The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1888-05-05
THE FARMERS, TRUST.
Its Founder-The Capital Twenty Nil
lions-The Organization and the Plans
of Working the Old Thing-A Per-
faCtlv Nnw Idaa

From the Kansas City Democrat.
The Hon. Walter n. Allen, of Meriden,
Kansas the originator of the Farmers
Trust movement, was in the city yesterday.
Mr.. Allen came to Kansas thirty-two
years ago, and has ever since been identi-
fed with the agricultural interests of the
State. He is now about AZ years old. Dur
ing the past eighteen years he has been ac-
lively engaged in farming and stock raising
near Meriden, jefferson county. At inter
walls during the past twenty years he has
held several posts of trust. He is one of the
most energetic and enterprising men in the
State, and asserts with pardonable pride
that he has never failed in any undertaking
he has begun He is frank and fearless in
the expression of his opinions, and is re-
garded as the soul of honor by all who know
him.
In response to an inquiry relative to the
Farmers Trust, which he is so earnestly
engaged in promoting, and which is of such
vital Importance to the agricultural classes
of the Northwest, Mr.. Allen said: THE
formation of trusts is of modern origin,
and they are great educators. The beef,
hog and grain trusts have taught the farm
ers how to protect themselves. Having
| by agreement wiped out competition on
their own goods, they now enter the public
market and buy without competition. The
prices are fixed upon what is purchased as
well as upon what is sold We furnish them
our crop reports through government
officials, together with an inventory of all
we have to sell, and from these data they
are enabled to figure prices down and on
| large their profits. The Legislature can
give us no relief, and we can gain nothing
by denouncing these trusts. The remedy
is in our own hands, and if we fail to apply
it we deserve to be slaves.
Hitherto nothing has been published in
regard 10 the details of the Farmers Trust
TO be submitted to the convention to be held
in Topeka, May |. These are substantially
as follows: 1t is our plan to appoint agents
TO sell our produce, and local agents to
gather it together, and to ship it to the
various markets; to create an executive
board and bureau of statistics, which
shall collect crop reports, regulate ship
ments and establish prices We may have
an overproduction, but by keeping the
surplus off the market we can
always maintain fair prices for
what there may be demand or course,
it will take a very large amount of
money to put this plan into practical opera
ton, and we expect to raise the operating
expenses necessary in this way. propo-
stion will be submitted TO the coming con-
vention to incorporate the trust, with a
capital stock of $50, 000, 900, to be issued in
$40 shares, $40, 600, 900 of the stock to be held
in reserve and $4,000, 900 to be sold to
actual farmers and stock raisers at 500. or
less on the dollar. The stock is to be pro
portioned to the respective States and Ter
ritOries according to their farming Dopula-
ton and productive power, and equally dis
tributed in counties, townships or districts.
The money received in this manner will be
used in inaugurating the Farmers Trust.
1.-THE agents who will be appointed at
Kansas City, st. Louis, and other CONNER
cial points to sell our produce will have
fixed salaries, but will be required to collect
the usual commissions for selling produce
The commissions paid for marketing cattle,
swine and sheep at Kansas City, Chicago
and st. Louis in 1887 were 81, 49,, S16; add
to this sum half as much more for Cncin-
natl, Omaha, Indianapolis, Cedar Rapids,
Louisville and st. Joseph, and we have the
total of commissions for selling cattle
swine and sheep of the Mississippi Valley
81, 325, 725. The annual production of
wheat, corn, oats, rye, fax and barley in
the Mississippi Valley is estimated at
3,000, 0OO, 900 bushels. IL is safe to say that
three-tifths of this amount is sold in the
public markets, on which the commissions
are paid by the producer, amounting tC
about So 1000, 900, making a grand total OF
commissions paid on live stock and cereals
$40, 00O,O 900 annually.
This entire business of selling could bt
done under our proposed trust system at
cost not to exceed 81 100000 annually. Tho
sum collected by our agents as commissions
after deducting the amount necessary fol-
the payment of salaries and running ex
penses of the trust, would be paid into the
treasury for the benefit of the stockholders
and should this plan be generally accepted
and the farmers and stock raiseIs market
all their produce through our agencies, i
would effect a saving in commissions O
100000 annually, and in two years at thi.
rate we would have in the treasury $1S,
900, 900 placed to the credit of the stock
holders, which could be paid out in divi
dends or appropriated in the purchase o.
stock yards and grain elevators, and thu
= another great saving would be accomplished
by reducing stock yards and elevator
charges.
, Il think the convention will adopt tn,
municipal township as auxiliary distric
trusts, numbering them |, 2, 3, and so on
designating the county and State. WheI
ten or more farmers in township associate
themselves together and make an applica
ton for stock, sending fifty cents on tn,
dollar, paid up stock certificates will bt
furnished to each member of tho local asso-
citation, with charter establishing them as
an auxiliary farmers trust, but no stool
can be transferred by a stockholder except
by resolution of the Executive Board.
"The keystone to the arch of this combi
nation il the local shipping agent, who car
always he reached by Geographic communi
cation, and through whom all shipments O
farm products will be directed by the ex
ecutive board. At the present time Their,
arc less than one per cent. of the farmer
} and stock raiSers who do their own shipping
They are Obliged to depend on local buyer
to gather up their produce and ship upoI
the market. Under this system no outsid,
local buyer could compete with our shipping
agents. IL 80 per cent. of the farmers
should refuse to subscribe stock ant
remain outside Of tho association, they
would only deprive themselves of being
J equal benefciares of the trust but could
not defeat tine object for which the trust
: was inaugurated; for this SO per cont. would
be compelled, through interest and neces-
sity, to market their produce through the
trust agencies, thus giving the trust control
over shipments and power to regulate the
supply and govern the market, while Tho
: entire agricultural class would be benefited
by receiving more uniform and reason.
able price for their products, but special
pecuniary advantages would accrue to tho
stockholders of the organization.
= Gov. Martin has already appointed the
delegates from Kansas to the convention
and | have received letters from scvera
others stating they will make the appoint
meutS. | expect large attendance ut the
! convention The farmers, / think, ar,
, | awakening to their interests and it is i'm.