The state rights democrat. [volume] (Albany, Linn County, Oregon) 1865-1900, 1873-01-31
TIE FAnMERs, upsrsrxa.

Mcfarland School House, last Sat
nrday, at which the house was filled
with the intelligent and subtantial
producers of this section of the coun-
ty. Sensible, earnest and temperate
discussion was participated in by va
rious persons, which developed the
fact that the producing population
are fully aroused to the necessity of
tho adoption of speedy and salutary
measures for their protection from
the "tricks of trade" resorted to by
grain buyers and the impositions
practiced by transportation monopo-
lies.
The plan of operations which ap-
pears most popular and feasible with
the farmers is the erection of ware
houses of their own at this city and at
Astoria, so that their grain may only
go from them to first hands at the
latter place, and thus enable the pro-
ducer himself to receive the advan-
iage which has heretofore been mo-
nopolized by purchasers and ijobbers
here and at Portland. With the COM
ple,ion of the Locks Of the William
ette, through transportation is as
sured between Albany and Astoria,
by water crafts, without the necessity
of paying tribute to Portland's
wharves and drays and the Columbia
rivers tug-boats and "lighters," be-
fore the grain is slowed IN the hold
of the vessel which is to carry it to
foreign markets.
From Mr. Philip Lowe, one of the
members of the Farmers Club, who
visited Astoria few day, ago, on a
prospecting tour" we learn that the
Astoria people are extremely friendly
to this enterprise, and offer TO donate
any amount Of water front desired tor
the erection of the proposed ware
houses. From the extensive saw
mills adjacent TO Astoria lumber can
be procured at low figures and within
the quickest time desired, and it is
probable that the necessary structures
for storage can be erected at that
place at less cost than any other in
the State. 1t would doubtless be
necessary to erect one at this city
with capacity OF about four hun
dred thousand bushels, while the one
at Astoria would of course be much
larger. The cost of the two would
probably range between $4,000 and
$50, 900.
The farmers who are of course adj
vocating this enterprise are men OF
sufficient Judgment and discernment
to guard it against the danger of be-
ing tampered with and rendered in
operative by dissensions and inhar-
mony among its agitators and sup
porters. That our producing classes
have been egregiously imposed upon
is patent to them and every other OBJ
servant citizen, and that careful,
temperate and judicious measures
for their protection against continu-
ance of those impositions, is necessary,
is also evident, but the proposed en-
terprise is one which needs the
closest scrutiny and preservation from
any attempt at making it simply 4
speculative concern, to render it a
success. Let the farmers throw such
guards around the scheme as that the
wealthy and more prosperous of their
number connot hereafter secure any
advantage or monopoly of the business
phases of the enterprise, arrange it SO
that no one man can ever secure a
controlling interest or voice in its
stock, and that spectators cannot in
the future step in and divert it from
the design of its founders, and it will
be a grand and continuing source ol
revenue to the producers of the coun.
Ity. It will cheaper storage, lessen
transportation, enhance the price oi
grain and insure tonnage to foreign
markets. 1t will render our farmers
independent of the railroad monopoly
which has heretofore ground them
down to its own terms and its own
time in every instance, and will free
them from the necessity of supporting
Portland and fattening SPECTATORS and
1 jobbers by the fruits of their hard
earned labor. We wish the enter
prise all possible success.
FROZEN TO DEATH.-A woman and
her three children were. frozen tc
death near Springfield, Illinois, on the