The Fremont weekly journal. [volume] (Fremont, Sandusky County, Ohio) 1867-1877, 1873-08-22


in other pursuits. They should be able t
compete with other branches of business Tht
trouble is they have to compete with rings
There are no three men doing business on oul
streets who do not belong to some ring, anC
who are not pledged to pay only certain pri.
ces for our produce. The Farmer comes to
market single and alone; ring by himself;
and of course is at the mercy of these stronger
! rings. One great object then is self-protec-
ton. Now I want to say this: we are not
able to pay the wages for hired help that other
classes of men pay. II all the products of the
farm raised by our hired man, whom we pay
| 81 so per day were marketed, the proceeds
would but barely pay his wages, leaving moth
ing for the interest of money invested in our
farms, nor for the taxes and necessary repairs.
Hence we conclude that we do not get enough
for our produce or pay too much for hired help.
We should be able to sell our produce so that
we could afford to employ skilled workmen on
our farms, and pay them what they are paid
elsewhere. AS it now is, farmers are obliged
to employ bows and inferior workmen at
cheaper rates. Now five can not get more
for our produce we must either pay less for
hired help or buy our supplies for less. But
we can not get skilled labor for less than about
$3.50 per day. Even boys, young and un-
try to get our supplies for less. This, think,
we can best do by forming Farmers Supply
Organization. One hundred or more Of us
could unite, choose our officers and appoint
competent committee to make arrange
ments with some merchant TO supply each OF
us with dry goods or other supplies to the
amount of one hundred dollars a year, we
paying cash for our purchases. This would
amount in all to $4,000 q year, and with such
4 -, - ,,oI-o har-
gain with our merchant. He would thus be
able 10 sell goods TO us at about ten per cent
above cost where he now charges US thirty
with his present limited and uncertain patron
age. Aud there would be no danger OF loss TO
us in case of his failing in business. Some OF
US would likely buy from $500 to $500 worth
of goods in year, and The amount thus saved
would be quite an item, amounting for all OF
us together TO several thousand dollars year.
There is no use in coming here and talking at
random about this, that, and the other, II we
never act. Let US 60 to work. Ii we can not
get more for our produce, or hire our heip iof
less, we must buy our supplies cheaper.
Mr.. Innman said that remedy through the
legislature had been suggested, but ne feared
our Legislators all carried bnbes IN thelr pocK-
cts. The remedy then lies in electing men
that won't take bribes. There's nothing but
rings nowadays, and if farmers have to or
ganize rings to defend themselves 1t may do
well enough, but it would be better if there
were no rings at all.
Mir. Lewis repeated his remark that 1t Is
not best now for a man TO run for olice unless
he is rich enough to pay his way there, and |
mean enough to steal his way back; and 1t |
made no difference to what party he belongs. |
He said we farmers are behind the times Our |
sons and our neighbor's sons ara making |
strike for higher wages, and we must pay them |
or they will go elsewhere, even though our
produce is coming down III price.
We can send our wool to the Eastern States, |
have it made into cloth and sent back to US, |
we paying the freight both ways, besides
good percentage to our merchants for handling |
it, and all this cheaper than to have it manu- |
faetured here. Wages are too high here. |
Some farmers in the West last year saved from |
ten to forty per cent in buying their supplies |
on the plan spoken of by DIR. Ferguson, and l |
think we might try it. A dozen men can not |
DO it, but several hundred can.
Mr.. Tucker said he used to be opposed to all |
rings, but since they have become so numerous
and powerful, he thought 1t was OF no use to /
try to do away with them; but we must now |
oppose organization by organization, rlng by |
ring. These rings should no longer be allowed |
to put their feet upon the necks of the farming |
but in order that we may sue
cessfully oppose them we must organize in |
large numbers, form clubs i'll every township, /
meet often, become more intelligent, active, |
and self reliant, and then all work together. |
We should dispense as far as possible with |
agents, patent right men, and middlemeD, and |
the articles now sold by them should be kept |
at convenient places where farmers could get /
them when needed. do not believe, hoWeV-
er, in buying all cur supplies OF one merchant. /
Mr.. Inman said he always understood that |
;,4andod m obaak gopnahOdu Int
be thought a ring of farmers might be formed /
only for self-protection.
Mr.. King said he was opposed to all rings |
except wedding rings, and did not believe Ii
protection. Our sons are leaving US because |
they can make more money elsewhere. The |
states are taking the bono and |
siney away from u.s. We should do away |
with all protection. Our Custom Houses |
should be abolished. They are nothing but
den Of thieves and robbers.
DIR. Ferguson said he cid not propose TO in
iure the merchants; he was willing to allow |
them fair profits; but he could not see that Or
ganizing farmers clubs all over the country, |
and doing great deal of talking was going |
10 remedy matters, if we never act.
Mr.. Tucker said that the loss to merchants |
in shipping grain from here to New York is |
5 to 10 bushels on each car load. Some car /
loads fall short 80 bushels. At present, mer-
chants must take the risk of this loss; and |
what we want is q law obliging the railroad |
to deliver as much grain in New |
York as they receive here. When that is /
done our merchants can afford to pay US bet
ter prices.
Mr.. Amsden said he thought our merchants |
had not lost much in that way. Four fifths /
or more of all the grain shipped from Fremont /
has been shipped by water and very little lost. |
There Is something significant in the fact that |
all the little towns around US are paying high |
er prices for rain than we can get III Fremont |
Let US wake up on this subject and seek |
remedy. We must go forward and take hold |
of business ourselves. It is not enough to vote |
for honest men for Office; we must go to the |
and see that the right men are |
and not leave it all to be done by |
saloon keepers, merchants and Office seekers.
Mr.. Lewis said he thought that grain mer- |
chants generally paid all they could afford to,
and about as many of them failed in business |
as succeeded. Dishonest merchants as well |
as dishonest farmers should be exposed, but |
he feared exposure was not sufficient penalty. |
Mr.. Tucker said the shipment of grain |
from Fremont by water Is about played out |
Merchants do not keep grain long enough to |
make a cargo. They ship at once by rail. |
They put $50 or 400 bushels into car run the |
risks of the losses, and of course they make |
them up from the farmers by paying less for
grain. Railroad companies should be re-
sponsible for these losses, for their work hands
might steal half car load and the loss would
fall on us.
Mr.. Hafford asked why our merchants require
more pounds of oats and clOverseed TO the bushel
than the law allows. In speaking OF rings doing
their work in secrect he suggested that perhaps
some of them had spy or reporter right here
among rs.
Or ger0usop said our comfy DaDers are on Our
side, and the shorthand reporter employed here
does not belong TO these rings. lie thought most
of US were too timid in proposing remedies, and
too fearful of hurting somebody's feelings, especl-
ally those of the merchants. Some Of US even take
pains TO make excuses for them, and TO palliate
their offences. Merchants will not seek a remedy
for this railroad grievance as long they make
up their losses from the farmers. We must do it
ourselves. We must elect honest men TO legisa-
ture and look to them for the remedy. Meanwhile
let US reduce the cost of our supplies by uniting to-
gether and buying of the merchant who will fur
nish them the cheapest. l am certain we can save
in this way from ten to twenty per cent We must
also learn to dispense with middlemen and buy
directly of manufacturers. Some say il farmers
are benefited BY these arrangements. others will
be injured financially. do not like to hear gentle
men say that; but ! say if any are thus injured let
them 90 out Of the way, and 90 at some better bus
ness, II we conduct our atfairs honestly and fair
ly there viii be no good cause of complaint.
Mr. Amsden said that some farmers implements
costing only $780, are sold to farmers for $780, and
he thought tllaL was 100 large prOnt. lhe aver
age profit on farmers implements ranges from 25
to fifty per cent. of the cost. Mddlemen are sup
ported out of the profits, and should be dispensed
with.
Mr.. Half said where he lived farmers did their
own work and sold their produce where they could
get the best price.
Mr.. Ruth said he had farmed nine years near FIRE.
mont and eight near Bellevue, and he found that
Fremont was always far behind in market prices.
His policy was to take his grain where he could
get the best price, and he wished ev0ry other man