Arizona citizen., 1873-04-26
OUR FARMING INTEREST.

the case, all countries are prosperous or unprosperous, just in proportion to the advancement or depression of their agricultural interests. These state ments being admitted facts, it should be the study and effort of all to so manage as to best secure the prosper ity of our farmers, and at this time it is question that appeals with espe- cial force to the people of Arizona
 It is not the farmer alone that IS con- cerned, but it is the merchant, the mechanic, the laborer, and every one who desires to do business in the country. Ruin the farmer, and the debts due the merchant, mechanic, and laborer must remain unpaid the goods of the merchant must remain on the shelves unsold the sound of the saw and the hammer will be silent, and the fields of the farmer will again grow up with wild weeds. The Government that affords almost our only market does not desire to zee any of its citizens ruined, and is will ing to pay fair price for all it con- sumes; but in the strife to obtain con- tracts, our citizens year after year,
 
 reduce the prices of supplies to such a low figure that farmers are kept in poverty, and we hear in consequence a universal complaint of hard times. We mentioned last week that one source of relief would be for farmers to raise more of the necessaries of life and depend less upon the sale of grain; but this will not entirely cure the evil. Farmers are generally in debt and whether they raise much or little, are compelled to sell as soon as harvest is over, or at least are obliged to real ize money in some way upon their grain. It seems to us that this inn portant interest could be protected. Indeed we know it could, if all the people interested would combine and give a helping hand and it could be done in this way: Let company be formed in each farming settlement of the Territory, to build warehouses to store the grain of the farmers, with sufficient capital to advance 8 part of the value of the grain to the farmer the company to charge fair rates of interest and storage. Every merchant, farmer, mechanic, and laborer could put in his mite with certainty of gaining fair rates of interest for his investment, for the security would be as good as gold. It would relieve the pressing necessities of the farmer, so that he could hold his grain until fair rates could be obtained. No one would be injured in the operation, and in fact all would be benefited the country would be made prosper ous, the government would pay fair price for produce, the money in the country would be doubled and the wealth of the people would Tn propor- tion be enhanced. It is no new prop osition. Every farming settlement of the Western Atlantic States has these warehouses, and does this kind of business. Hundreds of millions of money is in constant use i'll this way, and they are usually considered the safest and best investments that are made. Holders of grain there come in competition with the markets of the world, while in Arizona a we'll con- ducted warehouse at Tucson, on the Gila, at Phenix, and Prescott, CO., operating together, could easily con- trol the grain market and secure a fair compensation for the labor and expense of construction. We feel con- vinced that some plan of this kind could be successfully carried out, and any one who has the ability to put it in successful operation, will make