The Fremont weekly journal. [volume] (Fremont, Sandusky County, Ohio) 1867-1877, 1873-01-24

goods per cent. for the coming
year. Why don't farmers adyanc'
the price on their productions?
answer simply because they are no
organized, Every other branch o
business is organized, and contro
prices of articles, we are compelled
to buy. While we numbering near
ly 4 of the entire population, have
no control over our own destiny an(
no voice in our halls of Legislature
While our sister states are doins
nobly, can't we organize q subordi
nate grange, or Farmers Club, il
Fremont. Who seconds the motion
/ hope those who are interested
win set the ball in motion, and keel
it rolling until something is done
Let Us hear from you through th'
columns of the journal.
PLowMAN.
Fremont, o., Jan. 2Ist, 1873.
The above contains some item!
which have for years been the sub
jects Of speculation. They have
been attempted often, run for a time
successfully, and eventually explo
ded. What may be the ultimate re
suit, in the States mentioned re
mains for the future to determine
/
But the ideas having been evoked
they are open to discussion and We
may examine their bearings.
The policy of buying and furnish
ing at cost is good enough, if it car
be rendered practicable. But men
do not undertake to do business
without profit unless for themselves
Hence, it would be carried on by as
sociations, and those outside the as
sociations would pay the same rates
they would have to pay elsewhere,
and the thing would not secure a
vast run of custom outside. If its
expense should have to be borne by
limited number, they world soon
find their goods cost them as much
as in buying from the general deal
er, and with bad debts, &C., it would
In few years become improbable.
Such has been the general expert
ence of such experiments.
There is no question but farmers
can handle their own grain, and pos
sibly to advantage, thus saving the
profit, or a portion of it, of middle
men," But it will take time to eff
feet organization, get acquainted
with the ropes" learn the "wheel
within a wheel" which controls OPP
erations, and even then they may
not be able to cope with operators
whose combinations are perfect, and
whose organization enables them to
make money upon a market where
independent operators lose. We
know this is so in stock shipments,
having once had the modus ex-
planned to us by one Gin the stock
ring" which ring obtained a draw
back on freights equivalent to fair
profit on the stock, thing indepen-
dent shippers could not do. The
grain rings may not have advanced
their processes to so perfect devel-
opement yet, but that shipments
made by Independent shippers may
save the middle mems profit; and if
anything can be done to break up
the rings which control local markets,
we shall hail it as an advance in the
right direction. Merchants could
do it if they would, and in some To-
calities do, and thereby improve
their business and attract trade, but
in many localities the market is left
to q few, who control it to the detri.
ment of the general trade of com
munity.
There is one point advanced by
Plowman, which is manifestly uncon-
sidered, unless he would justify
farmers in creating a corner" in
grain, worse than any of the Chicago
ones in the past year, 1t is where
he asks and answers question thus:
"Why don't farmers advance the
prices of their productions? l an
swer, because they are not organizedF
The law of supply and demand"
is virtually set at naught. To ad-
vance the price Of wheat, when the
country has grown twice the amount
it needs, and when foreign markets
are supplied, would be strickingly
indiscreet, and would be impossible,
unless the whole crop were under
The lock and key OF a soulless corpo-
ration which would dole it out to a |
starving multitude at a penny a |
grain. The advancing cost of man
lfacture may advance the cost of
wares "5 per cent the coming year."
1ut speculation will not advance the |
,ost in the face of active com petition
n like articles. If that should be
he cause the manufacturers have
been extremely cautious in limiting
heir advance to "5 per cent" Ad-
7anced cost, assisted by supply and
lemand, may have done it, but we
lsve no idea speculation was at the
POTION of it, for the selfishness of
competition, is a promoter of cheap
less, and does more to cut prices,
han speculation does to advance
hem. Apply these same causes to
yrain and see if they don't affect the
,rice.
eyes," says our farmer friend,
but there is no certainty in the
7ield. five graduate the number
# acres planted by the yield of last