The Bottineau pioneer. (Bottineau, N.D.) 1885-1895, 1889-12-21
THE FARMERS COLUMN.
Edited by the Pioneers Agricultural
Correspondent.
That Foreign Octopus.

suspicion of its existence, 30 that it will b<
, starting revelation to them when they
learn that they hav, all these years beer
contributing to the support Of the mos
grinding monopoly that has ever accurse
the Northwest, and yet have been in the
proudest ignorance OF its existence. Our
farmers have all along had a sort of indis.
tinct knowledge that they were being rob-
bed by middlemen, yet they have not been
able to locate the rt bbers. Perhaps the
staten .nt printed in the London Firancia
Times will throw some light on the matter
Farmers Of Minnesota, we invite your
careful attention to this statement, for 1t il
worth the time you will devote to q study
Of it.
The statement ann ounces that the share.
and debentures of tb. Chicago and the
Northwestern GIanaries company are "over'
spplied for" and that the list is closed.
Ihe capitalization is said to be ST ,2O0, 900,
in shares of $50 each, and the profits are
guaranteed to be not less than Is per cent
per annum.
The property comprises the Star ele'
vator in Minneapolis, y -four m II ~ Candy
or d seventy Fl 7e elevators along the line Of
the Chicago & Northwestern road in Mime
sota an Dakota.
| The business Is reported in the prospects
40 having paid dividends of 28 per cent in
1886, ~ per cent in 1887 and 30 per cent
in 1883.
The information is given that the countrp
elevator raysfour or five cents per bushe!
less than the wheat eau be sold for, an
also that the company does considerable
business in selling coal, salt and farm sup
plies to the farmers at the same time the
grain is bought.
1t is told that the certified profits, as
above noted, have been made on rates v hich
| were little over so per cent Of the maxi
mum rates allowed by laws; that the busl-
| ness incurs Io mercantile risk, AZ the grain
future delivery, while the com oany is pro-
tected by margin. as in banking trans
actions, thus avoiding all elements Of q
| sIee ulative nature.
These averments have been made SUBJ
ject Of verifcation by experts sent out fiom
| the old country.
Aud the public as also sssured that there
! is room for mnch further dey elopment.
ere is an actual instance of going away
| from no ne to learn the news. There isn't,
perhaps, farmer in all MINES ts, or in
the Dakotas, who had the slightest know
ledge Of what immense profits these elevator
people are making Wherever there has
been an attempt to restrain them by legis-
lation they have invariably come before the
legislature pleading poverty and threatened
bankruptcy, until they succeeded in work.
ing upon the sympathies Of the poor, delud
cd granger representatives and usually OBJ
tanned increased powers and privileges.
They have likewise succeeded in pulling
| tho wool over the eyes Of the grain and
wareh 3use commission But here is q state.
ment not inten led for American eyes, which
gives the only correct information that our
people have had upon the subject Of elevator
profts.-St. Paul Globe.
~
On this robbery of the farmer, The Farm
Stock and Home says:
These are confessions made abroad which
the manager would not think Of making at
home, but they come back to us as q positive
assurance that all charges mt de agai INST the
wheat handling combir atoms of the North
west are true; or if all erre neous it is in not
having made the charges strong enough.
The whole monstrous abuse herewith re-
ferred 10 has grown out Of two thinge; first,-
the elimination Of competition from the bus
ines Of buying wheat from first hands; Sec
ond, giving these ring or combination ele-
vator . the RIG ht to cconduct their business
as they see fit, subject to no state supervi-
sion or )ntrol, but left free TO transact their
business according to the dictates Of their
own greed. So . months ago Far n Stock
and Home suggested that grain elevators be
placed under state guardianship, ~ are
banks, insurance companies, building and
loan associations, etc. The reliat ility,
methods, ETC., Of grain elevators are matters
Of - much importance and concern ~ of
the other institutions named, and tho pub
20 shoald have knowledge Of them. 1t
should not take many facts like those pr
senh herewith to Great a pr blio sentiment
which will crystalize into the necessary
legis, alton ooe year hence. This is one ex-
cellent work for farmer organizations to
engage in 1t once.
In some Of the Eastern states farmers are
beginning = taxation crusade. Yields Of
farm products, they ssy, are diminishing.
prices are continually declining; mortgage
Indebtedness is growing: but taxation 10
steadily increasing. New Offices are being
created; official salaries are made larger;
state and municipal expenditures are ever
augmer ting; legislative bodies are becoming
more and more extravagant; public money
IL becoming less and less sacred; no thought
is given to the ability of thepeople TO under
stand unlimited taxation in short, the time
has arrived when the farmers Of this coun-
try, irrespective of parties must rise in
their might, and peremptorily command
halt This Is q brief presentation Of the
case 40 made out by tho eastern farmer
crusaders. There is no less occasion for .
like crusade in the West. Motives are no
less strong here, nor the neces sity for rs-
form less imperative Here is q magnificent
cause Il r the Farmers Alliance to insoribe
upon its banners. Lower taxes is q bat
tie cry that will conjare legions into an
org ,nisation determined upon such . con-
summation. Will the Alliance Join the
crusade?
-
Complaints continue to reach NJ about
grading wheat by country elevators. It il
said that it 10 almost - difficult to get No l |
hard through one Of them as for camel to
20 through the eye Of needle. Let us sug-
gest that The complaints 90 to the Railroad
and Wsreh ,use Commission; there is still |
such commission, we understand, and sse
what it will do in the matter. The commits |
zion determines what shall 60 asNo. ! hard,