The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1889-10-23
POOLING THE FARMERS.
A Preposterous Scheme For Controlling the
Wheat Market.

n fTepObLeTOuh OCnemo OF OOnNNOAAink thC
Wheat Market.
The farmers of this country, says the
Philadelphia Record, could have no worse
enemies than the pestilent demagogues
who are endeavoring TO amuse them with
schemes of combination for controlling the
wheat markets of the world. In further
ance of plan of Farmers federation"
a convention of the wheat-growers of the
Mississippi valley will be held on the 23d
of October next. In the meantime the
American farmers are advised to withhold
their wheat from market, in order to COM
pei consumers at home and abroad to pay
such prices as the wheat ring In Chicago
NAV demand.
One of the objects of this scheme of a
gigantic farmers trust is to reconcile the
farmers of the country to the various
monopolies and combinations in trade by
which they are surrounded. If the farm
ers could only be induced to organize a
trust for controlling the wheat market
they would not be in a position to make
war upon the trust methods that system
atically plumber them. As fellow con-
spirators in attempts to violate the laws of
supply and demand, the hands of the
farmers would be tied.
Another object of this scheme of a
wheat-growers' trust is to divert the atten-
ton of the farmers of the United States
from the real evils which they suffer, and
from substantial means of remedy. While
organizing trust of their own, it is ex-
pected that the American farmers would
cease to concern themselves about the
legislative abuses and mischiefs under
which trade monopolies flourish.
Even if such a combination to control
the prices and supply of wheat should
temporarily succeed, it could end only in
disaster to the American farmers. Its
benefciaries would be a few gamblers,
who are specializing for a rise of prices in
the bread market. The first effect of
speculative combination would be to bring
all the reserves of wheat out of the gran
aries of Russia, Australia and Canada and
other wheat-growing regions The manip-
ulators of this scheme would soon discover
that the world is bigger than they seem to
imagine
The next effect of an attempt to arbitra-
rily raise the prices of bread in this coun-
try would be TO extend the area of wheat
production in other quarters of the globe,
and, by largely increasing the worlds sup
ply, to lessen the dependence of consum-
ers upon the American markets During
the last seven months there has been a
considerable increase in the exports of
farm products from the United States. In
this period the exports of meat and dairy
products alone increased to SIS, 000, 900
from S50000000 in the corresponding
months of the previous year. These
American products were sold at the prices
that rule in the worlds markets under the
laws of supply and demand.
But let an attempt to corner the Ameri-
can market for wheat and other farm
products meet with even temporary sue
cess, and it would be followed by disas-
trous reaction in this export trades Not
only the farmers and transporters, but all
other industrial interests in the country
would suffer under the blow which would
be given to commerce.
Instead of listening to preposterous
schemesof organizing wheat trust against
the bread-winners of the world, the mani
fest interest of American farmers is TO
crush the fairfield combinations and con-
spiraces for enhancing the cost of the nee
essaries which they consume.