The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1889-11-02
A FARMERS TRUST"

There has been considerable news
paper talk of late about movement
started In st. Louis, where already a
couple of initial conventions OF farm
ers have been held, and steps taken
by means of committee Investigations
to formulate plans and demonstrate
the practcability OF the objects aimed
at. These are, "to perfect plans for
the formation of an association which
will give the farmers that control of
the price of farm products which Just
" belongs to them" The association
is to have an executive board consist
ing of one delegate from each OF the IL
states and territories of the Mississip-
nj valley: said board To meet at least
once every quarter aud fix the mini
mum price that farm products shall
be sold at in the different markets for
each month in the year. The aSsocl-
alton is also to appoint one person in
every county to act as shipping agent
for the county, and under the direction
OF these agents the farmers products
are to be shipped to the other agents
appointed by the association at the
different markets or shipping centers.
These latter agents will be elected
from the leading commission firms Of
each large city of the Mississippi Val
lev, and as the agents thus selected
will have all the business for their re-
spective points, terms can be made
with them that will save large
amount now paid by the farmers in
the form Of commissions. These, now
estimated at 80, 900, 900 annually, it Is
thought can be brought down to ST.
DOC, 900, saving $4,000, 600 year to the
farmers in this item alone. To enable
the association to carry out its plans
more effectually, "a capital stock OF
$40, 600, 600 for the Farmers Federation
is to be subscribed, to be drawn upon
as needed to secure practical control
of each market. 1t is also in the plan
that the Executive Board shall have
practical control of the agricultural
interests of the Mississippi Valley,
with power to suggest contraction or
of certain lines of pro-
duct. as well as to look after and de-
velop new home and foreign markets.
In short, the object is to grade product
to demand, get monopoly of the com
business, control shipments
and obtain complete control and regu-
lation Of prices of farm products in
the home market. TO prevent Liver
POOLS control of the grain market,
the plan further is to hold the surplus
of wheat, and thus stop expectation,
or to export it direct to the millers OF
Europe, or mill the wheat and export
the flour-in either case saving a large
that under the present sys-
TEN goes to middlemen.
The above is only general outline
of the plan as we find it elaborated in
st. Louis papers. OF its practicability
every intelligent farmer among our
readers is doubtless much more COM
petcnt to judge than we are. We need
only add, that the projectors of the
scheme scout the idea of its impractical
bilty and are enthusiastic in their
faith of endless golden results from
its cOnsummatiOn.
EVERYTHING in this country just now
is running into trusts, and none real
ize more than the farmers that the
main hope and aim of each trust is to
make its largest raid on the farmers
pockets. There is no way for the farm
ers to save themselves from this ever
lasting drain upon them than to con-
trive some plan to fight the fire with
an effective backtirc.