with
reference to other farm products. In
every case, it was said, the promoters
who submitted the proposition to the
Dairymen's league are behind the proj
ect.
"Members of the league say they
cannot see why the consumers should
pay 8 cents a quart "for milk and the
producers get only 3 cents a quart.
In discussing this phase Mr. Gerrow,
president of the league, said:
" 'The farmer Is not getting enough
for his products, and the consumer is
paying too much. The farmer has got
to get more, and the consumer should
not be compelled to pay more aud. iu
fact, cannot afford to pay more; hence
it is up to us to reduce the cost to the
consumer and increase the receipts of
the producer. If we do not do it some
one will some day, and we may just
as well begin now.'
"The Dairymen's league represents
five states—New York. New Jersey.
Pennsylvania, Massachusetts and Con
nectlcut—and its members produce
most of the milk used by the cou
sumers in those respective states."
This effort, not only as it relates to
milk, but to all farm products, will
naturally spread throughout the laud,
and the hope of those behind it is that
farmers and retailers in all sections of
the country will take it up.
That it is high time if? made plain by
the fa-t that pri-es of commodities are
again advancing. Potatoes. Hour. meat,
practically all the necessaries of life,
are included in this latest increase. In
the case of potatoes the excuse is
given that the crop is short, but this
cannot be urged in the case of flour
and meat. The conclusion is unavoid
able that this boosting of prices is
brought about by combinations for
purposes of gain. It will bear espe
cially on the poor. There is but one
way of escape from this intolerable
condition, and that is co-operation.
The producers and consumers must ger
together.
HICKORY, N. C., THURSDAY. OCTOBER 19, 1911.
-o»
City Officials
Are Endorsed.
Quarterly Conference Urges En-
forcement of the Lav.
The Board of Stewards of the
First Methodist church at the
Quarterly Conference meeting
Monday adopted the following
resolution:
"Believing that the criminal
law needs to be vigorously en
forced at all times, and believing
it to be the duty of the Church
'o encourage all efforts in that
direction, the Quarterly Confer
ence of the First M. E. church
of Hickory desires to give ex
pression to its approval of the
stand taken by the editor of our
city paper, The Democrat, in
regard to the enforcement of
law and order in our city.
. "This Conference also wishes
to assure the Recorder, the
City Attorney, the Chief of
Police of the city and other
officials of the unqualified sup
port of the church in all their
efforts to put down lawlessness
of every kind.
"All good citizens are urged to
take a firm stand and uphold the
officers in the performances of
their duty."
The Dredge Boat in Iredell.
Stitesville Landmark.
The Third creek dredge began
work in earnest yesterday at
and is "working like a
clock." The dredge threw its
first dirt Tuesday, and was in
operation again Wednesday, but
the machinery was not in good
and regular working order until
yesterday. The work is now
exnected to move along without
a hitch. The machine is still in
the hands of the builders, who
will give it 15 days' test before
it is formally turned over to the
Third creek commissioners, who
will then be in charge. The full
capacity of the dredge is about
200 yards an hour and the test
so far have been about up to the
standard. Th* Third creek
ditch is being cut 20 feet wide
ir.d seven to eight feet deep and
it the rate the machine is now
unning a mi'e or more of the
•channel should be cut each
month with the machine working
>nly ten hours a day. In other
ounties the dredges are running
.ight and day and it is hoped
hat the work in Iredell will be
>ushed along with the same
zeal.
Harsh physics react, weaken the
bowels, -cause chronic constipation.
Doan's Regulets operate easily, tone
lie stomach, cure constipation. 25c.
Ask your druggist for them.
jf jj
| democrat Bt>e. |
p Bring IResults. ||
ji !(
The Democrat man was walking down the street, if
He chanced to meet Mr. S. R. Deitz, one of the county's
fJ* best farmers. - gf
f | "I Have sold my Indian Runner ducks," he said, joy
r|* ously. "I advertised them in your "want column." gf
f The first man who applied lived in Caldwell, He did'nt
f § come to my price. Then Dr. Johnson here in town
rg came to see me, and I sold them to him.
"I am answering the ad of a farm for sale which gf
Mr. P. E. Berry, of Drexel, is running in the Demc- If
crat," concluded Mr. Deitz. - fif
Into the California Fruit Co's Paradise of Sweet
y£ ness, the Democrat man sauntered, i4 We advertised gj
boxes of candy in your paper at 40 cents," said Mr.
\g Lazos, ''and at 30 cents on Saturday. The first Satur
f day we sold 32 boxes and the next Saturday nearly as gf
many. Many told us they saw the ad in the Democrat." Sj?\
The Lanier Mercantile Co. promises to grow into
one of the biggest stores in this section of the .State.
Messrs. Lanier and Fansler believe in using printer's
ink. They are running large and artistic ads in the
Democrat, "We have heard from our ad," said Mr.
Lanier. "Customers spoke of it as they came to buy
and to see our new stocks, arriving every day."
We are selling building and loan stock in the new
series as fast as we can write it," said Mr, Geo. R.
Wootten, the best building and loan secretary in North
Carolina. Mr. Wootten always advertises the new
series in the Democrat.
The Democrat is a strong advertising medium. We
do not claim it is the best in creation. We do not lijse
to use the superlative degree. But it gets results.
Are you carrying an ad in the Democrat. Can you
afford not to?.
1 COMMENT. I
\S/
ftgC€€Ct€S€€«^ 1 '
COUNTY CO I TON GROW
ERS SHOULD MEET.
The situation in regard to
cotton in the south is serious.
! The price has declined 6 cents
a pound over the price this time
last year. The prosperity of the
South is based on cotton and all
business will sooner or later feel
this depression.
Catawba county is on the
northern edge of the cotton belt
and her average crop is 5,000
bales. Last year and the year
before cotton sold around 12 1-2
cents or say about $62,50 a bale,
This would be about $300,000 for
the crop. To cut this amount
down half or more would be a
calamity which all lines of busi
ness in the county would feel.
This is threatened by the pres
ent decline. The price is getting
too near the cost of raising.
The Democrat believes it
would be well enough for the
cotton growers of the county to
meet at Newton say Saturday a
week, and devise plans for se
curing money to enable the far
mers to hold their cotton for
better prices.
The county banks will doubt
less do all in their power to tide
over the crisis. Cashier Men
zies of the First National here
says that his bank makes it a
policy to lend money to the far- j
mers who carry accounts with it,
and has been doing much of this.
Cashier Reid, of the Hickory
Banking and Trust Co. says his
bank has already been lending
money to farmers who wished to
hold their cotton. The Newton
and Conover banks will no doubt
lend themselves to relieve the
situation.
If such a meeting is held at
Newton, the plans adopted at
the state farmers meeting at
Raleigh might be applied locally.
Prompt action by the County
Farmers Union might count for
much at this time.
The Democrat hopes that Mr.
John B. Lutz, Senoir partner of
the Dutch Dairy farms* and a
great believer in the elimina
tion of the middle-man, will
enjoy reading the article in this
paper on "Co-operation to
Reduce Prices." The Catawba
County Creamery has already
given us a start along this line.
Democrat and Press, Consolidated 1905
The Democra: wishes to thank
the Board of Steward"- th
H'irst M. E. Church :t.
Quarterly Conference for thei»
endorsement of its stand for
iaw enforcement.
Raleigh's splendid new audi
torium w is opened Tuesdr y night
with Hon.' Judson Harmon, o
Ohio, as guest of honor, and ?
brilliant array of local luminar
ies. Charlotte will now doubtless
have to wait one more 50 years
before getting another D mc
cratic state cenventi^n.
Taft will have named a majori
ty of the members of the Supreme
Court, Lurton, Hughes, Van
Deventer and Lamar, promoting
White to the chief justiceship.
Justice Harlan should have had
this honor. The latter, who
died Saturday, was the truest
friend the people have had on the
Supreme bench in years. He
ought to be succeeded by Chief
Justice Walter Clark of North
Carolina. A man of the same
stripe.
The Cline Reunion.
Everybody and his wife at
tended the family reunion at Mr.
Cicero Cline's home last Thurs
day to help celebrate his 74th
anniversary. That is everybody
from Cat water county, After
prayer by Rev. B, L. Stroup,
Mr, W. B Gaither gave an his
torical sketch of the Cline
family. Mr. W. A. Self made a
witty address and Rev. H.G. Ko
penhauer made a talk in German.
Mr. Cline is one of the patri
archs of Catawba county and his
wife has been a true helpmeet
-.-M-
J&-
£ N
"Wml- ■ " 1
■IUSBHHB^L*
to him all these long >ears. Mr.
Cline is engaged now in writing
a history of the Cline family
which has been a notaMe one in
the developerrent of this section.
The Clines have always been
sturdy, thrifty men and useful
citizens.
Catawba College Notes
Written for the Democrat,
The honor roll of Catawba for
the first month is follows; Miss
Gracella Shank and Mr. Jno. F.
Carpenter, 92; Miss May Peeler,
91; Miss Helen Smith and Mar
gueriette Allred and Messrs. S.J,
McNairy, Hugh Warlick, and i
Edgar Fairhellar, 90.
The Civic league, which last
year not only had the cement
walks laid but also had other
improvements about the campus
made, has elected the following
officers for the next year:
G. C. Peeler, president; Harry
A. Fesperman, secretary; and
May Peeler, treasurer.
The Freshman class has been
organized with the following
members: President, Ethel
Peeler; vice-president,- Gracella
Shank; secretary and treasurer,
Marguerite Allred; paet, Onslow
Bacon, historian, Robert Bowers;
prophet, Jno. F. Carpenter;
chaplain, Latta McConnell;
grumbler, Isabel Cecil; past will,
David Gaither; statistician,
Ethel Josey.
The Freshman class is a strong
class and seems likely to take a
good stand in college. Three
out of eight on the honor roll are
Freshman; two of them made the
highest grades in college.
The best plaster. A piece of flan
nel dampened with Chamberlain's
Liniment and bound over the affected
parts is superior to a plaster and costs
only one tenth as much. For sale by
all dealers.
Guarantee Fund
LanJs Chair Co.
Mr. Geo. Bailey Moves Sorry
Sorry Chai' Factory Here.
The first-fruits of Hickory's
i $200,000 guarantee fund is a
chair factory. The plant has
been in operation in Elkin for a
number of years past, managed
by Mr. Geo. Bailey, of that place.
Mr. Ba'ley is a man of push and
enterprise, and was quick to
jump at the opportunity to
move the plant to Hickory. It
has been the desire of Hickory
business men for a long time to
have a chair factory. The wood
is at hand, the labor is plentiful
and the capital available Hick
ory gobbled up the tine Elkin
enterprise like a wild turkey a
fat, red chestnut.
The name of the new company
will be the Hickory Chair Manu
facturing Co. and the authorized
capital is $150,000. The plant
can begin business on $25,000
but more than this has already
been paid in.
It will take a month to close
out the business at Elkin and
then the machinery will be
moved here, so that business
operations will be under way
about the first of the year. The
plant will bring a number of
skilled laborers to Hickory, as
weft as employ a good deal '
of local labor.
The site chosen is near the
Martin furniture factory where a
spur-side track to the railraod
can easilv be built-
Six grades of chairs will be
manufactured and the output
at the start will be several
thousands a year. The old Surry
Chair Co. had orders nearly all
the time for its full capacity.
CICERO CLINE.
South Fork Institute.
Correspondence of the Democrat
South Fork Institute, Maiden,
Oct. 16.—Miss Lilia Robinson, of
Dallas entered school here Mon
day.
Mrs. Criddle and children left
for their home in Newton Wed
nesday evening.
Much interest is being mani
fested in the ycung people's
prayer meeting. It is conducted
by the students every Wednes
day evening.
Mrs. Honeycutt and Miss Fau
cett attended th 6 music club
which met with Mrs. Robert
Taylor, last Thursday evening at
8 o'clock.
Mrs, Tilley left here Friday
for her home near Morganton
where she will spend a few days.
Messrs Ernest Locke, Ernest
Jones and Julius Cox, went to
Lincolnton Friday.
Mr. James Whitener and sis
ter Mattie went home Friday
evening.
Miss Alva Abernethy left for
Alexis, Friday evening where
she will spend a few days at
home.
Miss Ada Harris spent Satur
day and Sunday with her parents
at Lowell.
The Ciceronian Literary Society
met Friday evening, they had a
good meeting-, after which offi
cers were elected for next term:
President G. P. Abernethy, vice
president P. E. Alexander, sec
retary and treasurer 0. B. Moody,
chaplain C. A, Lineberger, cen
sor C. F. Hudson.
Miss Gertrude Kennett and
Miss Arabella Johnson spent
Saturday in Lincolnton. CAESAR.
Children CZry
FOR FLETCHER'S
CASTORIA.