Connecticut western news., 1873-09-19
Origin Of the Farmers Movement.

The farmers movement, says Vest
 ern correspondent, dates its origin back about four years. Emigration has been
 so great of late years into our Western
 States, particularly in the wheat-grow- ing regions, that the country has been
 rapidly settled. This has given a temporary market for breadstufs to the newcomers, while they were themselves
 making new farm. But when they had brought new acres under cultiva- tion, their labors increased the amount of crops, so that it became necessary to send a large amount of products to the market. Meanwhile there had been a considerable increase in the number of railroad miles in the West. The ex- tension did not, however, keep pace with the development of the country, and was inadequate to the transporta- tlon necessities required for the re- moval of the superfuous products. Con- sequently, each year when navigation closes, about December 1, great amount of superfuous products accumu- lates to be sent East. The amount of these superauous products annually in- creases. The extraordinary severity of the last winter, and the mechanical and physical difficulties resulting from the intense cold, rendered it impossible for the railroads, after the close of naviga- tion, to move the crops as rapidly as the demands of commerce required. According to the law of supply and demand, the scarcity of transportation facilities during the last winter, in- duced the railroads to increase tLe prices of railroad freight. This increase in the cost of carriage was of necessity paid by the farmers, and was tax de- ducted from the price of their grain at the farm. This increased freight tariff caused great dissatisfaction. There soon grew up an ill-feeling on this &C., count between the railroads and the farmers, the latter insisting that the railroads were extortionate in their charges, and unjust in their discrimina- tlons. During the last five years there States to control railroad freight tariffs by legislation. Almost without excep- tion, the railroad companies have re- fused obedience to these enactments. And when suit has been brought by the authorities to enforce these laws, the railroads have been almost uniformly successful in the litigation. This fact has intensified the irritation on the part of the farmers. The almost unprece. dented large corn crop of last season brought on crisis between the rail roads and the farmers shortly after the close of navigation in December last. The supply of corn was so much in ex- cess of the demand that the price at the farm in many portions of the Northwest was reduced to the price of fuel, and in some places even lower, so that in many localities corn was used as fuel. Mean time the railroads were overburdened with the superfuous crops to be con- veyed to the sea-board. The un- usual intensity of the winter created many unaccustomed obstacles. The necessary delays in transportation caused large quantities of breadstuffs to accumulate in local centres awaiting shipment. At the same time the local storekeepers were pressing the farmers for the payment of their bills, which they could not we'll discharge until they had realized from their crops. The low price of the crops induced most of the farmers to keep them, in the hope that, in the spring, better prices would be obtained. These various circumstances increased the bitterness of the feeling on the part of the fairness toward the l railroad companies, which they accused of combining to increase the price of | freights and to demand extortionate rates, and is the first cause of the move ment now so extensive, and known as the Grange"