The Corvallis gazette. [volume] (Corvallis, Or.) 1862-1899, 1881-02-18
THE FARMERS MEETING At RosEBuRo.

In our last issue we made mention
of the meeting of farmers at Rose
burg on the 5th inst, for taking steps
for protection from wheat monopo-
lists. Below we give the full text
of the address, which they issue to
the farmers of Oregon. So far as at
present advised we are in hearty sym.
pathy with the object of the trainers
of that address.
No paper has proclaimed more
consistently than the Corvallis GA
zErrE that the present condition of
the grain business of the State needs
entire revision.
Earnest effort is required from the
farming interest, which is the real
strength and backbone of Oregon.
to break the chains in which they are
bound.
Our own views. are well known,
that these CALLING fetters are:
4
l. Tie monopoly. or attempted
monopoly Of the transportation OF
the State by one corporation.
2. The consequent application of
the power of discrimination by these
common carriers in their own snp-
posed interest.
8. The persistent efforts OF the gov
erning clique of Portland to concen-
trate and control all the business OF
the State at that one point, and to
destroy every enterprise calculated to
develop competition.
Nothing but the hearty alliance of
the producers, and the bringing into
one focus of their efforts, can effect a
change. But thus, and thus only can
it be done:
! KosEBURG, Feb. s, 1881.
AN ADDRESS TO THE WHEAT
PRoDUcERs OF OREGoN.-Thismoye-
ment, which so largely interests the
entire State, which is SO nearly sim
ultaneously in California and Oregon
brought about, not by the desire OF
the wheat producers of the States,
but by other combinations, which
find their explanations in conditions
and dangers to the industry of each
State, almost identical IN their nature
and effect, and must be met by uni
ted action if success is expected.
] That so important an industry as
the production and expectation oi
wheat from the State of Oregon
should be throttled by any class OF
combination whatever, that an indus
|. try which is the pride and boast ol
onr people, which draws millions
from the old world TO repay it's pro.
ducers for their energy. industry and
enterprise, and enriches the State at
large; an industry which stands first
on the list of our vast agricultural
productions, should by combina-
ton of capital and ship owners, be
made means of impoverishing its
producers, while it enricIes the ma.
nipulators Of foreign charters, appeals
directly to the people at large, foi a
remedy. Are the demands now
made by ship owners for 80 and S5s.
per ton for the transportation oil
wheat from Portland, Oregon, to
Liverpool real ? Are these demands
which are SO exorbitant as to paral
ize trade, destroy the confidence OF
the farmers and threaten the whole
country with bankruptcy, actual ie
gitimate demands, when farmers are
called upon to pay $40 a ton, go
cents per bushel-l efore their grain
can be placed in the markets Of the
world? This extra charge of SIS per
ton means $4,000 Oh every 1000 tons
ship loaded. This is actually the bo
nus which farmers OF Oregon arc
called upon to make to this combina-
ton Of exporters. It means Is cents
per bushel for every bushel of wheat
in Oregon for export. Are farmers
expected to calmly submit to this
mastery effort on the part of reck-
less adventures to rob them without
a murmur? !? Are vessels SO scarce !
4 Are the demands so great in other
parts of the. world for ships as to
draw away from us the tonnage nee.
essary to move the crops of 1880 ?
IF so, what answer has the ring COM
bination to offer for bhess largest fleet
of vessels that ever sailed for the Pa.
cific coast, now on the way to San
Francisco and Portland?
i IF "a or sos. is the actual demand,
brought about in legitimate way,
and wheat cannot be carried from
Portland, Oregon, to Liverpool for
less, then what answer have the ma.
nipnlators offoreign charters to make
for the loading of SO ships, from Jan.
! 2, 1880, to Dec. 90, 1880? Of these
SO ships loaded, So seem to have on
an average, received less than 93,
one "a, one "a 2s. Cd. Has any.
thing remarkable transpired TO en-.
hance the cost Of transportation, and
liustify this sudden ominous advanced
II not, tn n this extra Is cents Der.
bushel is the Shylock's demand for
the pound of flesh. 1t is the last
feather that breaks the camePs back,
and passes even the endurance of Or.
egon farmers and calls for united ac
tion on their part, for selfpreserva
tion. Tins we behold gigantic cor.
poration of ship-owners and adventu-
n