The patron of husbandry. (Columbus, Miss.) 1875-1883, 1879-07-05
FROM TENNESSEE.
SHELBY COUNTY.

Editor Patr0N:-But little more than |
wear ago we knew nothing, and heard
nothing of the Patrons in Mississippi.
Now they are helping to educate and de-
velop us, in other States, for the great
work which lies before us by intelligent
correspondence and good example. We
are getting a reflex of their work every
week in THE PATRON OF HUsRANDRY.
am pleased to see in your. columns the
advertisement of w. S. Taylor, our Grange
agenr at Memphis. We have been asked if
this was bonded agency, and would re-
ply. that the Executive Committee of the
County Grange have thought best that it
should not be bonded. We have selected
a man whom we are satisfied is strictly
honest and competent, and the Commit
fee have written ont plain set of rules by
which the business is to be conducted.
They are also near at hand to see that
these rules are complied with to the letter.
In view of the failure Of the State agency
at this place, we have epdeaYored 70 make
the county agency eminently safe. The
following is one of the rules alluded to:
''The agent shall in all cases classify cot
ton before offering it for sale, SO as to have
each table to contain only cotton of the
same quality or value per pound" Cham
bers of Commerce and Cotton Exchanges
have decided otherwise, and classify after
sale; SO that the man who fixes the price
on each sample can determine as it pass
es through his hands mot what it has sold
for bat what price will satisfy the own
er, and thus retain whatever surplus
amount may be desiIed after assigning to
each his portion. l would suggest to the
readers of THE PATRON that the maxi
mum charges for commissions and storage,
and the mode of handling produce should
all be fixed by law in each State. Illinois
has thus fixed the terms for handling and
storage of grain. Of course the case was
contested in the courts; and on appeal, the
Supreme Court of the L. S. thus laid
down the law: "When one devotes his
property to use in which the public has
an interest, he, in effect grants to the pub
lie an interest in that use, and must sub
NIT to be controlled by the public for the
common good to the extent of the interest
he has created. He may withdraw his
grant by disseminating the use; but so
long as he maintains the use, he must sub
NIT to the control" This was the case of
grain elevator where large sum was in
vested; in the case of commission mer-
chant it is only proposed to control and
direct his personal services
Some have said that you might with as
much justice fix the price of the farmers
produce by law, or the price for rents in
a city, because the public must subsist on
this produce and occupy these houses and
shops. But in the very nature of these
cases it would be impossible to maintain
unj Just combinations or monopolies. In the
other case the Chambers of Commerce
have so constructed their breakers in the
channels of trade, without shadow of law
or claim Of justice, as to force all the farm
er's produce through their hands. They
have by an imperial edict OF their own de-
vising, fixed all the charges; 81 per cent
commission from farmers, and II per cent
from country merchants; they store 70,
25c. per bale and charge the farmer soc..
they charge for insurance without hold.
ing policy in any company, and frequent
ly'buy the cotton consigned to them in
trust. In regulating by law the charge.
and conditions for the sale of our.produce
we desire nothing aggressive, but merely
torestrain others from taking from us BY
force of their combined strength, thai
which is undeniabIy our own We ex
pect noisy eruption of that contempt fol
for farmers which has been pent up fol
ia to"HS anu SitleS, Dul per
haPs this will assist in dispelling those illu
slye batteries by which we have been KEEP
as willing slaves at their feet We have
nothing to lose, and everything to gain by
starting the fray. In Mississippi the farm
ers have, reliable'paper for communica
ion with each other, will they not cleo
an assembly of their best men, with tht
view of such enactmentsi Lawyer poll
ticians have the impudence to tell us tina
farmers need no legislation, that it is much