Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1888-04-03
ARoosrooK COUNTY POTATOES
what Ex-senator Parkhurst Says About
the Recent Farmers Movement.

iy on his way home from the West and South
and elected from him the following facts con
corning the movement recently inaugurated
by the farmers of Aroostook for the disposina
of their potatoes
1.-The greater part of our potato crop in the
past" said Mr. Parkhurst has been bough,
by wholesale firms in Boston. These firms
had large potato houses at the various points
of shipment and the competition has always
been sharp-each firm buying on its own
hook and endeavoring to out do the others
Of course this kind of competition was ben
eht to the farmers and so long as it continued
we had no reason to complain of the prices
which we received for our potatoes A few
months ago, however, six of the largest firms
in Boston-practically controlling the trade
In Aroostook potatoes, met and formed a
consolidation company. One of the objects
OF this organization as set forth in an article
in the New England Grod er was to control
the potato trade of New England. The re-
suit of this combination was drop in the
price Of potatoes.
The farmers of Aroostook were unwilling
that any such combination should be made to
control the price of potatoes in the county
They believed it to be hostile to their best
interests in that the result would mean a
lowering Of prices. At meeting of the
Aroostook county Pomona Grange the whole
subject was discussed, and the de-
termination reached for the farmers to take
the matter Of the disposal of their potatoes
into their own hands. As result, they put
their potatoes together, hired potato houses
along the points of shipment, chose agents
to take account of the potatoes, and sent me
upon the road as selling agent
How long have you been travelling?"
About four weeks"
What points have you visited?"
II have been in New Jersey, Pennsylvania,
Rhode Island, Connecticut, New York and
Massachusetts. At Boston got up circu-
lars, and sent them to all the subordinate
grange lodges in New Hampshire Vermont,
Massachusetts, and Rhode Island. | also
oranges in Connecticut as soon as could get
list of them"
How did this movement on the part of
the farmers affect the consolidated company ?"
They Immediately came up on their
prices. 1t was thought that they were en-
deavoring to break up the movement by pay
ing an even larger price than the market
would warrant"
What success have you had upon the
road7''
VERY good indeed think our potatoes
will average us more by ten cents bushel
than we could otherwise have secured. We
have not settled up yet but think it will be
fully that There is another advantage in
this move which think will prove most
decided one for the farmers of the county
and that is the reputation which it will give
to our potatoes for seed"
"iIave you placed many of the potatoes
you have sold for seed purposes
Yes a large proportion of them. have
sent a car load to place for this purpose
in large number of places. A great many
of them have been taken by Grange organi-
cations IN this way for purposes of seed. |
have faith to believe that this will give our
potatoes "a prestige for seed which can but be
of advantage to us in years to come.
"liave you sacked any of them?'
"les, this was part of my plan. |
!
sacks, besides sending large number of
sacks to Aroostook for having the work done
there. had stencil outfits made and the
sacks were marked "Aroostook County Po-
mona Grange Potatoes" This will give them
prominence, aud when once used for seed
believe there will ever after be an increasing
call for them"
This move has been the result of your
grange organization, has it not?"
Our grange organization has certainly
been of vast assistance In fact, if it hadn't
been for our Pomona Grange, with its thir-
teen subordinate lodges, doubt if We could
have accomplished it. A few meetings were
sufficient to bring about thorough under
standing of the matter and a determination to
put our potatoes together"
This organization of the farmers has been
purely IA matter of self protection. has it
not2"
Entirely so. A false impression has been
sent abroad through some newspapers that
our movement was Farmers Trust formed
simply to work against the Consolidated Com
pany Nothing could be more erroneous. We
have acted simply for self protection. AS
long as the buying firms were willing to
come into the market individually and pur-
chase we had no fault to find, but we cannot
allow our potato crop to be controlled by
any combination.
What does the Consolidated Company
claim ?"
They claim that their purpose is not to
uniform prce-that they can save by com
biuation on the expense of telegraphng, ship
ping. etc and that a uniform price would dc
away with competition. Now this competition
is just what the farmers do not wish to see
done away with la short the whole matter
! comes down To this. We want to secure the
highest possible price for our potatoes, and
we do not want to countenance any organiza
ton that will prevent us from doing this
We shall handle between fifty and sixty car
| loads, ourselves that these firms might have
had, and how many more carloads | canno
tell"
HALLOwELL.